Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby (2017–…): Season 2, Episode 6 - Hacienda Vira Vira, Chile - full transcript

All over the world,
there are remarkable hotels.

Born of bold vision and daring endeavor.

Wow. This is how I ought to live.

Whether it's one of the remotest hotels
on Earth hidden on a Pacific island…

Or sumptuous resort on one of
the highest mountains in the Middle East.

What an incredible view.

The people running these hotels
strive to create the perfect sanctuary.

But what does it take
to offer once-in-a-lifetime experiences

in stunning locations?

Construction was a logistical nightmare.
No water, no source of power.

I'm a restaurant writer,
newspaper columnist and critic.



I have opinions on just about everything.

He's not a very good driver, is he?

-Crazy!
-Crazy!

-Crazy!
-Crazy!

And I'm a chef who's worked at the top end

of the hospitality industry
for, well, over 20 years.

This is awesome! Whoo!

We'll travel to amazing hotels
in every corner of the world.

Enjoy.

To spend time getting to know the people
working away behind the scenes.

I polished Elton John's fruits.

You polished Elton John's fruits.

Do you recall life under Apartheid?
Has it changed for you?

Nelson Mandela was
the first black President,



…gives me more inspiration
to achieve what I want in life.

-Join us as we venture inside…
-The world's most extraordinary hotels.

This rugged wilderness is Central Chile.

And it's utterly spectacular.

We're visiting a small rustic hotel…

that's hidden in 23 hectares
of working farmland.

So, it's sort of pastoral.

It's sort of almost European. It's weird.

Yet, the entire landscape is dominated
by an immense and brooding presence.

That volcano looks amazing from here.
It's massive!

The Villarrica.

It's renowned as the most lively

of Chile's staggering
500 active volcanoes.

In the heart of the Chilean lake district,

this part of the world
is known as the gateway to Patagonia.

From London, it's taken 24 hours
and two planes to get here.

We're approximately 800 kilometers
below Chile's capital, Santiago,

in the La Araucanía region
near the vibrant town of Pucón.

And it's here that we've come to work,

in the Hacienda Hotel Vira Vira,

regarded as one of the most distinctive
boutique hotels in South America.

-Nice little spot.
-Yeah.

It's very peaceful, tranquil, isn't it?

Yeah. It's all the wood and everything
and the manicured gardens,

I wasn't really expecting.

This bijou hotel is made of local,
responsibly-sourced Chilean materials,

such as fire-resistant lenga hardwood.

The design of the main building
reports to be Swiss log cabin

meets the clean and simple lines
of Japanese minimalism.

The Vira Vira is set in landscaped gardens
adjacent to its own working farm.

Milk, yogurt, and even nine different
homemade soft and hard cheeses

are produced on-site
to enrich the guests' dining experience.

The hotel has another ace up its sleeve.

Its own helicopter…

at the guests' disposal
for flights over the volcano.

The Vira Vira attracts visitors
from all over the world

by offering
more than 50 different activities,

some more adrenaline-fueled than others.

During our time working here,

we're staying
in a couple of the hotel's villas.

It almost feels
like a Swiss cabin with a fireplace.

There's a lot of wood.

Lovely simple hotel room,
lovely kind of Chilean fabric,

feels very Andean.
Lots of lovely rough wool.

Amazing view of the river!
Really relaxing.

And two little woolly friends

stop me from being lonely
when I'm away from my family.

There is a beautiful handwoven piece here.

Tastefully put together.

As well as the 12 villa suites…

there are also six rooms
above the main building.

And for those wanting
to really splash out,

there's the five-bedroom hacienda home,

which can be hired out
in its entirety for 10,000 pounds a night.

The visionary owners of Vira Vira
are first time hoteliers

Swiss couple,
Michael and Claudia Paravicini.

-Now, we can see how it really came out.
-Nice.

It's all done now.

It's all this ironclad.
It really looks nice now.

I really like it!
It almost looks like one of my paintings.

Yeah, that's true actually.
I never saw that.

Seven years ago, we sold off everything.
We gave everything up.

We came with the whole family over
to Chile and started this beautiful dream.

I would say it takes
a little bit of craziness,

but I think it's the positive craziness,

the craziness that makes you
create something.

Their vision is to showcase
a beautiful hotel in harmony with nature.

