IN THE EXTREME SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE AMERICAS, SPANIARDS FOUND ON THE PACIFIC COAST A LAND OF STEAMING VOLCANOES, POUNDING RIVERS, ALIEN TREES AND MAPUCHE INDIANS WHO RESISTED THEIR ADVANCE.

SEVERAL HUNDRED YEARS LATER, CHILEANS INVITED OTHER EUROPEANS TO SETTLE AND STAMP THE LANDSCAPE WITH THEIR CULTURE.

FUNDING FOR IN THE AMERICAS WITH DAVID YETMAN WAS PROVIDED BY AGNES HAURY.

♪ MUSIC ♪ THE REPUBLIC OF CHILE IS OVER 3, 000 MILES LONG AND SELDOM MORE THAN ABOUT A HUNDRED MILES WIDE.

THE CAPITAL CITY OF SANTIAGO LIES ROUGHLY IN THE CENTER.

TO THE NORTH THE COUNTRY IS SEMI ARID TO HYPER ARID WITH THE DRIEST DESERTS IN THE WORLD.

TO THE SOUTH THE CLIMATE BECOMES MORE AND MORE MOIST AND GRADUALLY YOU ENCOUNTER A LAND OF VOLCANOES, GLACIERS, SNOW PACKS, WILD RIVERS AND RAINFORESTS.

IT IS ONE OF THE WONDERS OF THE AMERICAS.

IT'S A GOOD REASON THAT THIS IS CALLED THE BAJA DE LA LUNA, THE VALLEY OF THE MOON.

IT'S A MOONSCAPE AND IT'S ALL THE RESULT OF THE WORK OF THE LLAIMA VOLCANO UP HERE.

FOR THE LAST 7,000 YEARS OR SO IT'S BEEN BLASTING THIS VALLEY.

IN SOME PLACES THE VEGETATION, WHICH IS PRETTY RICH, HAS BEEN PRESERVED.

IT'S OUT OF THE WAY OF THE LAVA FLOWS BUT NOTHING WILL PRESERVE ANY VEGETATION FROM SOMETHING LIKE THIS WHICH IS A VOLCANIC BOMB.

ONE OF THE IRONIES OF VOLCANIC EXPLOSIONS IS THAT THEY KILL EVERYTHING AROUND BUT THEY ALSO GIVE BIRTH.

THESE SOILS THEY LEAVE ARE VERY RICH AND HERE WE SEE A LITTLE CONIFER THAT WILL ONE DAY BE 90 TO 100 FEET TALL, JUST LIKE THOSE UP ON THE HILLSIDE.

THIS LAVA BED'S PRETTY EASY TO WALK ON.

IT'S KIND OF NICE.

THE LAVA IS CALLED AA, HAWAIIAN TERM FOR THE REALLY ROUGH CRUNCHY STUFF THAT CAME OUT OF THE VOLCANO UP THERE AND FLOWED DOWN AND PLUGGED UP THE CANYON AND MADE THE LAKE.

BUT AFTERWARDS THERE WAS A HUGE MASSIVE ERUPTION OF ASH AND IT BLEW DOWN HERE AND THE WIND BLEW IT AND IT SETTLED IN ALL THE CRACKS.

HEY, THERE'S A PLANT.

THERE'S EVEN PLANTS GROWING IN THIS LAVA WHICH MEANS PLANTS CAN GROW IN ANYTHING, EVEN IN THE VALLEY OF THE MOON.

THE TOWERING FEATURE OF THE PARK OF COURSE IS THE LLAIMA VOLCANO.

BUT EVEN IF IT WEREN'T THERE, IT HAS SOME FORESTS THAT ARE THE BEGINNING PART OF THE SOUTHERN FORESTS OF CHILE THAT ARE UNLIKE ANY OTHERS IN THE WORLD.

THEY HAVE A VERY, VERY OLD SPECIES OF CONIFERS, TREES THAT ARE 4,000 OR 5,000 YEARS OLD, STRANGE AND WONDERFUL FORESTS AND THERE ARE LAKES ALSO DUE TO THE MOUNTAINS BUT LAKES OF VARIOUS COLORS.

THERE'S ONE CALLED LAGUNA VERDE THAT IS SORT OF A GREENISH COLOR WHICH IS WHAT THE NAME MEANS.

