The Tradition of Generosity in Northern Chile

A few nights ago in La Huayca, the little town next to our ranch,  I had my heart melted again by a little 9-year old regalona named Vierita, a gifted and super sweet daughter of a friend of ours who lives there in the pueblo. For some reason, Vierita took a liking to me early on, and for the past 5 years or so, whenever she would spot me, she’d run full speed with her arms wide open to give me a huge, almost violent hug.

Now I’m like most men born during the “baby boom”, in that I was raised by family members in a machismo era, who believed erroneously that “real” men should not display emotions, or cry. So the first couple times that little Viera ran up to give me a giant, arms-akimbo hug, I was sort of stiff. But it didn’t take long for Vierita to melt my crusty old man’s heart, and soon, I started looking forward to those hugs. Today, I consider a hug from this precious 9-year old like a gift better than mote con huesillo on a hot day!

Most people in the North are like Vierita – very generous. I’m convinced that if you took an XRAY of the veins of an average Iquiqueno’s arm, in addition to seeing red and white cells coursing through their arteries, you’d also find compassion and generosity running along side. People in the North are givers, and the philosophy of “giving to those in need” is part and parcel of our heritage, and part of what makes this region so special.

It’s also one of the reasons why in Alto Hospicio and Iquique, we have so many traffic delays at rotundas -- We pay our street performers well, and we let them do their little dances and shows even if it means missing the next green light!   Regardless of the talent or lack thereof, anyone who needs a little extra money and can juggle two balls in the air, do a cartwheel, or simply paint their face up like a clown, knows that in this part of Chile, they’ll get paid. That’s all because we are a generous people.

There is a rotunda near Playa Brava that I pass frequently, and often the same older white haired gentleman dressed in a clean brown suit is there asking for a little monetary help. I liked this guy right away, and we often talk briefly about his former life in the military, and days of Allende and Pinochet.  I usually always give him a gamba or two, but on this particular day, I decided to do a little experiment. As he came up to my window to greet me with his engaging smile and his hand extended, I held out my hand, as if to say “you have anything for me today?” He smiled, looked down at the quina in his hand that a guy in a red truck had just given him, straightened his shoulders, and then simply handed those 500 pesos to me.  I knew it was a genuine display of generosity, because the light changed to green and I pretended to drive away. He just smiled and waved, as if it was his delight to give me that money, no questions asked.

Of course after just a few meters I stopped my car, pulled over, and explained what I was doing. “My friend”, I said, “I just wanted to see if you were a giver as well as receiver. You passed the test! Because you were willing to part with 500 pesos” I said as I reached into my wallet, “here are 5000 more” and with that I handed him a Gabriela. With that the light changed again, and I sped away, seeing my friend in the suit in my rear view mirror, jumping up and down waving at me with both hands.

I was not much of a macho man that day, because for the next 1000 meters as I drove down the costanera, I was crying tears of joy.  “God” I said through snotty sobs, “thank you for bringing us to this warm, loving culture, where even homeless men who have nothing, still know the power and pleasure of giving.”

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