Reflection and Rejoice on the Final Day

We spent the last day of our trip at Cascada de las Animas. Like many of our other experiences throughout this journey, we were given the opportunity to learn by challenging ourselves, trying something new, and to choosing our own path. This morning, we were given the option to either go trekking up the mountain for an hour and a half or to relax by the pool during this time. While many students chose to relax by the pool, those who chose trekking were rewarded with the experience of a lifetime.

Before we embarked on our journey up the mountains to see el Bosque Escleróflo,Cascada de las Animas, and Cascade del Colibrí, Rodrigo, one of the three experts joining us on the hike, gave us a brief overview of what to expect. In his talk, he mentioned many of the flora and fauna the we could expect to find throughout the area and possibly during our hike. Everyone’s hearts began to race at the mention of one fauna: a puma! Excitement, fear, or a combination of both rushed through the group of students as we commenced the trek and began walking up the mountain.

The cage of one of the two pumas that the students were able to see on the trek. 

After no more than fifteen minutes of trekking, we passed a sign that read “Zona de Silencio”, the silent zone. Due to Rodrigo’s talk, we all understood that this sign was also the indicator that we were entering the area of the two pumas, Huilo and Maqui. The excitement and energy that had consumed the group earlier was now replaced by a calm and peaceful vibe. In contrast to many other stops in our journey where we were overwhelmed with things to do, the silent zone proved to be a place of reflection and tranquility.

An amazing view of La Cascada de los Animas from where Rodrigo told us the legends.

 Soon, we had passed through the silent zone, catching a small glimpse of Maqui, and had arrived at la Cascada de las Animas. While we were all in awe of the breathtaking view of the waterfall amongst the mountains, Rodrigo began telling us about the local legend that gave the waterfall its name. One way that the waterfall could’ve gotten its name was due to some unseen type of birds that constantly took the Spanish’s food, leading them to believe there were spirits or animas in this forest. Another legend says that a couple was camping in the forest overnight during a full moon and heard giggling and noises coming from the direction of the waterfall. When the followed the noises all the way to the waterfall, they saw a naked woman dancing in the waterfall, lit up by the light of the full moon. Upon looking closer, they noticed that her skin was pale and translucent and came to the realization that she was one do the spirits of the forest. Now, the legend says that if you look into the waterfall during a full moon, you will be able to see the spirits of the forest.

We began trekking back down after spending a few minutes appreciating the view and taking pictures. This time, when we walked through the silent zone, it was not silent. We heard the distinct call of the puma. While most of us were expecting something like a “roar”, the puma made an unexpected noise that was a combination of a “meow”, “roar” and “purr”, catching the attention of those walking by. Rather than fear, most of us were intrigued and paused for a second, then continued to walk out of respect for Huilo.

A few of the students at the “Selfie Spot” on the trek.

The remainder of the walk back down was peaceful and we made it back just in time for lunch. After the reflecting in nature or unwinding by the pool, everyone reunited for one last meal. Right away, the environment at this lunch was significantly different than any other. Nostalgia, reflection, and the feeling of a bittersweet ending filled the air. As we began eating, Jill suggested that we go through our highs and lows of our two weeks together. Almost instantly, everyone agreed on selecting travel days as a low. Soon, a few of the students at my table began sharing what their favorite moment from the trip was, although many of them struggled to pick just one. Carla began by saying her favorite day of the trip was the second day when we had the bus tour of Buenos Aires. Jill added that her favorite days were the beach day in Valparaíso or the day trip to Uruguay. Jon chimed in by saying that “El Capítan”, a little boy he became close with at the orphanage, was “the highlight of [his] trip”. As more students shared their perspectives, events from the every day of the trip were mentioned. The street art tour, the afternoon in Recoleta, hearing the band after the Valparaíso dinner, petting all the stray dogs, kayaking, and the tango show were a few of the other things mentioned. As we end this journey, I leave you with the words of Jon’s toast: “To highs and to lows, to mountains and to rivers, to piscos and to sours.”