SO IT'S QUITE A CLIMB UP, OUT OF LAKE CONGUILLÍO.

BUT TO GET TO THE PLACE WHERE YOU CAN GET THE BIG PICTURE, SEE WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON IN THE PARK, YOU HAVE TO DO A LOT OF CLIMBING SO UP THE TRAIL WE GO INTO THE DENSE BLACK FOREST.

EVEN MORE UNUSUAL THAN THE VOLCANOES IS THIS TREE.

IT'S CALLED THE PEWEN LOCALLY.

IT'S SCIENTIFIC NAME IS ARAUCARIA.

IT'S ALSO CALLED THE MONKEY PUZZLE TREE.

IT'S FOUND ONLY IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE ANDES IN CHILE AND IN NEW ZEALAND.

IT DOESN'T HAVE NEEDLES.

IT IS OLDER THAN THE TREES THAT HAVE NEEDLES.

IT'S FROM JURASSIC TIMES.

IT'S A LIVING FOSSIL.

THESE LITTLE PRECURSORS TO NEEDLES ARE VERY, VERY SHARP BUT THE LOCAL MAPUCHE PEOPLE HAVE LEARNED TO HARVEST THE CONES THAT ARE FULL OF A VERY NUTRITIOUS NUT.

THE MONKEY PUZZLE TREES HAVE A NUMBER OF UNUSUAL CHARACTERISTICS.

THEY'RE DIOECIOUS, THAT MEANS THEY HAVE BOTH MALE AND FEMALE TREES AND THE FEMALES DON'T BECOME SEXUALLY ACTIVE UNTIL THEY'RE 350 YEARS OLD.

UP ON TOP OF THE RIDGE THE WIND'S BLOWING ABOUT 30 MILES AN HOUR AND IT DOESN'T MATTER.

THERE'S A WATERFALL OVER THERE WITH A RAINBOW, A GLACIER UP ABOVE AND THESE ARAUCARIA TREES THAT LOOK LIKE NOTHING MORE THAN INVERTED PARSNIPS COMING OUT OF THE GROUND, A HUNDRED MILLION OF THEM.

I'M NOT SURE WHERE I AM.

HAD TO CLIMB UP ABOUT OVER 1, 000 FEET TO GET THIS VIEW AND WHAT A PRIVILEGE TO BE ABLE TO STAND UP HERE AND TAKE IT.

THE VOLCANO HAS CREATED ALL THESE LAVA FLOWS WHICH PLUG UP THE VALLEYS AND CREATE THESE LAKES.

IT'S JUST A WONDERFUL THING TO SEE HAPPENING.

AND THE LEVELS RISE AND FALL DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH SNOW MELT THERE IS.

THEN UP ABOVE US THERE IS A GLACIER, SMALL ONE BUT A GLACIER NEVERTHELESS.

THIS RIDGE REALLY IS A KNIFE EDGE.

ON ONE SIDE THERE'S A DEEP CANYON AND ON THIS SIDE IS THE BASIN OR THE LAKE IN IT AND I THINK I'M FAR ENOUGH AWAY FROM LLAIMA VOLCANO THAT IF IT DOES ERUPT IT WON'T GET ME.

IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S A LITTLE STUFF COMING OUT OF THE SIDE THERE.

NEAR THE COAST IN THE SOUTH CENTRAL PART OF THE COUNTRY IS THE LARGEST SALT LAKE IN ALL OF SOUTH AMERICA.

AROUND IT AND INLAND LIVE THE MAPUCHE PEOPLE.

THIS DRUM IS ACTUALLY A REPRODUCTION OF WHERE THEY ARE IN THE UNIVERSE.

THE MAPUCHE FROM RIGHT HERE ARE IN THE CENTER.

WHEN HE'S BEATING THE DRUM, THAT'S AN INDICATION OF THEM.

EACH DIRECTION REFERS TO FOUR OTHER DIFFERENT PEOPLES.

ONE IN THE DIRECTION OF THE SEA, ONE IN THE DIRECTION OF THE ANDES TO THE EAST, ONE OF ANOTHER PEOPLE TO THE NORTH AND ANOTHER PEOPLE TO THE SOUTH.

EVEN WITH THE WIND AND THE FOG THE HARVEST MUST GO ON.

SO THEY BROUGHT ALL THESE SHEAVES OF WHEAT UP HERE AND WITH THE HELP OF THE PATIENT AND LOVING OXEN.

