THE ARCHIPELAGO OF CHILOÉ IN SOUTHERN CHILE IS A PECULIAR SET OF ISLANDS, DIFFERENT IN CUSTOMS, FOOD AND ARTS FROM THE REST OF CHILE.

THE CHILOÉ IS DERIVED FROM A SHORE BIRD THAT WALKS RIGHT ALONG THE EDGE OF THE WATER ESPECIALLY IN THE ONCOMING TIDE.

IT'S INHABITANTS THINK OF THEMSELVES NOT AS CHILEANS BUT AS CHILOTES.

FUNDING FOR IN THE AMERICAS WITH DAVID YETMAN WAS PROVIDED BY AGNES HAURY.

[MUSIC] CHILE SITS ON THE WEST COAST OF SOUTH AMERICA.

IT'S ABOUT 3,000 MILES LONG.

2/3RDS OF THE WAY TOWARD THE SOUTH LIES AN ARCHIPELAGO, ISLANDS COLLECTIVELY KNOWN AS CHILOÉ, A TERM USUALLY RESERVED FOR THE BIG ISLAND.

THE ONLY WAY TO GET TO THE ISLAND OF CHILOÉ IS BY FERRY.

ALTHOUGH IT'S THE SECOND LARGEST ISLAND IN SOUTH AMERICA, IT HAS BEEN ISOLATED FROM THE REST OF CHILE EVER SINCE THE SPANIARDS ARRIVED.

THE CHILOÉANS ALWAYS HAVE VIEWED THEMSELVES AS BEING DIFFERENT FROM CHILEANS THEMSELVES.

THE ISLAND WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY ISOLATED UNTIL THE FERRY SYSTEM WAS DEVELOPED AND THAT'S ONLY BEEN IN THE LAST, OH, 50 YEARS OR SO.

SO CHILOÉ, THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE THERE AND THE EUROPEANS WHO ARRIVED SET UP EVERYTHING IN THEIR OWN WAY.

CHILOÉ IS DIFFERENT.

ON CHILOÉ ONLY ONE MAN CAN BEST EXPLAIN THE HISTORY, PEOPLE AND GEOGRAPHY OF THE ISLANDS, RENATO CARDENAS.

YOU SEE, THE CHILOÉ ARCHIPELAGO RESULTED FROM THE LAST ICE AGE, THE WISCONSIN.

AS A RESULT OF GLACIAL ACTION, THE ISLANDS HAVE CONTORTED GEOGRAPHICALLY.

IT'S A CHARACTERISTIC GEOGRAPHY AND THIS GEOGRAPHY HAS INCLUDED HUMANS FOR MORE THAN 12,000 YEARS.

AS THE ICE RECEDED AND THE ISLANDS GRADUALLY APPEARED, HUMANS BEGAN ARRIVING, AT LEAST AS FAR AS WE KNOW, MAYBE EVEN BEFORE THE ICE RETREATED.

LATER, WHEN THE SPANISH CONQUESTS ARRIVED, BRINGING ANOTHER SORT OF SETTLER WHO MIXES THEIR BLOOD WITH THE NATIVES, WHICH WERE TWO GROUPS, ONE GROUP OF THE EARTH, DE MAPUCHES AND ONE OF THE SEA, BOAT PEOPLE, THE CHONOS.

THIS IS JUST A LITTLE HISTORY OF THIS REGION, THIS TERRITORY.

THESE TWO GROUPS SOMEHOW NOW REPRESENT CHILOÉ, A WORLD OF LAND IN A WORLD OF SEA.

WELL, AN AMPHIBIAN WORLD.

IN ADDITION TO THE ISLAND OF CHILOÉ THERE'S THE ARCHIPELAGO OF CHILE WHERE THEY CONSIST OF 40 ISLANDS, ALL OF WHICH ARE INHABITED.

THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE ON THOSE ISLANDS ARE CONSTANTLY COMING AND GOING BY BOAT.

THEY COMMUTE BY BOAT.

THEY BRING THEIR STUFF TO THE BIGGER ISLANDS, THEY BUY THEIR STUFF AND RETURN SO THERE'S A CONSTANT MOVEMENT HERE.

CASTRO IS CHILOÉ'S MOST IMPORTANT TOWN.

IT IS SET ON A HILLSIDE AT THE EDGE OF A BAY WITH WILDLY FLUCTUATING TIDES.

