Strange, Surprising Adventures
by Jack BoulwareOn my last night, Marín invites me out for a fish barbecue. A small
group meets up at the pier, and we set out on a fishing boat to
find a quiet cove. We pass dozens of floating lobster traps, the
langostas' antennae poking and waving out the tops of the crates.
Marín explains that fishermen will temporarily store the langostas
here in the harbor while they go back out for more. Nobody steals
them; it's the langosta honor system here among the islands.
The boat drops anchor, and Marín and his crewmate, Marco Araya
Torres, start a fire inside the boat. A cooking wok is produced,
and soon the smells of scrambled halibut, garlic, and peas fill the
air. Everyone takes a wooden plate and digs in with chopsticks, and
wine is passed around. After dinner, Torres stands up, claps his
hands, and announces it's time for entertainment. As he begins
singing a dramatic love song, Marín's wife, Fabiana, joins him. I
can't help but think that somewhere in the hillsides above us, the
ghost of
Alexander Selkirk is getting an earful.
How to Get There
American Airlines flies direct to
Santiago once a day from Miami
and once a day from Dallas/Fort Worth. From there, Robinson Crusoe
Island is serviced by two Santiago-based regional airlines,
Transportes Aereos Isla
Robinson Crusoe (TAIRC, www.tairc.cl,
011-56-2-531-4343) and Linea de Aeroservicios S.A. (LASSA,
011-56-2-273-5209). TAIRC departs from Los Cerrillos airport, LASSA
from Tobalaba airport. Both are an hour's taxi ride from Arturo
Merino Benítez International Airport in Santiago.
When to Go
October through April is the summer season on Robinson Crusoe
Island, and traveling during this peak time is highly
recommended.
Where to Stay
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