AND THEY WILL LEAVE THIS HERE AND A MECHANICAL THRESHER WILL COME IN AND STOMP THIS DOWN AND THEY CAN ONLY PRAY THAT IT DOESN'T RAIN AND THE GRAIN GET WET BECAUSE THE WINNOWING WON'T WORK AT ALL ONCE IT'S WET.

SO THE WHEAT, IT DOESN'T TAKE MUCH TO REMOVE IT FROM THE HUSK AND THERE YOU HAVE THE LOVELY KERNELS OF WHEAT.

IF YOU THROW IT UP IN THE AIR, YOU GET MORE WHEAT COMING DOWN AND IF YOU DO IT AGAIN, BETTER THAN I DO, YOU GET MOST OF THE CHAFF BLOWN AWAY AND YOU WIND UP WITH PURE KERNELS OF WHEAT.

THE TRADITIONAL MAPUCHE CEREMONY CONSISTS OF A BEGINNING BY A YOUNGER PERSON INTRODUCING AN ELDER WHO THEN INTRODUCES AN OLD WOMAN WHO TELLS A STORY IN MAPUCHE LANGUAGE.

AND THAT'S FOLLOWED BY A CEREMONY OF THE HARVEST AND THAT ULTIMATELY THEN IS FOLLOWED BY A DANCE ALL THE WAY AROUND THE PLAZA TO DRUMS AND FLUTES AND HORNS AND WHATEVER TRADITIONAL INSTRUMENTS HAVE BEEN ASSEMBLED, MUCH TO THE GREAT DELIGHT OF EVERYBODY HERE.

THE FLAGS HAVE A SPECIAL SIGNIFICANCE HERE.

YOU HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THEY HAVE SIX MONTHS OF VERY TOUGH WEATHER HERE IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF CHILE WHEN IT'S RAINING ALMOST ALL THE TIME SO THEY LOVE IT WHEN IT CLEARS UP AND THE WHITE PART OF THE FLAG IS FOR GOOD WEATHER, THE BLACK IS FOR THE OTHER KIND OF WEATHER THAT MAY BRING RAIN BUT THEY NEED AN EQUILIBRIUM AND SO THE WHITE AND BLACK ARE A BALANCE OF NATURE.

THE BLUE REPRESENTS THE SKY.

SO ALL THOSE ARE VERY SYMBOLIC FOR THE CHANGE OF SEASONS, THE CONTROL OF HARVEST.

THIS OBVIOUSLY ISN'T A HUGE CEREMONY.

IT'S AN ATTEMPT TO BUY THE LEADERS OF THIS COMMUNITY TO BRING BACK SOME OF THE TRADITIONS BECAUSE THEY'RE VERY AWARE THAT THEY ARE LOSING THEM AND UNLESS THEY DO SOMETHING TO RESCUE THEM, IT WILL BE LOST FOR THEIR CHILDREN AND THEN FOREVER.

I WASN'T TOO EAGER TO JOIN IN ON THE DANCING AND PROCESSION BUT WHEN IT COMES TO FERMENTED BEVERAGES, I'M ALWAYS WILLING TO BE A GUINEA PIG AND PARTICIPATE IN THE HIGHEST SPIRITUALITY OFFERED.

HERE IT COMES.

I'M IN.

THIS MAPUCHE FEAST IS BASED MOSTLY ON WHEAT.

THIS IS HORSE MEAT AND I THINK I'LL FOREGO THAT BUT THIS IS ALGAE FROM THE NEARBY SEA.

WE'LL TRY THAT AND I'LL PUT A LITTLE BIT OF THIS SORT OF BARLEY WHICH HAS BEEN TOASTED IN ASHES, SHOULD BE A GOOD COMBINATION.

LET'S SEE IF I CAN DO IT WITHOUT SPILLING IT ALL OVER EVERYTHING.

MMM.

IT'S REALLY QUITE TASTY.

IT HAS A GOOD MIXTURE OF FLAVORS, PARTICULARLY THE ALGAE HAS A NICE FEEL AND TASTE TO IT.

THE MAPUCHE WERE THE MOST RESISTANT, THE FIERCEST OPPONENTS OF THE SPANISH BUT TODAY THEY HAVE INCORPORATED FOOD BROUGHT FROM EUROPE BY THE SPANIARDS INTO THEIR BASIC DIET.