THESE HOUSES ARE CALLED PALAFITOS.

THEY'RE A RESPONSE TO TWO PROBLEMS THAT THEY HAVE THROUGHOUT CHILOÉ.

ONE IS TSUNAMIS AND THE OTHER IS HIGH TIDES.

SO THE TIDE CAN COME UP QUITE A WAY WITHOUT GETTING A HOUSE WET AND A SMALL TSUNAMI WILL NOT AFFECT THEM.

THEY'RE BUILT OUT OF WOOD AND SO THEY'RE LARGELY EARTHQUAKE PROOF.

THE PALAFITOS ORIGINALLY WERE HOUSES FOR NOT VERY WEALTHY FISHERMEN.

IT GAVE THEM EASY ACCESS TO THE OCEAN.

NOW THEY ARE A MAJOR TOURIST ATTRACTION FOR THE ISLAND OF CHILOÉ.

PEOPLE CAME AND REALIZED THEY COULD MAKE MONEY OUT OF TOURISTS AND SET THEM UP AS CHICHI BOUTIQUES OR AS HOSPEDAJES AS THEY CALL THEM HERE OR OVERNIGHT HOTELS.

SO THEY'RE PROBABLY GOING TO STAY THIS WAY FOR A LONG TIME AS LONG AS THE TOURIST MONEY KEEPS FLOWING IN.

THIS IS THE REAL MARKET, THE ESSENTIAL MARKET OF THE CITY OF CASTRO AND EVERYTHING LOCAL COMES HERE AND YOU CAN LEARN ABOUT CASTRO BETTER HERE THAN ANYWHERE ELSE.

[SPEAKING SPANISH] OH, SO THIS IS AN OLD ARABIC MEASURING DEVICE CALLED AN ALUD.

THAT'S ACTUALLY A WAY YOU MEASURE A CERTAIN QUANTITY.

I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

ALUD.

SO YOU CAN COME HERE, YOU DON'T BUY A POUND, YOU BUY AN ALUD WHICH IS ONE OF THESE MEASURING BOXES FULL.

IT CAME FROM THE ARABS VIA SPAIN.

ONE OF THE WONDERFUL THINGS ABOUT CHILOÉ IS THE HUGE VARIETY OF POTATOES.

SO THEY SELL THEM BY THIS BAG AND HERE YOU CAN SEE SIX DIFFERENT VARIETIES.

IF YOU'RE REALLY LUCKY YOU GET FRESHLY MADE CIDER THAT HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO FERMENT A LITTLE BIT AND IT'S CALLED CHICHA AND IT'S SLIGHTLY ALCOHOLIC BUT IT'S SATURDAY MORNING SO WHY NOT.

IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK AND IT'S VERY, VERY GOOD, VERY, VERY GOOD.

I'LL HAVE TO GET THAT.

LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THIS HEAD OF LETTUCE.

CHILOTES CLAIM, AND I THINK THEY'RE RIGHT, THAT THEIR POTATOES ARE VERY COLORFUL AND THAT MEANS THAT THEY HAVE MORE NUTRITIONAL VALUE, THEY HAVE MORE ANTIOXIDANTS AND THEY'VE GOT TO BE RIGHT.

THESE ARE VARIOUS HERBS THAT HAVE BEEN PICKED FRESH AND JUST DRIED IN HOUSES AND BROUGHT IN AND YOU BREAK OFF HOW MUCH YOU WANT OR YOU BUY THE WHOLE BUNCH.

AND HERBS ARE VERY GOOD FOR HEALTH.

[SPEAKING SPANISH] THIS IS HOW THEY MAKE THE CAKES OUT OF THE DRIED POTATOES, THE CHUÑO AND THERE'S ALWAYS FLOWERS IN THE MARKETS.

I SHOULD SAY ALWAYS.

SUMMERTIME THERE'S PLENTY OF FLOWERS.

[SPEAKING SPANISH] SO THIS IS KELP.

THEY DRY IT FIRST THEN ROLL IT UP IN THESE BUNDLES AND THEN YOU CAN ADD IT TO CURANTO TRADITIONALLY OR YOU CAN CUT IT UP AND COOK IT THE WAY IT IS AND EVEN PUT IT IN SALADS.

CURANTO IS THE SPECIAL DISH THAT SETS CHILOTE FOOD OFF FROM EVERYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD.

IT INCLUDES FISH.

