Pisco

Distilled from different grapes in the two countries – Peru and Chile – that produce it, the liquor takes its contested name from the Quechua for little bird and the pottery in which it was aged (but more directly from the name of a coastal Peruvian city where it was produced).

It was first created in the sixteenth century as a consequence of protectionist policies by the Spanish King banning wine from the new world. Nearly all the first pisco came from a new grape variety – Quebranta – which is still the main source of “pisco puro” in Peru today. Peru also produces aromatic, mosto verde and acholado (blended) pisco. It is the blended pisco which is normally used for the national cocktail of the neighbouring countries, pisco sour, which contains lemon or lime, egg whites, syrup and regional bitters as well as the liquor.

In Chile, varieties of Muscat are the most common grape and certain additives are permitted in order to achieve particular alcohol levels. Chilean pisco is not allowed into Peru, which calims proprietorship of the term “pisco” on historical grounds.

New Watford Boy

Waiting at Esquel bus terminal to take Ruta 40 south after we had hitched into Argentina the day before my last entries, I got talking to a Californian, Clay, who is a Chelsea fan. We chewed the football fat and compared travellers' tales and spent some time together in El Chalten too (when we arrived some 26 hours later). The trekking there to the Fitz Roy range was good but Jun was ill and pissed off that I went out for a few drinks so we left the following day for El Calafate.
Clay caught up before we took advantage of the town's access to Perito Moreno glacier, probably the single most impressive sight of my travels so far, so we did that together too. WFC have a new fan (second-team status) but I have not rethought my views on Chelsea. His new allegiance coincided with important away victories for both sides, Tamas Priskin and new boy Mike Williamson both scoring as we won 2-0 at Blackpool.
We got to Peurto Natales the same day and met up with our Chilean friend Jackie, who has taken a holiday to head south from the capital. I travelled with her and her friend Ximena to Parque Nacional Paine for an eight-and-a-half-hour trek that took in the towers there. Unfortunately, that was all I managed, leaving the same evening with a temperature and a nose that wouldn't stop dripping. We head north tomorrow.

Chaiten

In May last year, Chaiten suffered under the eruption of a volcano that was thought dead but had laid dormant for 9000 years. Thousands were evacuated and much of the town was destroyed by subsequent floods. Most ex-residents have started new lives elsewhere but a hardy bunch returned and are demanding the reconstruction of their ash-covered hometown. It was easy to sympathise: the surrounding countryside was beautiful; the government, however, which has being paying a "salary" to the affected families, has abandoned the town. There is no water or electricity there now.

We passed through about a week ago on our way to Futaleufu, about 100km away, which was also blanketed in ash at the time of the eruption. Today, though,the BBC news was reporting more activity and further evacuation from Chaiten. Unfortunately, the government may have got it right. We may also have been some of the last passengers on the Navimag Austral from Quellon to Chaiten for a while.