ONE OF THE MOST UNUSUAL ASPECTS OF THE CULTURE OF THE MAPUCHE IS THEIR CHICKENS.

THEY LAY BLUE EGGS.

THE PURE STRAINS ARE NOT RELATED TO OTHER STRAINS OF CHICKENS THAT CAME FROM EUROPE.

GENETIC STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT THEIR ORIGIN IS IN POLYNESIA AND SOMEHOW THEY MADE IT HERE ACROSS THE PACIFIC.

THIS MEANS THAT THE MAPUCHE MAY HAVE HISTORICAL CONNECTIONS TO OTHER PEOPLES UNLIKE ANY OTHER PEOPLE IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE.

I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THE BOAT THAT HERNÁN HAS MADE, THE DUGOUT.

HE TELLS ME IT'S...AH, THERE IT IS.

HE SAYS IT'S THREE METERS LONG, 10 FEET.

IT'S MADE OF OAK.

OH, MY GOSH!

YES, IT'S MADE OUT OF OAK.

BOY, THAT'S BEAUTIFUL!

WAMPO.

ALL RIGHT, THIS IS CALLED A WAMPO.

THE WAY THEY FISH HERE IS NOT WITH A NET OR WITH A FISHING LINE BUT THEY LITERALLY SPEAR THEM.

I GET THE FEELING THAT HERNÁN HAS DONE THIS BEFORE AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT HE STAYS UPRIGHT IN THAT.

I'M GLAD I'M NOT THERE.

THE IDEA OF THESE BOATS WAS NOT ONLY TO FISH, THAT WAS IMPORTANT, BUT TO TRANSPORT PEOPLE AND GOODS ACROSS THE RIVER.

THAT'S A LONG WAY AND IF THEY HAD STUFF TO BRING TO TOWN, THERE'S NO WAY THEY COULD GET ACROSS.

THAT WAS BEFORE THE BRIDGE WAS MADE BUT EVEN NOW IT'S IDEAL FOR FISHING.

AND HOW HE KEEPS HIS BALANCE, I THINK IT TAKES PRACTICE.

THE MAPUCHE NOW OCCUPY ONLY A TINY PORTION OF THE LAND THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY THEIRS, A VAST TERRITORY OF RIVERS, LAKES AND FORESTS.

I GET THE FEELING THAT I'M IN A PRIMEVAL FOREST, SEEING FOR THE FIRST TIME AN UNEXPLORED AND UNKNOWN WATERFALL BUT I HAVE TO REMIND MYSELF THAT THERE HAVE BEEN PEOPLE IN THIS AREA FOR OVER 13, 000 YEARS AND SPANIARDS TRYING TO COLONIZE ARRIVED HERE 450 YEARS AGO AND THAT'S 60 YEARS BEFORE THE PILGRIMS ARRIVED AT PLYMOUTH ROCK SO I'M REALLY A LATECOMER.

SO I CAN NOW SEE THE FALLS IN THE DISTANCE AND IF I CAN MAKE IT ACROSS THESE LOGS, I'LL ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO GET THERE.

EVERYTHING'S SLICK HERE BECAUSE OF THE SPRAY THAT REACHES THIS FAR DOWN.

THIS IS THE LION FALLS.

IT'S ONE OF DOZENS THAT COME OVER THE SIDE OF THE VILLARRICA VOLCANO.

IT NEVER DRIES OUT HERE.

THIS IS IN A LOW FLOW SEASON SO WE CAN IMAGINE HOW ENORMOUS IT MUST BE WHEN IT'S REALLY ROARING.

AND THE MONKEY FLOWER I SAW AT THE FALLS, THEY ALL BENEFIT BY HAVING PERMANENT SPRAY.

IT WOULDN'T BE A GOOD PLACE FOR THE CACTI THAT I'M USED TO IN ARIZONA.

IT'S A PERMANENTLY WET OASIS WITHIN AN OASIS WITHIN AN OASIS.

THE ONE I'M LOOKING FOR IS WHAT THEY CALL COIHUE, WHICH IS A HUGE TREE RELATED TO THE OAKS AND HERE IS ONE.

THIS IS HUGE.