SO THIS IS THE HEART OF THE FISH MARKET OF CASTRO.

IT'S RIGHT ON THE OCEAN SO YOU'D EXPECT THERE TO BE A LOT OF FISH HERE.

THERE'S CONGER.

THERE'S A LOT OF MACKEREL, THAT JUST SEEMS TO BE IN SEASON RIGHT NOW.

SO THIS SMALL FISH IS CALLED ROBALO.

AND IT'S ESPECIALLY USED FOR STEWS.

[SPEAKING SPANISH] SO THIS IS WHAT WE CALL THE CONGER, THE CONGER EEL.

[SPEAKING SPANISH] THIS IS MACKEREL.

THIS IS SORT OF A SAD STORY.

THIS IS A FISH THAT USED TO BE VERY COMMON BUT WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF SALMON FARMING THE DISEASES FROM SALMON KILLED OFF MOST OF THEM.

THEY ARE MAKING A COMEBACK BUT THEY'RE STILL A LOT MORE SCARCE THAN THEY USED TO BE.

AS THE SALMON INDUSTRY PLUMMETED, THE STOCKS OF THESE CAME BACK.

I'VE BEEN IN A LOT OF FISH MARKETS BUT NEVER HAVE I SEEN SUCH A SUPER ABUNDANCE OF SHELLFISH, MOLLUSKS AND CLAMS.

NO OYSTERS.

AND THE REASON IS TWOFOLD.

FIRST OF ALL, THE WATERS AROUND CHILOÉ ARE RICH ENOUGH THAT SHELLFISH JUST SUPER PRODUCE.

BUT SECONDLY, IT'S BEEN THE MAIN SOURCE OF FOOD FOR CHILOTES FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS AND SO THEY LOVE THEM.

THAT'S THE BASIC SEAFOOD MAYBE EVEN PROTEIN IN THEIR DIET.

CHILOÉ HAS ITS CHARACTERISTIC FOOD AND ARCHITECTURE.

IT'S ALSO KNOWN FOR ITS DISTINCT MUSIC.

CHILOÉ IS ONE OF THE FEW PLACES IN CHILE WHERE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE AND SPANIARDS INTERMARRY.

THE PRE-COLOMBIAN FOUNDATION OF OUR CULTURE REMAINS IN OUR FOOD, MUSIC AND CUSTOMS.

IT WAS SO PERVASIVE THAT THE SPANISH SPOKE MAPUCHE.

IT IS STILL THE BASIS OF OUR CHILOTE MUSIC AND OUR WAY OF LIFE.

WE LIVE ON AN ISLAND AND HAVE OUR OWN CULTURAL IDENTITY.

THIS IS ONE GREAT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN US AND THE REST OF CHILE BUT WE ALSO HAVE A DISTINCT HISTORY, VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE REST OF THE COUNTRY.

CHILOÉ NEVER REALLY BELONGED TO CHILE UNTIL A FEW YEARS BEFORE CHILEAN INDEPENDENCE.

IT WAS A SEPARATE TERRITORY OF THE SPANISH CROWN.

IT WAS ALSO ONE OF THE LAST PLACES TO FALL TO THE FORCES OF INDEPENDENCE IN THE AMERICAS.

IT WAS LESS OUT OF LOYALTY I THINK BECAUSE CHILOÉ DIDN'T WANT TO BE ANYONE'S COLONY.

WE WERE A SMALL COUNTRY AND WE CONTINUE TO BE THIS SMALL COUNTRY BUT ADMINISTERED BY CHILE.

WE'RE GOING FROM CHILOÉ ISLAND TO QUINCHAO ISLAND AND IT LOOKS LIKE A SPACE OF CLOSE TO A KILOMETER AND WE'RE NOT THE FIRST TO DO THIS EITHER CAUSE HE TELLS ME THAT THE PRE-COLOMBIAN ABORIGINAL PEOPLE HERE WENT BACK AND FORTH IN BOATS ALL THE TIME.

FROM HERE WE CAN PICK OUT 40 ISLANDS DEPENDING ON THE TIDE.

WHEN THE TIDE IS LOW, THERE CAN BE 40 BUT WHEN THE TIDE COMES IN THERE CAN BE TWICE AS THAT BECAUSE THE HIGH WATER SUBMERGES SOME PARTS CREATING WHAT LOOKS LIKE NEW ISLANDS AT A VERY HIGH TIDE.

