On Patagonia

I have raved before about one of my favorite places on earth: Patagonia. It is without question one of the most beautiful and interesting regions for travel. In fact, right now I am reading the book Savage, the story of a Yaghan Indian named Jemmy Button who was taken aboard the Beagle (yes, the one with Darwin…although he was on the return trip to Patagonia, not the one that initially grabbed Button) and spirited off to Britain to be "civilized". It's immensely interesting, and a fine example of a particularly silly kind of manifest destiny, not to mention a timely story about how our notions of societal superiority lead us to try odd and sometime dangerous things.

Anyway, all of that is a long-winded way to get to this story in the New York Times about Welsh Patagonia. Farmers and herders from Wales came to Patagonia early in the 19th century to settle. Over the course of many years, they changed the landscape and the local economy, and endured numerous booms and busts. It is a fascinating history, one recounted in the superb book by Bruce Chatwin In Patagonia.

Some of this is mentioned in the article here, that is worth a read if you, too, are interested in Patagonia. But I should add that the brilliance and wonder of Patagonia is not just in its storied hiistory, but in its outdoor delights. Patagonia is one of the best places in the world to paddle, hike, climb, fish and photograph. Trust me on this one.

Filed under: Climbing, Arts and Culture, Hiking, Learning, Paddling, Photos, Stories