I DON'T KNOW HOW BIG AROUND IT IS BUT, OKAY, MY FINGERTIPS ARE ABOUT, A LITTLE OVER SIX FEET SO IF WE CAN MULTIPLY THAT BY FOUR OR FIVE, THAT'S FIVE YETMAN WINGTIPS, IT'S GOT TO BE AT LEAST 25 FEET IN CIRCUMFERENCE BUT IT'S GOT TO BE AT LEAST 150 FEET TALL, MAYBE MORE.

AND THEY TELL ME THAT THESE LIVE BETWEEN 250 AND 300 YEARS.

IN SOUTH AMERICA THEY HAVE GOBS OF FLOWERS THAT I CAN'T EVEN COME CLOSE TO IDENTIFYING.

I DO KNOW THAT THIS ONE IS LIKE A DANDELION.

IT'S A DASTARDLY YELLOW COMPOSITE.

AND THIS ONE MIGHT BE A ROSE.

THEY CALL IT ARRAYAN HERE.

IT DOESN'T HAVE ANY SMELL AND THIS ONE I CAN GUARANTEE YOU IS A FUCHSIA WITH PURPLE FLOWERS AND THESE WONDERFUL SEPALS OF RED.

WHAT A GORGEOUS COMBINATION.

THE BUMBLEBEES AREN'T LOOKING FOR POLLEN.

THEY'RE LOOKING FOR NECTAR AND THEY FIND IT BEST AT THE BASE.

THEY CAN'T GET INSIDE THERE SO THEY CHEW HOLES RIGHT AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF THE FLOWER AND THEY SUCK THE NECTAR OUT OF THOSE HOLES.

THIS IS THE FORT THE SPANIARDS CALLED NIEBLA.

THEY COULDN'T VERY WELL PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM THE MAPUCHE COMING FROM THE INLAND BUT THEY JOLLY WELL WERE ABLE TO PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM PIRATES AS THEY CALL THEM FROM ENGLAND, FRANCE AND HOLLAND.

SO THEY BUILT THIS FORT HERE, ONE ON AN ISLAND OVER THERE AND ONE ACROSS THE WAY THAT GAVE AN IMPREGNABLE FORTRESS QUALITY, THE VALDIVIA, AND LASTED THEM FOR OVER 150 YEARS AND THEN CHILE WELL AFTER THAT.

WHEN THIS AREA ACHIEVED INDEPENDENCE IN 1820, THE NEW GOVERNMENT WANTED TO DEVELOP THE AREA.

AN IMMIGRATION TREATY WAS SIGNED IN 1848.

IMMIGRANTS STARTED TO COME.

THEY CAME AND SETTLED IN VALDIVIA AND LLANQUIHUE AND FRUTILLAR.

SOME INTERMARRIED WITH SOME OF THE LOCALS BUT THE GERMANS ARE THE PRINCIPLE GROUP OF IMMIGRANTS FOUND HERE.

GERMAN IMMIGRANTS FOUNDED THE TOWN OF FRUTILLAR AT THE END OF THE 19TH CENTURY.

THEY BROUGHT WITH THEM FROM GERMANY THEIR ARCHITECTURAL STYLES WHICH INCLUDED THE SORT OF GINGERBREAD HOUSE STYLE THAT MIGHT HAVE COME FROM BAVARIA.

I NEVER DID EXPECT TO SEE A CHESS MATCH HERE IN SOUTHERN CHILE.

AND NOT JUST AN ORDINARY CHESS BOARD BUT A KIND OF BIG ONE.

THIS SIGN SAYS THAT THE COLONEL VICENTE PEREZ ROSALES WHO WAS CHILEAN SAID TO THE FIRST GERMAN SETTLERS, 'BE ACTIVE, PRUDENT AND HONORABLE AND THE SKY WILL BLESS YOUR WORK, ' AND THEY TOOK HIM SERIOUSLY.

IN THE MIDDLE OF THE 19TH CENTURY THE CHILEAN GOVERNMENT OFFERED GERMANS VIRTUALLY FREE LAND IF THEY WOULD COME SETTLE HERE IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF CHILE AND THEY BROUGHT WITH THEM THEIR MOST IMPORTANT INDUSTRIES.

THE MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL WAS BEER.

SO HERE I AM IN HEIDELBERG AT THE OKTOBERFEST.

OH, I'M SORRY, I'M IN CHILE.

I'M IN VALDIVIA.

GRACIAS, LAS TRAVESA.