THIS CHURCH IN THE VILLAGE OF ACHAO WAS BUILT IN 1640 AND LOCAL RESIDENTS SAY IT'S THE OLDEST CHURCH IN ALL OF CHILE.

I'M USED TO SEEING CHURCHES IN LATIN AMERICA THAT ARE MADE OUT OF STONE AND CONCRETE.

THIS ONE IS MADE ENTIRELY OF WOOD.

THESE COLUMNS ARE STILL WOODEN BUT ARE PLACED UPON WOODEN PALLETS.

THE ORIGINAL COLUMNS WERE PLACED UPON A ROCK TO HOLD UP THE MASSIVE WEIGHT AND THERE ARE FEW THAT ARE LEFT HERE THAT STILL BEAR THE WEIGHT OF THE CHURCH.

[SPEAKING SPANISH] THE CARPENTERS BUILT THIS CHURCH WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THEY GAINED IN THE FEW YEARS THAT THE JESUITS AND A FEW OTHER SPANIARDS WERE HERE AND IN THAT SHORT PERIOD OF TIME THEY WERE ABLE TO DEVELOP THE SKILLS, UNDERSTANDING ENGINEERING ENOUGH AND COMPLETE THIS STRUCTURE WITHOUT A SINGLE NAIL.

WE HAVE THIS MODEL OF THE CHURCH IN ACHAO AND IT SHOWS THE INTRICATE WORK THAT THE NATIVE ARTISANS HAD TO BE ABLE TO DO TO BUILD THIS CHURCH.

1640 WAS THE ORIGINAL CHURCH.

THE JESUITS ARRIVED IN 1608 AND IN THOSE INTERVENING 32 YEARS THEY HAD TO LEARN CARPENTRY.

THIS FLOOR IS NOT THE ORIGINAL FLOOR.

IT'S OVER 80 YEARS OLD BUT IT WAS REPLACED AND STILL WITHOUT THE USE OF NAILS.

IT'S VERY SOLID BUT IT MOVES AND IF ANYBODY THOUGHT THEY COULD SNEAK OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF MASS WITHOUT THE PRIEST KNOWING IT, THEY WERE WRONG, CAUSE THE PRIEST WOULD HEAR EVERY CREAK OF THE FLOOR.

CHILOÉ IS A WET ISLAND WITH ITS OWN KIND OF FOREST DIFFERENT FROM ANY OTHER IN THE WORLD.

THE CHILOTES DEPEND ON THE FOREST FOR THREE DIFFERENT THINGS; WOOD FOR BUILDING THEIR HOUSES, WOOD FOR BUILDING THEIR BOATS AND FIREWOOD.

BUT IN ADDITION, THIS VERY VARIED FOREST, GREATLY DIVERSE, HAS ALL KINDS OF PLANTS THAT THEY USE FOR ALL MANNER OF STUFF.

SO THE FOREST IS REALLY PART OF THE HISTORIC AND PRE-HISTORIC LIFE OF THE PEOPLE OF CHILOÉ.

[SPEAKING SPANISH] ALL OF THE TREES HERE HAVE MAPUCHE NAMES.

THE MOST PROMINENT IS ONE THEY CALL THE COIHUE.

AND IT'S A RELATIVE OF THE OAK AND IT GROWS VERY, VERY TALL AND IF YOU LOOK UP IN THE HORIZON OR EVEN LOWER YOU CAN SEE THE TALLEST ONES ARE THESE COIHUES.

THE LOCAL PEOPLE SAY THAT THE WOOD, THAT IT'S LIKE STEEL IN BUILDING A HOUSE IT'S SUCH GOOD WOOD.

[SPEAKING SPANISH] SO THE PEOPLE REALLY NEVER SETTLED ALONG THE PACIFIC COAST OF CHILOÉ ISLAND BECAUSE IT'S SO WINDY THERE THE CLIFFS ARE VERY STEEP AND WHEN IT RAINS, AND IT RAINS A LOT, THE WIND JUST BLOWS THE RAIN IN SO IT'S A TERRIBLY UNCOMFORTABLE PLACE TO LIVE.

THEY REFER TO THE EAST COAST OF THE ISLAND WHICH IS ONLY 20, 25 MILES TO THE EAST, AS A MEDITERRANEAN.

THERE THE SOIL IS GOOD, THE CLIMATE IS MUCH BETTER, SO ALL OF THEM MADE THEIR HOMES ALONG THE EASTERN EDGE IN THE CENTRAL PART OF THE ISLAND.

