Farming and other country tasks with local people in a remote mountain forest area in Mapuche region, Chile

Details

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  Description

  The local host family iscomposed of a country couple in their 60's, Tello and Edith. They have lived in the area all their lives and do their living mostly with their animals (cows, sheep, chickens, turkeys), forest managing and some arts & crafts (wool and leather crafts).
  
  Our area is in the mountains of the Araucanía Region, in the Curarrehue county. We live in a Mapuche area, where original traditions struggle to remain alive. It gets pretty snowy in winter, with temperatures down to -11º Celsius. In summer temperate climate is warm and fine. The place has beautiful sceneries but is pretty distant from civilization. We are surrounded mostly by forest. The area has almost no tourism.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Babysitting and creative play

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  Hospitality/Tourism

  General Maintenance
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Tello and Edith only speak spanish and Tello some Mapuzungun (the native tongue). Don't think of them as a live native culture because you won't find that. You will find in Tello and Edith two local people, who are half blood between mapuche and European immigrants, and that know the ways of the country and have lived all of their lives here. They can tell you some very interesting myths and legends for example(if you can understand some spanish).
  You could learn to milk cows, work with wood, with leather, with animals in general, about horses, medicinal plants, working with oxen. With Edith you can learn vegetable gardening and wool work (weaving, spinning, knitting with looms) Anyway, they are really lovely people and excellent hosts.

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  Projects involving children

  This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

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  Help

  Tello and Edith usually need help working with the oxen, the animals (which sometimes involves riding by horse to the mountain to go look for the cows), getting the sheep/goats in and out of their paddock every morning/afternoon, or building wooden frame structures, like barns. Also, specially on spring/summer, there is a lot of work to do at the vegetable garden and greenhouse.
  They also will need help building fences, milking cows (in summer), making firewood.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Spanish: Fluent

  This host offers a language exchange
  This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
  You can contact them directly for more information.
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  Accommodation

  There is the possibility to sleep on a room at Tello and Edith's house. There is also the possibility to sleep on a tent (we might lend you one, depending on availability) There is also an additional cabin available for people with needs for privacy, but it is usually rented so it probably won't be available or could have a cost.

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  What else ...

  There are plenty of beautiful trails in the surroundings, you could climb the volcano or visit forest lagoons, but expect a 30 min. walk then a 2 to 3 hour bus trip to Pucón which is the closest thing you will find to a city.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Space for parking camper vans

  we have plenty of space

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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