Pucon, Chile
""I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;
so I love you because I know no other way than this"
- Pablo Neruda
The Lake district of Chile is blessed with a cornucopia of green thanks to the fertile soil and the many fresh water lakes. I was lucky to spend a day among the forests around the Pucon area. My trusted photographer guide Patricio and I set off early and drove for about an hour before we reached the entrance to the Villarrica National Park. Patricio knew of a private land that was bordering the park and decided to take me there instead to see a part of the forest that other tourists don't get to see. So we trekked into the wilderness for about 30-40 minutes among an untamed array of trees, moss formations, undergrowth and shrubs.
I could smell the rain from the night before and was marveling at the beauty of a freshly washed forest, till I suddenly noticed something...the sound of my own breath. It was so quiet that I could actually hear my breath...not that it was heavy or labored just my regualar breath. I could hear none of the usual sounds I associate with forests...no birds or crickets chirping, no swaying of branches, no crunching of leaves or twigs...just my own breath. When a city dweller like me experiences what at first seems like the deep silence of such a forest, it can be seriously unnerving. Patricio sensed my nerves from the look on my face and assured me that there were no predators or dangerous reptiles or critters I need to worry about. I was only a bit relieved. I let him walk ahead and found a big rock to sit on. I quietened my mind to connect with the silence. I observed the space around me, saw a delicately woven spider web near the rock, a root that had encircled a tree as if in a passionate embrace, a large bulbous shrub that had grown unabashedly, a carpet of leaves that covered the floor and sunshine that streamed in only where the trees permitted it to.
As I watched and listened more intently, I heard the soft gurgle of water...when I looked in that direction, I could see Patricio, a bit further out gesturing to me to join him. As I walked towards him, the promise of a waterfall seemed certain. When I turned the corner, this is what I saw.
My face lit up and Patricio said, "You haven't seen anything yet." We walked up further and now the gurgling turned into a roar...I have always loved waterfalls. Growing up, all my favorite holidays included a waterfall...when I was about 11yrs old, we took a family holiday to see Jog Falls. The highest plunge falls in India, it is Karnataka's pride. The 1.5hr trek down an unpaved trail to touch the waters of Jog Falls is a memory etched deeply in my mind. As kids, my cousins and I raced down the hill...scratches and bumps notwithstanding, I even tore the sleeve of my top when it got caught on a branch I ran into. The awe the cascading water brought to me as I stood under its granduer is palpable even as I write this. It made me feel small, yet at peace, like a child would feel in the arms of her mother. So imagine my joy when we saw what was causing the roar.
I stood there for what seemed like eternity...so grateful for that moment that I could stretch for as long as I desired. When my heart was sated, I thanked Patricio for bringing me here and made my way back, carrying with me the simple yet enormous joy that only cascading waters can bring me.
