The Calafate Berry
Deep in the mythologies of Patagonia lies the notion that anyone who eats a Calafate berry will be drawn back to that bleak and beautiful region. There are two stories on which this is based, one of an old woman left to die as the tribe left the area after a particularly harsh winter, and the other better known one of a beautiful young woman who dared fall in love with a suitor from a rival tribe. In both stories the Calafate bush with its thorns, flowers and berries is the embodiment of the dead women.
We first plucked and ate the berries on the notorious hike-a-bike section between Embarcadero Sofanor Mancilla and Lago del Desierto with views of Fitzroy in the distance. It was one of the toughest days that we have ever encountered on our travels and Patagonia as a whole was a tough tour so one wonders why we are going back to do it all again.
Blame it on the berries.
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