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    Marty Stano Marty Stano is a filmmaker, photographer, traveler, learner, and teacher.

    Photos from Chile

    There are [5] photos from Chile

    In the morning, we all piled in the truck with dogs and fishing gear and drove down to the river. Brad and Jess taught us the basics of casting, as the dogs ran along the banks sniffing for wildlife. By mid-afternoon, Rex and I each caught our first fish. Here, Brad holds Rex’s trout. It is these spontaneous invitations that make some of the most memorable travel experiences and the best ‘short rides up the road.’ Views[895] After we pitched our tent outside, Jess invited us in for dinner. She poured Chilean wine while the dogs stretched out across the floor. Brad played his banjo until the sun went down. We told travel stories and laughed while waiting for the chicken to cook on the wood stove. They shared advice for hikes we would encounter on our journey further south. Before the night was over, they invited us out on the river for our first fly fishing experience. Views[1415] 15 years ago, Brad came to Patagonia for his first season as a fly fishing guide and has been back ever since. He invited Rex and I to stay the night on their farm where he and Jess live in a simple home, one of several structures built hastily along the grid of the Rio Simpson Valley when the pioneering electrical company first arrived for construction. There is no running water inside, but it is of no importance. The running of trout in the clear crisp rivers of the Patagonia outside is what matters. The farm is quiet, except for the occasional roar of the Patagonian wind that rips across the tin roof. Luckily for us, and our tent, there was no wind that night. Views[742] We accepted what was supposed to be a ‘short ride up the road.’ Rex jumped in back with a woman and two dogs reluctant to move over. The driver mistook us for Argentines as I started the small talk in Spanish. Eventually, he asked where we were from. “Estados Unidos,” I replied as his jaw dropped, along with the veil of confusion and polite attempts to speak a foreign language. We laughed with our new friends Brad and Jessica as we realized we found fellow gringos so far from home. Views[611] I’ve learned patience in many forms while pursuing my dream to travel through Patagonia. Research, work, save money, buy plane ticket. Teach English in Chile for 6 months, live with host family, learn Spanish. Wait for best friend to accept invitation to quit everything within a month to backpack with you for the next three. And here: Hitchhike Chile’s adventurous Carretera Austral road, sometimes waiting up to 12 hours a day, in hope for a ride to the next adventure. Marty Stano – Coyhaique, Chile. Views[1639]
     

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