[MUSIC] THE OLD TIMERS RELATE A STORY THAT WAS HANDED DOWN TO THEM THAT HERE THERE LIVED TWO HUGE SERPENTS.

TEN TEN, HE WAS THE SERPENT OF THE LAND, PROTECTOR OF THE EARTH AND EVERYTHING IN IT.

AND COI COI, SHE WAS THE SERPENT OF THE SEA WHO LIVED DEEP IN THE OCEAN AND WAS ITS PROTECTOR.

ONE DAY THEY MATED AND AFTERWARDS THEY FOUGHT AND IN THEIR STRUGGLE SO GREAT WAS THEIR SIZE THAT THEY DESTROYED EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING.

BUT FROM THEIR BATTLE THIS ARCHIPELAGO GROWS FROM THE WATER.

OF COURSE THE GEOLOGISTS CLAIM THAT THE ISLANDS ARE THE RESULT OF THE WISCONSIN GLACIER.

WE'RE ON OUR WAY ON THE MARICELA ANDREA TO ANIHUE.

OKAY, AN ISLAND CALLED ANIHUE.

ANI IS BIRD AND HUE MEANS THE PLACE OF SO IT'S THE PLACE OF THE BIRD.

PEOPLE LIVE THERE AND CARRY OUT THEIR TRADITIONAL WAY OF LIFE AS THEY HAVE FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SEE THE OLD BOATS THE CHONO PEOPLE USED.

THEY CONSISTED OF JUST THREE PIECES OF BARK CUT IN A VERY SPECIFIC WAY AND THEN PLANKS ON THE SIDE.

THEY COULD PLY OF THESE ISLANDS AS EASILY AS ANYBODY IN A MOTORIZED CRAFT NOW.

THE OCEAN IS NOT VERY OFTEN AS GLASSY CALM AS THIS IS.

THIS CAN GET REALLY STORMY AND USUALLY IS FOR ABOUT SEVEN MONTHS OF THE YEAR.

WE WERE BLESSED I THINK BY SOME OF THE MAPUCHE DEITIES TO HAVE SUCH PERFECTLY CLEAR WEATHER.

IN THE DISTANCE YOU CAN SEE THE ANDES, THE VOLCANOES AND THEY STRETCH FROM, OH, PROBABLY 400 MILES SOUTH, ANOTHER 4,000 TO THE NORTH.

SO WE'RE SEEING THE SOUTHERN TIER OF THE ANDES HERE.

TO GET TO THE ISLAND WITH THE BEST CURANTU WE HAVE TO CROSS A COUPLE OF BAYS AND PASS THROUGH SOME CHANNELS.

SOME PEOPLE CONSIDER IT THE BEST RESTAURANT IN SOUTHERN CHILE.

AND HERE WE HAVE FRESHLY HARVESTED MOLLUSKS.

THEY'RE CALLED CHULCAS.

AND CLAMS THEY CALL TAKAS.

[SPEAKING SPANISH] SO THIS IS THE FIRE.

[SPEAKING SPANISH] SO ON TOP OF THE FIRE THEY'RE PUT ROCKS.

WHEN THOSE ROCKS GET RED HOT AND THEY'LL PULL OFF THE EXCESS ASHES AND STUFF, THEN THEY'LL PUT THE FOOD DIRECTLY ON TOP OF THOSE RED HOT ROCKS.

PEOPLE WERE COOKING THIS WAY WHEN THE SPANIARDS ARRIVED AND IT HAS SURELY BEEN AROUND FOR MANY CENTURIES.

THE CURANTU IS A COOKING POT.

BESIDES BEING DELICIOUS AND TASTY, AS IT MANAGES TO BRING TOGETHER FOOD FROM THE SEA, EVERYTHING FROM THE ORCHARD, ANYTHING THAT IS COOKABLE CAN BE COOKED IN IT.

ALL OF THE FOOD THAT GOES IN HERE, ALL THE ELEMENTS, ALL THE MEAT, THE SHELLFISH, THE POTATOES, EVERYTHING COMES FROM RIGHT HERE.

NOTHING IS IMPORTED.

THIS IS THE KITCHEN PART OF THE CURANTU AND I CAN SMELL SMOKED MEAT COOKING AND IT MAY BE IN HERE.

YEAH.

OOH.

