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The ferry
close up
great architecture in museum Sara Braun
the monument of Bernardo O'Higginscroatian roots
i had known through my mother and her stories, that there are many croatians who fled persecution through the ages, especially late 1800's through to the 1960's by going to south america. my mother's family had the chance to go to argentina also, but ended in australia. so i knew that there was a possible large community out there somewhere in south america. i had no idea though, that there would be such a huge concentration in a small city in the very south of this great earth of ours.
punta arenas is home to many many croats. some references state that around 50% of punta arenas' population of 150,000 are of croatian descent. i was amazed by this... heading into town straight from the airport, there is a monument to croatians. the street names are of croatian origin. walking around town i passed the 'sokol gymnasium', and the croatian club. the hostel i stayed in had pictures of the motherland on its walls.
to me this was amazing... and also special. while i am born and bred australian, i do have pride for the motherland. i enjoy seeing croatians doing great, just like my parents who came with nothing to the land of australia, and now have alot they can be proud of. here too, in the southern, sometimes inhospitable land of patagonia, croatians have flourished, made homes, and had a large hand in the creation of the city of punta arenas.
i guess this made me feel like a bit at 'home'. albeit a bloody cold home! lol :)
