Chilean Patagonia: Day 8, Mar 2
Curious to find out more about the abandoned theatre, we climb the white marble stairs on the right of the building. At top turns out to be a reference library. Ask if anyone speaks English. They point to a small man in a dark suit and blue tie. “Yes, I speak a little.” Explain our interest in the theatre designed by the man who went on to create the magnificent Theatro Colon in Buenos Aires.
He is clearly delighted. “Please sit down,” indicating two chairs in front of his desk. He bustles about and soon returns with a photocopy of four pages of the history of the theatre. A quick skim reveals that the first performance, on June 1, 1899, was Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor. The theatre seated 600 in varying degrees of comfort.
Thrilled by this success, I risk asking him if it is possible to see inside the theatre. “Perhaps, please wait”. He disappears for a while and returns with a key and a gentle smile of satisfaction. “Come please”. Leads us down the marble stairs and proudly unlocks the entrance to the lobby Wow, this is much more than we had expected.
The lobby is small, fairly plain with abandoned bits of furniture and two bad paintings of ships at sea. We introduce ourselves. He is Jorge “Coke” Vargas. He searches for the lights for the auditorium. We join in the futile search. Seems the lights are controlled from inside the manager’s office, its locked, he is on holiday.
I walk into the auditorium, and as my eyes get used to the dark, I can see the stage. Holding onto the seats on my left I walk down towards the front, then turn around and declaim like a good ham: “To be or not to be, that is the question”. The till now mouse-like civil servant that is Senor Vargas is transformed by our audacity and he declaims: “Ser o no ser”. Great acoustics.
He tells us “There is a plan to restore the theatre. Work will start in April and should be completed in two years”. And then reveals his fears that his beloved library will be moved elsewhere, after being part of the building for many decades.
As we part with effusive thanks he kisses us both with great emotion, and is totally thrilled when Vicky takes a picture of me and "Coke" under the curtains at the entrance to the stalls. Back out in the street he again embraces us with huge warmth and more kisses. He has made our morning and I think we may have made his week!
We leave Punta Arenas heading north towards Puerto Natales. We divert off the main road to Rio Verde, and soon discover a veritable wonderland of native animals. We spot a primitive sign saying "penguins" and turn into what emerges as a tiny private zoo with Magellan penguins, and one Emperor penguin swimming in a pond. It emits a loud and heart rendering cry when we appear. A pair of Llamas, one brown and one white, follow us up and down the length of the fence with bright-eyed interest. And finally a family of ostriches. The dusty-grey parents are almost our height while the two youngsters only come up to our midriffs.
As we drive through this beautiful landscape of soaring mountains, rolling hills and blue-grey water we see wild ostriches, falcons, flamingos, and myriad other birds. We stop at the Rio Verde municipal building and with our usual direct approach are soon inside and talking to the lady mayor, and yes, the meeting does end with a bunch of brochures and a mayoral kiss on the cheek!
Picnic nearby as we look into the waters at what we believe at first may be whales, but later think may actually be dolphins. There are voices calling in the distance and looking at the hills behind us we can see two gauchos and their dogs driving sheep. It is idyllic and we cannot believe out luck with the weather (Did I mention that there is no wind!)
As we drive on we are surprised by two ostriches who run alongside and in front of the car. How fast can a ostrich run? We never find out as they soon grow tired and veer off to the roadside.
We reach Puerta Natales, our last town on the trip and Hotel Darwin, don't ask about the room!
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