Bahia Manzano: prisoner of Chief Sayhueque

For: Gerardo Bartolomé (text and photos)
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We arrived a little later than planned and as evening came on the road to Villa La Angostura. Handled carefully avoiding puddles that might have slippery ice. Wanted to spend a winter holiday of tranquility and comfort and for this we chose a small hotel with all amenities in a very special, Bahia Manzano. As we walked the road curves past the name of this bay brought to mind some of the history of the place.

From the time of the colony met this remote region, Closest to the present Bariloche, as the Region of Apples. For some reason not yet well explained by there were apple, very rare as there is an American Tree. Maybe they got there through the work of the early missionaries who died trying to catechize the indigenous peoples. But the truth was that Sayhueque, the powerful chief of the region, called himself Lord of the Apples and the bay where we should lodge took its name from a famous apple that was in the area.
Arrived. I parked the truck and down the luggage. It began to snow and a blanket of white silence covered the place. Despite being in a dense forest far from any, our cabin had all the comforts of modern life (including wifi, digital television and cellular telephony). The heat made us forget that out almost five degrees below zero. With my wife we ​​serve a glass of sherry and sat in front of the window to enjoy the last rays of sun orange tinged flakes falling slowly. How different this experience everything Perito Moreno lived when, exploring the area, became apparent to the Chief guest Sayhueque, some eighty years ago.

At night we decided to dine at a restaurant called Wald Haus (Casa del Bosque), Reminiscent of the Swiss-German settlers, early twentieth century, populated the region. While waiting to be delivered the "fondue" I requested could not stop smiling, remembering how different this menu was that it had to "taste" the Expert.

Sayhueque's relationship with the Argentine Government had tightened to the maximum. The chief sensed that the army was planning a new offensive to move the internal border, it was called the land border with the "infidel", that the indigenous acorralaría against mountains. So do not hesitate, when he learned that Moreno and his group explored the area sent their warriors to "invite" the Perito to stay in the Indian tolderías. An offer he could not refuse. At the camp Moreno was harshly rebuked by the chief, wanted to know what was on their land and accused him of being a spy. Brown, Mapuche customs connoisseur, demanded as a guest it was that first offered him food. Argentina Sayhueque knew was right. Sent for what they considered a delicacy: entrails raw mare ...! Brown, immutable, ate.

The overnight snowfall had left all white, himself to the edge of Lake Nahuel Huapi

Having eaten much better than Moreno, and he slept better than he, in the morning we went for a walk in Bahia Manzano. The overnight snowfall had left all white, to the edge of the very Lake Nahuel Huapi. The birds here and there, they contrived to find some seeds and some insect to feed them with bitter cold. The blue sky and sun in the morning we guaranteed to get great photos.
Sayhueque, that mantenía Moreno hostage to make sure he had attacked him in the Ejército, decided to send Confluence fort some of his warriors along with two men from Moreno and a letter demanding the release of a group that was imprisoned Mapuche. Clearly Moreno's life was at stake.

The next day we went to the ski center Cerro Bayo. Thence, an incredible view of Lake Nahuel Huapi was the pleasure of much of tourists, tired of skiing, preferred a chocolate caliente forward to this grand panorama. Before the end of the afternoon we did a short hike to the cascade Incayal, whose name reminded another cacique of the region.

A few days back only one of the Mapuche warriors. The soldiers had not accepted any negotiation and the Indians aprearon least one of the warriors was saved at full gallop largándose in fast horse. The Tribal Council met and decided that Moreno must die. Sayhueque doubted, thought should still use it to ensure that his people were not attacked. The Council stressed, Moreno should die. Luckily for Moreno that afternoon came a group of Mapuche thick across the Cordillera. In Chile had made Argentine barter livestock product of their raids and brought, inter alia, hot water ... lots of hot water.

The next morning, as we muscles ached for skiing, decided to take the path of the Andes to the nearby thermal Puyehue Hotel, Chilean side. The road we were walking was used in the past by the Indians to cross into Chile captured cattle Argentine ranches. The temperature barely above zero degrees but, outdoor, lounged in the hot pools and relax. Later we take a tea with cakes in a room with a view of the mountains and dense jungle Valdivian.

Brown, expected death in the tent with his two companions. They heard screaming and yelling on the rise. It was clear that the hot water ran from mouth to mouth. They feared that at any moment to come to run them, but instead, after a few hours the sounds were decreased. There came a time when silence was heard. Moreno left his tent and found that drunkenness had taken over the whole tribe. It was time to escape. But how to do it if they were three hundred miles from the nearest outpost? Moreno had a plan. Through the woods walked to the nearby river.

We stopped to take some pictures in the Enchanted Valley, where rocky formations of attractive forms had become a special place for Mapuches

We had one day off and decided to make a long trek to the top of the forested Quetrihué Peninsula. Hidden lagoons, cliffs, views of the mountains, eaglets mature trees and vigilantes are just some of the things you enjoy there. The walk ends in only existing forest it a very special tree slow growth and attractive tan: myrtle. Amid this forest is the famous log cabin, say, Disney inspired in his film "Bambi". We returned to our cabin in Bahia Manzano and prepare the return to Buenos Aires.

The River's Edge Moreno and his companions cut some branches and trunks and, in a short time as they could put together a rustic raft. The escape route that the expert had thought was by the river. The chilled water flow away from the encampment of Sayhueque. For days sailed only at night, hid day. Hunger the weakened, in tennis nothing to eat ni could arriesgarse looking for some more roots. Moreno kept a gun with three bullets with which it would remove their lives if they were discovered by Indians. But that same revolver, it could have been his death was his salvation. When the river's confluence approached the fort in the distance saw the soldiers started. They left the fort to join the projected offensive. Moreno fired in the air. I heard. They saved.

The van took us down the winding road along the Rio Limay. We stopped to take some pictures in the area known as the Enchanted Valley, where some attractively shaped rock formations had become a special place for the Mapuche people. I wanted to take a picture of a granite column Moreno photographed when he returned to the place almost twenty years after his escape.

And 1896 Moreno and were an important character in the Argentina. As founder and director of La Plata Museum, one of the best natural history museums in the world at the time, sought an excuse to organize an expedition that passed through the area Sayhueque. Her eyes filled with tears when he reached the place where, twenty years earlier, had been the Indian encampment. Many things had happened since whizzing. He had reconciled with Sayhueque. When he reached the great offensive Perito Army did what he could to save indigenous tribes. Thousands died and those who survived were relocated. The encampment was abandoned. Volvo claim the forest grounds. It seemed impossible that the place had been so full of life a few years earlier. In the conflict the Indians paid expensive to defend their ancestral lands. Fate had been unfair to them.

The Land of Apples was no longer the same.

Contacto@GerardoBartolome.com
Gerardo Bartolome is traveler and writer. To learn more about him and his work go to www.gerardobartolome.com

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