It's a joint mutual love we all have
for the environment,

for the pristine landscape, we have here,
which is actually our future.

When it comes to running the hotel,

Michael and Claudia
don't like to hold back.

We really do sometimes fight,
and also people around us,

our Chilean employees,
sometimes they just hide.

They say, "They're getting divorced!
They're breaking up!"

Oh, it's terrible.

Michael and Claudia
employ 80 members of staff,

comprising Europeans and Chileans,

including some members
of the Mapuche indigenous community

in a host of different roles.

So if you're ready, we'll take you
to your room. Please follow me.

Twenty-nine-year-old Patricio
is the Chilean born concierge

and the descendant
of the local Mapuche people.

I hope you like Chilean sparkling wine.

To my lovely wife!

You're welcome to get to know
the property if you want,

I can show you around also the dairy.

So, we produce our own cheese,
our own yogurt, and our own butter.

Our guests,
they are astonished with the rooms,

and that also makes me feel,
you know, very happy

because I'm making
people happy with my job.

And that's amazing.
That's the reason I'm here.

It's 7:00 a.m.,

and I've put on my charming beige
front-of-house polo shirt

to be Patricio's apprentice
for the morning…

-Hello. Giles. How are you?
-All right. Nice to meet you.

I'm Patricio, the concierge.

…to learn his approach
to making a guest's stay

as personalized as possible.

We have to check the commentaries

if they are allergic to something
or gluten-free

or they don't drink,
so any amount is special for any guest.

-Okay.
-Look at this.

Then, light and does not eat onion.

Does not eat onion?
He doesn't onion. She doesn't eat mango.

And Alice is allergic to langouste
or lobster. Some people are.

We should send that to the kitchen.

The lobster with onions and mango
is going to be sent straight back.

Despite its compact size,
the hotel has up to 1500 guests a year

from all over the world,
with its peak summer season in January.

-Well, this is a finished room.
-This looks fine.

-There's toilet paper.
-Haven't let a floater or anything.

When it comes
to communicating with visitors,

Patricio, it appears,
is more qualified than most.

So I speak Portuguese, English,
of course, Spanish,

and besides Mapudungun,
my native language from here,

I speak also German,
a little bit of French.

Not very good,
but I improve in my languages.

Really? Are you really well-traveled?
Have you been everywhere?

Not very well, but I have traveled,

and also, I am a self-learner,
so I'm very fast at that.

Patricio then puts me to work
helping with the departures.

Perfect.

There's even a surprise payoff
for my efforts.

I've put your pink bags in
and her blue ones.

Thank you.

Beyond… beyond… beyond the call.

Next up, Patricio's keen to give me
a few pointers in guest diplomacy.

Here, we treat all our guests
with the first name,

so they are not Mr. Smith or Mr. White.
No, they're Paul, Nancy, John,

and it's very important
that you learn all their names.

-Okay.
-So when they arrive,

"Hello, Paul! How are you?"
Next day, "Paul, so how was the trekking?"

I'm terrible with names though.
I'm really bad with names.

-Well, you need to improve that then.
-Okay, fine.

I just call people "buddy" really
and "mate."

-Yeah, well.
-"Chum."

-It doesn't work here.
-That's not going to work here.

Every room
requires a trio of welcome treats,

as well as a friendly letter.
There are the personalized chocolates…

Gracias! Gracias!
"Welcome to Hacienda Vira Vira."

And the chilled sparkling wine.
Chilean of course.

The room's not ready yet! They're going
to have to get their skates on.

-How long is it till these guests arrive?
-Thirty minutes.

There's only, there's only… Yeah, no,
I'd be stressed as well if I were you.

so there's only half an hour to get
the room completely clean and ready.

Well, let's call housekeeping. I go.
I'm sure they are on their way, but…

I can see this ending up with,
with us having to make up the room,

which is frankly not what I'm paid for.

With head housekeeper
Maria Teresa running behind schedule

-and several other rooms still to clean…
-Are you, are you going to do this room?

-Aura? Aura?
-Si…

It transpires that the concierge role

can encompass
a spot of housekeeping after all.

Fortunately, I've filmed
enough hotel housekeeping scenes.

I've got a vague idea
about how to do hospital corners.

It's a technique I picked up in Ecuador.

I guess in a small hotel like this,

everybody has to muck in if you're late,
and we have to help.