I INITIALLY WANTED TO ORDER TWO OR THREE OF THESE BUT I'M GOING TO DRINK THIS ONE FIRST BEFORE I START ON THE SECOND AND THIRD ONES, BUT TO THE GERMANS FOR IMPROVING THE INDUSTRY OF SOUTHERN CHILE 100 YEARS OR SO AGO.

THIS IS NOT TYPICAL CHILEAN FOOD.

THIS IS GERMAN FOOD.

FORTUNATELY YOU CAN GET IT HERE AND IT'S VERY, VERY GOOD.

THANKS TO THE IMMIGRANTS.

WOW, THAT WAS GREAT.

I HOPE THAT COME THE WORLD CUP, THE FINAL MATCH IS BETWEEN CHILE AND GERMANY AND CHILE WINS.

ONE MORE OF THESE, AS WE SAY IN SPANISH, UNO MAS Y NOS VAMOS, ONE MORE, I'LL BE OUT OF HERE.

AH!

GERMANS BROUGHT BEER BUT ITALIANS BROUGHT THEIR OWN TREASURE, PROSCIUTTO.

THE SMALL TOWN OF CAPITÁN PASTENE SITS IN SPLENDID ISOLATION A COUPLE HUNDRED MILES TO THE NORTH.

WE BELIEVE THAT 60 TO 70 PERCENT OF THE POPULATION HERE ARE ITALIAN DESCENDENTS.

SOME INTERMARRIED WITH NATIVES BUT THEIR RELATIVES COME FROM ITALY.

WE ARE GRANDCHILDREN OF ITALIANS WHICH MAKES US SECOND GENERATION ITALIANS.

THE ART OF MAKING PROSCIUTTO, SALAMI AND CURING HAM IS ONE WE LEARNED AS WE WERE GROWING UP AS KIDS.

IT WAS PASSED ON THROUGH THE GENERATIONS, TRANSPLANTED HERE FROM ITALY.

THIS TOWN IS A RESULT OF A COLONIZATION PROJECT BETWEEN CHILEAN AND ITALIAN GOVERNMENTS.

CHILE WANTED TO FOSTER DEVELOPMENT IN FALLOW COUNTRYSIDE.

THE INITIAL IDEA WAS TO BRING OVER 100 FARMERS FROM THE NORTHERN PART OF ITALY.

WHEN THE MILL WAS BUILT, IT MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF THE FAMILIES HERE BECAUSE THEY NO LONGER HAD TO GRIND THEIR OWN WHEAT, THEY COULD BRING IT HERE AND EVEN NOWADAYS $3.50 TO GRIND 100 POUNDS OF WHEAT INTO FLOUR, IT MAKES AN ENORMOUS DIFFERENCE IN THE ABILITY OF FAMILIES TO PROVIDE FOR THEMSELVES.

IN 1904 35 FAMILIES EMBARKED ON A BOAT FROM A PORT IN FRANCE AND UPON ARRIVING ON THE CHILEAN COAST THEY TRAVELED INLAND BY CART, ON FOOT, ON HORSEBACK UNTIL THEY ARRIVED HERE IN CAPITÁN PASTENE.

THEY FOUND ABSOLUTELY NOTHING HERE WHEN THEY ARRIVED.

HOWEVER, THEY WERE HIGHLY MOTIVATED AND TENACIOUS.

THEIR OBJECTIVE WAS TO BETTER THE LIVES OF THEIR FAMILIES.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE ITALIANS BROUGHT WITH THEM WAS CERTAINLY GRAPES AND GRAPES HAVE MORPHED INTO THE FINEST OF WINES HERE IN CHILE AS WELL AS TABLE GRAPES AND THE ITALIANS HAVE LEFT THEIR CULINARY FINESSE WITH THE ENTIRE COUNTRY AND NOWHERE IN ALL OF CHILE CAN YOU GET BETTER FOOD THAN HERE.

53 FAMILIES STAYED AND ACHIEVED THEIR GOAL.

HERE COMES THEIR LIVING PROOF.

AH.

THIS IS JUST A SAMPLE OF THE PRODUCTS MADE HERE.

OH, MY GOODNESS, LOOK AT THAT.

I'VE BEEN INSTRUCTED TO USE MY FINGERS.

PROSCIUTTO FOR EVERYTHING.

OH, MY GOODNESS!

