Peter Fernadez, Personal Reflections
Working for Earth River allows me to do what I love, in a privileged place like Futaleufu with a company who’s philosophy is low environmental impact while giving excellent service. This is an opportunity that is extremely difficult to find elsewhere in Chile.
I have always loved nature and especially water. When I was 8 we lived on the shore of Villarrica Lake, in central Chile. My older sister Tina and I would go to the beach every day in the summer where she taught me how to swim. From our beach to the nearest shore on the other side was a kilometer (3/4 mile). Each day we would swim as far as we could towards our goal of reaching the opposite shore and then turn back.
One day, near the middle Tina began to swim head down and tell me about amazing sights of shipwrecked boats. When I put my head under water, I saw them, too. It was spooky, because you couldn’t see the bottom and we told stories about pirates and phantoms. Being scared just made us swim harder towards our goal of the opposite shore. This game became our favorite activity and every time we swam faster and farther until one day we reached the other side.
To paddle a kayak and guide a raft you must be one with the water to which I will always be grateful to my older sister Tina.
