University of Richmond Athletics
Spiders in Chile: Day 5
05/07/2026 | Football, General, Academic Services, Spider Performance
Hi Spiders!
We started day five off by visiting the indigenous people of Mapuche. The elders began our visit by explaining the origins of the Mapuche tribe, and we had to, "ask for permission from the mountain" to enter the territory. Women have been underrepresented in their culture, and now they are more active in leadership roles, such as preserving culture for new generations. We also learned that many younger people are leaving and separating themselves from their culture, so they are trying to keep their young people as engaged as possible.
After learning about their history and day-to-day norms, we were introduced to the game "Palin," a game similar to field hockey, played on a skinny, 200 meter long field. Games can last hours at a time, but we shortened the playing time so we could experience it ourselves. Each of us picked out a hand carved playing stick, while a couple of us fully immersed into their culture by playing barefoot in the pouring rain. My team won, of course, followed by Erik's goal towards the end and a strong defensive stand by Tramayne, Veronica, and Jason. Once again, the theme persists of sport being an equalizer, regardless of where you're from or what language you speak.Â
After visiting the indigenous tribe, we took a quick trip down the road to a hot spring. These were a part of the same Mapuche territory we had just visited. We stayed here for about an hour and a half. It was the most relaxing part of our trip so far. There were four different hot springs; some had cool rain dripping down on you from above, and some that were kept dry. We got lucky with the weather as it's been a cold and rainy day so far, which made for perfect conditions to contrast between the hot water and cold air and rain.Â
Following the hot springs, we had built up a pretty good appetite, so we headed down the road and had a classic Mapuche lunch, prepared by one of the elders who spoke with us this morning. I walked out feeling full, but learned earlier in the week that you are instead supposed to say you feel "satisfied" after eating meals here in Chile. We were fed a wide variety of sauces, oils, and seasonings for our pre-lunch bread. We had fruit drinks, herbal tea, beef, a mushroom mix, salad, and many other fruits and seeds, special to the Mapuche tribe. After a couple days of eating in Chile, some stomachs were a little uneasy, but the herbs they gave us made a huge difference. It was such an incredible experience as everyone was so welcoming to us.
With full stomachs and good spirits, we headed back to the hotel to change and get ready for our visit to the Villarrica Volcano and to see one of the caves. It was a very wet bus ride back, but it didn't matter as we were stoked to head over and see a volcano. The drive up to the volcano was quite the experience, as we were thumping and bumping all along the mountain to reach the caves. We couldn't imagine those who hike the road during the winter months' snowstorms. The temperature on the volcano was much colder, and very windy. Our guides supplied us with ponchos, which came in handy, especially with the windy rain. We were met with a very eerie and foggy view of the landscape as we descended down the cave. It was an experience like none other, as we traversed down 50 meters deep into a volcanic cave. Seeing all of the old volcanic rocks, lava, and paths was truly fascinating as our guide explained the scientific data that goes along with an active volcano. The last volcanic eruption here in Pucon was in 2015, so our fingers were crossed that we didn't come to see the latest. Our guide reassured us that this volcano's frequent release of gas keeps any activity small and relatively uneventful. This experience was surreal and to say that we have visited a volcano in Chile is incredible.Â
Our day ended with dinner at a restaurant near our hotel. Many of us, including myself ended the day with a delicious steak meal. 10/10! Not just the meal, but the day and entire trip.
Matthew Martin
Football
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