I HAVE NEVER HAD PROSCIUTTO SO GOOD.

IF THE OTHERS ARE AS GOOD AS THIS, I'M GOING TO STAY HERE AND LET THE REST OF THE WORLD GO ON.

ITALIA Y CHILE!

SALUTE.

WHETHER YOU ARE ITALIAN, GERMAN, MAPUCHE OR OF MIXED ORIGIN THE LAKE COUNTRY STILL BECKONS.

IT'S A RECREATIONAL PARADISE EVEN WITH RUMBLINGS FROM THE RING OF FIRE.

THIS IS A SUNDAY AFTERNOON AT THE END OF SUMMER IN LAKE LLANQUIHUE.

PEOPLE ARE HAVING A MARVELOUS TIME THINKING OF THE RAIN THAT SOON WILL COME.

THEY DON'T SEEM TO BE BOTHERED BY THE FACT THAT 30 MILES TO THE EAST LIES THE SLUMBERING VOLCANO CALLED OSORNO.

OSORNO IS ONLY A LITTLE OVER 9,000 FEET HIGH, BUT , IT IS SO DOMINATING OF THE LANDSCAPE THAT FROM OUT TO SEA TO THE SOUTH 100 MILES AWAY YOU CAN STILL SEE IT.

THE SNOW, THE PERFECTION OF THE CONE JUST STAND OUT ON A CLEAR DAY.

IT'S PART OF CHILE'S RIM OF FIRE, A SERIES OF VOLCANOES THAT BEGAN 3, 000 MILES TO THE NORTH AND MAKE BOTH FOR VOLCANIC INSTABILITY HERE AS WELL AS PROVIDING FERTILIZING ASH FLOWS FOR ALL THIS GREENERY THAT WE SEE OUT HERE SO THE VOLCANOES DESTROY AND THEN THEY GIVE.

THE WATERFALLS HERE AT PICHIHUE HAVE BECOME ONE OF CHILE'S TOP TOURIST ATTRACTIONS FOR GOOD REASON.

CHILEANS AND FOREIGNERS ALIKE JUST FLOCK HERE AND THANKS TO THE VOLCANIC ACTIVITY IN THIS VALLEY WE HAD A MASSIVE LAVA FLOW A FEW THOUSAND YEARS AGO THAT PLUGGED UP THE BOTTOM OF THE RIVER AND GRADUALLY THE WATER BROKE THROUGH AND CREATED THIS CRAZY NETWORK OF CHANNELS, UNDERGROUND FLOWS, COLUMNAR BASALTS AND HUGE POOLS THAT BOATS CAN ACTUALLY GET INTO.

THE TOWN OF CONCÓN IN SOUTHERN CHILE NOW ATTRACTS MORE OUTDOOR ADVENTURISTS THAN ANY OTHER PLACE IN SOUTH AMERICA AND VOLCANO WATCHING.

IT'S BEEN OVER 450 YEARS SINCE SPANIARDS FIRST ARRIVED HERE IN SOUTHERN CHILE AND ATTEMPTED TO ESTABLISH THEIR CULTURE.

AFTER ALL THESE CENTURIES, SEVERAL GROUPS STILL RETAIN THEIR IDENTITY AND MAKE CHILE INTO THE ETHNICALLY DIVERSE COUNTRY THAT IT IS TODAY.

COLONIES OF EXPATRIATE JAPANESE CAN BE FOUND IN MANY CITIES OF THE WORLD INCLUDING THE MEGOPOLIS OF SAN PAULO, BRAZIL.

ONE SMALL TOWN OF JAPANESE IMMIGRANTS IN THE HEART OF THE AMAZON FLOURISHES TODAY.

ITS FORTUNES ARE BASED ON BLACK PEPPER, FRUIT PULP AND AN ENDURING SENSE OF COMMUNITY.

JOIN US NEXT TIME IN THE AMERICAS WITH ME, DAVID YETMAN.

SO THE RIVER STARTS OFF REAL PLACID.

IT LOOKS LIKE NOTHING.

BUT THEN WE GO THROUGH A PRETTY GOOD RAPID AND THEN A REAL ONE, THE DEVIL'S THROAT.

OKAY, HERE GOES.

[SCREAMING] FUNDING FOR IN THE AMERICAS WITH DAVID YETMAN WAS PROVIDED BY AGNES HAURY.

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