We have to help a little bit.
We usually do that, but we can, we do it.

Well, that's one room down,
just 17 more to go.

Overseeing the grand operational details
of the hotel is owner Michael,

who made his name
as a high flyer in finance.

I have actually no background
in the hospitality business,

no hotel or restaurant.
I'm actually a pure banker.

I want to know what inspires someone
to turn their back

on the financial fruits of Europe
to be a novice hotelier in remotest Chile.

So I'm helping Michael on his morning
inspection of the premises to find out.

I was like six when I came to my father
and said I, I want to have a hotel.

I didn't want to be a policeman,
didn't want to be a fireman.

For me, it was clear from day one,
I want to be in the hotel business.

Really?

Before a young Michael could follow
his dream, his father had other ideas,

and he was coerced
into the cut-throat world of banking,

until one day, 35 years later.

I came back, you know,
one night from the office.

I was tired,
and I went to the family dinner.

And I just said,
"That's it. We are leaving.

I'm not going
to do it anymore in Switzerland.

We are going to sell everything."
And I looked at my wife,

and she looked at me
and said, "I knew that this would happen.

I didn't expect that it happen that fast,
but I always knew it would happen."

The poor kids, they were
in a bit tougher position

because they didn't speak a word
of Spanish, you know.

They didn't travel.
They didn't know South America,

and they just looked at me
and said, "Are you mad?"

Michael discovered this dream location
after a year of searching

in a region that had initially welcomed
Swiss immigrants

as long ago as the 19th century.

South America for us just came natural.

My father, he lived there
for many, many years.

He emigrated as a young man,

and South America, particularly Chile,
has such a beautiful landscape

which can offer
so many things to our guests,

that for us it almost came natural that,
you know, we said, "It has to be Chile."

The hotel build that Michael and family
then undertook in 2012 was far from easy.

What did it look like? I mean, you had
a bend a river. That's always good.

So actually, you now see everything clear.
You see the sun.

You see, you know,
a beautiful landscaped garden.

But I brought you two or three pictures.
Can you recognize this?

-Is that the lake?
-That's the lake. Can you believe that?

The plot sat in a wilderness
of bamboo forests and trees

that Michael, his wife Claudia,
and a team of five

had to spend nearly a year preparing.

Access roads, electricity, and clean water

all had to be carefully
worked out from scratch.

Yet despite all the obstacles,

the hotel, villas, and farm
were all completed

by late 2014 at a personal cost
to the family of ten million pounds.

Part of Vira Vira's vision
is to celebrate the dining experience.

Twelve people work in the kitchen,

presided over by 35-year-old
Uruguayan head chef Damian.

Having cut his teeth in the famous
French restaurant, Le Gavroche,

where I spent 12 years of my life,

Damian has a free-spirited attitude
to designing a menu.

A stone's throw from the kitchen
is an organic garden,

looked after by four permanent gardeners

and boasting over 100 varieties
of vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers.

It's nine o'clock,
and I've slipped into my chef's whites

to give Damian a helping hand
to work out today's lunchtime menu

based entirely on what we think
looks tasty this morning.

This certainly feels like a really relaxed
spontaneous approach to planning a menu.

Filling our bowls to the brim
with fresh parsley, fennel,

and even baby cucumber flowers.

Is that sage?

Everything is so much
more fragrant out here.

Si.

Hello. Look at that!
Just so fab, you know.

Broad beans! Just picking them
when you need them is just so amazing,

I'm so happy right now. Look at that!

Oh, hello! Smells great. It's beautiful.
Taste better than anything.

So happy.

Damian's one lucky chef.

Si.

With plenty of delicious ingredients,

we've now just got to put them
all together in time for lunch.

The Vira Vira Hotel takes its name
from a local flower found in these parts.

The words Vira Vira mean "herb of life"

in the local Mapuche
tribal language of Mapudungun.

The Mapuche people are found
in Chile and Argentina.

And here in Chile,
they're over a million in number,

yet make up
less than ten percent of the population.

Concierge Patricio is half Mapuche

and is very proud to promote
his tribal culture whenever he can.

-Mari mari, peñi!
-Mari mari, peñi!

-Hi.
-All right.

Mari mari, peñi!

Mari mari means "hello"
in Mapudungun language.

In Mapudungun language?

