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

CHILE | Friday, 5 July 2013 | Views [750] | View Smaller Image

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.

Tags: travel photography scholarship 2013

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.

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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.

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

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