SO HERE WE HAVE SAUSAGE, CHICKEN BREAST, CHICKEN THIGHS, CHICKEN BACKS.

AH, POTATOES, AND THESE POTATOES ARE FROM RIGHT HERE ON THE PROPERTY.

THIS IS GRATED POTATO BEING MADE INTO DUMPLINGS AND THIS IS BREAD THAT IS MADE OF POTATO AND FLOUR.

SO THE PROCESS RIGHT NOW IS THAT THEY'RE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE REMOVING THE REMAINING ASH AND EMBERS CAUSE THEY WANT TO HAVE A FAIRLY CLEAN SURFACE.

DON CARMELO WHO IS THE OWNER HERE WAS BORN IN CHILOÉ BUT IS OF FRENCH ANCESTRY.

HIS GRANDFATHER JUST RAN AWAY FROM FRANCE LIKE SO MANY OTHER IMMIGRANTS FOUND HIS WAY TO CHILE AND TO CHILOÉ AND MARRIED AN INDIGENOUS WOMAN AND HAS BECOME JUST A PART OF THE SORT OF THE TRADITION THAT MAKES THE CHILOTESAN PEOPLE VERY DIFFERENT FROM EVERYWHERE ELSE.

SO THESE ARE BRANCHES FROM A BUSH OR SMALL TREE CALLED ARELLAN.

IT WILL COMPLETELY SURROUND THE CURANTO SO THAT THE FOOD WILL NOT COME IN CONTACT WITH THE DIRT.

AND THERE GO THE TAKAS, THE CLAMS.

OOH, DON'T BURN YOURSELF NOW.

THEN ON TOP OF THAT GO THE CHULCAS, THE MUSCLES, CHULCAS SOPATO.

THEY HAVE TO DO THIS REALLY QUICKLY OR THE STEAM WILL ESCAPE SO IT'S GOT TO BE A FAMILY OPERATION, ONE PERSON CAN'T DO IT.

THEN EVERYTHING GETS COVERED WITH THESE HUGE LEAVES OF THE PANGA PODS ALSO KNOWN AS LAGUNERA SCABRA.

THIS IS A WILD, FAST GROWING PLANT HERE.

AND THE STEAM GATHERS WHEN THE LIQUID FROM THE SHELLFISH HITS THE HOT ROCKS.

THE WHOLE THING BECOMES A KETTLE, A SAVORY KETTLE.

NOW IT HAS TO COOK FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS.

THAT'LL GIVE ME A CHANCE TO CHECK OUT A SELF-SUSTAINING FARM.

ON THIS FARM THEY KEEP COWS, PIGS, SHEEP, CHICKENS AND GEESE AND ONLY A FEW BECAUSE IT'S JUST TO SUPPORT THEMSELVES AND MAYBE TRADE A LITTLE WITH THE NEIGHBORS BUT IT'S NOT BIG ENOUGH FOR THEM TO DO ANYTHING COMMERCIAL.

THE ISLAND OF CHILOÉ ITSELF AND THE SMALLER ISLANDS HAVE 300 DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF POTATO, 300 GENETICALLY DISTINCT VARIETIES.

THESE ARE YELLOW ONES BUT IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE THAT THIS IS THE ORIGIN OF THE POTATO.

SOME PEOPLE SAY IT WAS THE ANDES, SOME PERHAPS FROM MEXICO BUT THESE ARE A VERY ANCIENT STRAIN OF POTATOES.

FOR ALL PRACTICAL PURPOSES, THE POTATOES THAT ARE USED IN EUROPE TODAY ARE ALL OF THEM DESCENDANTS OF POTATOES FROM HERE.

[SPEAKING SPANISH] SO THEY STORE POTATOES IN THE ROOT CELLAR AND THEY WILL LAST FOR UP TO A YEAR.

THE ISLANDERS CALL THIS DEVICE A CORRAL, A CORRAL.

IN ENGLISH WE CALL IT A WEIR.

IT'S A DEVICE TO TRAP FISH.

THE STRATEGY IS PRETTY CLEVER.

WHEN THE TIDE GETS HIGH, IT GETS ABOVE HERE AND IT BRINGS IN THE FISH THEN THEY GO UPSTREAM.

