A BEAUTIFUL BASTARD

Perched on the gunwale of a fishing boat, I watched rain dancing on the water. At my side was Seumas, my best friend, a friend from childhood, who had flown down from Scotland to join me in perhaps the only place on Earth wetter and windier than home. Catching a fleeting glance beneath his hood, we shared the same unspoken thought: What are we doing here?

‘Here’ was the edge of the world, the hamlet of Puerto Eden. One of the most isolated inhabited settlements in South America, the town sees nearly six metres of rain per year, and the surrounding temperate rainforest is at the heart of southern Patagonia’s ice-capped wilderness. There are no roads to Puerto Eden, just a ferry, and a mere 200 people live here. And no roads in town either; the humble houses are connected only by boats