Campo

I had the pleasure of getting to visit a friend's campo, or countryside farm, the other day. Irma lives between the towns of Nueva Imperial and Chol Chol, about an hour from Labranza. During the drive up, my face was glued to the window: it was a gorgeous day and the other farms we passed were filled with plants and livestock, ranging from piglets to sheep.

Given the rural surroundings, this region can be a bit tricky to access without a car; public buses only pass by a few times a day on weekdays. That said, hitch-hiking is quite a common and accepted practice.

Upon arrival at Irma's home, I was treated to a delicious, traditional homemade lunch: carne al jugo or steak and rice, cooked over a wood fire. The company was even better. Irma is a native Chilean, but spent over 30 years living in England during Pinochet's dictatorship. She finally returned to Chile 2 years ago to claim her family's farmland and is always bubbling with interesting and insightful stories to share about her background.

Home Sweet Home

Surrounding Farmland

The Bus Stop

Membrillo

A popular local fruit, extremely sour in taste

Irma served us a homemade dessert of membrillo, preserved in its own sweet syrup and served with whipping cream. Alternatively, the fruit is frequently eaten raw with salt or turned into dulce or jam.