WHEN THE TIDE GOES DOWN, THE WATER IS LOWER AND THE FISH TRYING TO RETURN TO THE SEA BECOME TRAPPED AND THEN IT'S A FAIRLY EASY MATTER TO JUST GO OUT IN THE SHALLOW WATER AND CAPTURE THEM AND IT'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF HOW PEOPLE ON THE ISLAND HAVE ONE FOOT ON THE LAND AND THE OTHER FOOT IN THE SEA.

IT'S TIME TO GET BACK TO THE CURANTU.

I THINK I CAN SMELL THE AROMA FROM FAR AWAY.

THE COOKING OF THE CURANTU HERE IS NOT JUST A MEAL AND IT'S NOT JUST A CUSTOM.

THIS IS A CONNECTION.

IT'S A HUGE PART OF THE CULTURE AND EVERYTHING THAT GOES IN HERE CONNECTS THE CHILOTES WITH THEIR ROOTS THAT GO BACK THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF YEARS.

SO THIS IS ONE LITTLE MICROCOSM OF A GREAT CULTURE AND A GREAT AREA THAT ALL COME TOGETHER IN THIS ONE FOCAL POINT.

SO THIS IS THE MOMENT OF TRUTH.

IT'S LIKE OPENING A GREAT CHRISTMAS PRESENT, IT'S A REAL CELEBRATION.

THE GREATEST PLEASURE ONE GETS APART FROM EATING THIS IS WHEN YOU OPEN IT, WHEN YOU PULL OFF THE NALCA LEAVES AND IT'S NEITHER BURNED NOR RAW.

OKAY, SO EACH PLATE GETS A PIECE OF SMOKED MEAT, IT GETS ONE OF THE POTATO DUMPLINGS, ONE OF THE POTATO BREADS, A PIECE OF SAUSAGE AND A PIECE OF CHICKEN, SO FAR, AND THEN THERE'S A COMMON PLATE OF THE MOLLUSKS THAT IS JUST GOING TO BE ENORMOUS.

I'LL START WITH A CLAM.

MY UNDERSTANDING IS THEY ALSO PUT A LITTLE, THEY SAVE SOME JUICE FROM THE BOTTOM AND THEY DIP THE CLAMS IN THAT JUICE BUT I DON'T SEE IT HERE.

AND THEY CALL IT LIQUID VIAGRA, DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS.

OH, MY.

MMM.

NOT ONLY ARE THOSE CLAMS FRESH BUT THEY ARE DELICIOUS.

OH, GOOD.

I THINK THAT WHAT CHILOÉ HAS TO OFFER IS ITS NATURAL HISTORY.

I THINK THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE FEW PLACES IN THE WORLD, IN SPITE OF THE POLLUTION, THAT INDUSTRY HAS LEFT, WHERE WE STILL HAVE MANY PLACES THAT INDUSTRY HAS NOT TOUCHED.

THIS IS WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT, THE ENVIRONMENT.

THE ENVIRONMENT, UNDERSTOOD AS BOTH NATURE AND PEOPLE.

HERE OUR PEOPLE ARE OF GOOD WILL.

FRIENDSHIPS DEVELOP EASILY.

IF YOU TREAT CHILOTES WELL, SOON THEY WILL BE YOUR FRIENDS.

SO I THINK THAT THESE TWO THINGS MAKE UP OUR PLACE, OUR HABITAT IF YOU WILL, THE MOST AGREEABLE.

TO BE IN CHILOÉ IS TO LIVE WITH THE EARTH AND PEOPLE AS THEY WERE MANY CENTURIES AGO.

THIS, THIS TEXTURE OF GREAT ANTIQUITY DERIVES FROM TIMES LONG AGO WHEN THERE WAS ONLY SILENCE.

THE ISLAND OF CHILOÉ AND THE HOST OF SMALLER ISLANDS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH IT COMPRISE A REGION THAT IS DIFFERENT FROM ANYWHERE ELSE IN CHILE.

CHILEANS BELIEVE THIS AND SO DO THE CHILOTES, THE RESIDENTS OF CHILOÉ.

IT BEGINS WITH EL GRITO, THE CRY FOR INDEPENDENCE.

MEXICO'S BIGGEST CELEBRATION COMMEMORATES ITS INDEPENDENCE FROM SPAIN ON SEPTEMBER 16TH AND A MOST IMPORTANT FIESTA TAKES PLACE IN THE SMALL CITY OF DOLORES HIDALGO.

JOIN US NEXT TIME IN THE AMERICAS WITH ME, DAVID YETMAN.

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