Pucón was my first stop in the Lakes Region, about a nine hour bus ride from Santiago. Here, I observed that the town was quite modern with high levels of electricity usage due to the great quantities of tourists.

Three hours south of Pucón, I first began to see how much the population relies on firewood. Even in the summer, the cool and rainy evenings entice people to light their wood stoves to stay dry and warm.

Even though this grand, beautiful island is only a short ferry ride away from the mainland of Chile, the difference in modern development is drastic. While larger towns do have installed electricity, seeing all the old appliances felt like a trip back in time. Many people who live here are farmers or fishers who also reflect a more traditional lifestyle without abundant material goods.

Arriving to the biggest and most important southern city of Chile after long hours of crossing the Carretera Austral, I could see a large basin polluted by the hundreds of chimneys emitting grey smoke. The otherwise breathtaking natural landscape is so easily transformed by our human needs.