Yeah, that's the language
of the Mapuche people,

the population from here.
So from now on, mari mari to everyone.

-Mari mari.
-Perfect.

And what's the other bit? Mari mari…

Peñi. That mean bro, brother.

-Mari mari, peñi!
-Mari mari, peñi!

What's, what's Mapuche?

Mapuche means literally
"a people of the land."

Mapu means "land" and che means "people".

-So this is indigenous people?
-Yes.

It's the people who were here
before the Chileans?

Exactly.
The original population from here.

-Are you one of those?
-Yes. I will teach you about that,

about the culture
and the language during these days.

What do you think about it?

Good. Well, I mean I already,
I mean, I don't speak Spanish anyway,

so I might as well skip.
Let's pretend it all never happened,

and I don't, because I can go straight
to learning Mapudungun.

-Perfect.
-So it's Mari mari, peñi.

Mari mari, peñi.

Cool.

It's a tradition here that new guests
be offered a Mapuche-themed tea,

with an edible Vira Vira
flower laid on top.

The guests are here, so please,
we need two welcome drinks.

Okay, cool.

Chilean barman Augustine is keeping
a watchful eye on proceedings.

Mint, chamomile, and vanilla,
about halfway?

Three quarters.

Topped off
with just a dash of egg white foam.

Is that right? Too much? Bit more?

I'm so sorry. I'm sorry.

Oh, man!

It's a very, very,
very, sensitive trigger.

Oh, mustn't forget the flower!

Can I offer you a welcome drink?

Thank you very much.

It's a sort of chamomile tea,

with a sort of vanilla element
and a bit of something.

Oh, it's lovely. What is the flower?

-It's a vira vira flower,
-Fantastic!

which is the sort of local, local flora,
which the hotel's named after.

-That's lovely. Thank you.
-You're very welcome.

Welcome to Vira Vira.

The hotel lies in the middle
of Mapuche territory.

Patricio turned his back
on Santiago city life to be here

to reconnect with his tribal heritage.

If you don't recognize your roots,

you will never
feel comfortable with yourself.

If you don't recognize what you are,
where you came from,

what are going to teach your children?

The Mapuche way of life and language
is deeply connected to the natural world.

According to our ancient wisdom,
the river speaks Mapudungun,

the animals speak Mapudungun.
And all the nature speaks Mapudungun.

I want to raise my daughter
you know, as with Mapuche monyen,

which is the Mapuche style life.

This region of Chile is certainly soulful,

and so is the food
being prepared in the kitchen.

-Smell.
-It's wonderful.

-It's amazing.
-Yeah.

With the restaurant filling up for lunch,
Damian and I have decided

on a garden salad starter
with a local honey dressing.

And for the main,
a local seasonal fish, the Reineta…

served with those scrumptious
broad beans I picked.

How's it going?

Yeah, everybody seems to be pretty happy.

Belgian maître d' Cedric

knows all about the discerning taste
of the hotel's guests.

The first thing that they see
when they arrive in the hotel

is the huge garden,
the huge vegetable garden.

So it's the first view they get.

Then, they come inside of here
and they see the restaurant tables,

which are nicely dressed,

so they kind of expect this culinary trip
when they arrive in our hotel, yes.

-They're very lucky, aren't they?
-I think they are, yes.

If Michael is the operational brains
behind the hotel,

then ex-fashion editor and artist Claudia
is at the heart of its design.

She's had a hand in every single creative
expression throughout the Vira Vira.

And her paintings
hang on the public walls.

I really like the dirt.
I'm a dirty person.

I'm really inspired by nature,

and it's much more accessible
here in Chile, and that is it.

And now, you learn to let it go.
You paint. You throw. You live with it.

You express yourself,
and that's what I like to do.

Under Claudia's guidance,

even the production
of a kitchen plate and bowl is inventive.

With Chilean potter Sebelai,

volcano dust is collected
and mixed into the clay

to give all the hotel's ceramics
a very distinctive and speckled look.

-I need your help.
-Okay. Exciting! What are we doing?

I have some decorating projects.

Today, Villa 11 needs to be artistically
decorated before the arrival of guests.

So I'm helping Claudia
plan wall hanging designs.

Let's see. You help me there.

I think would be around 160
and then about 20 centimeters of fringes.

-That's quite a big piece we have to make.
-Yeah.

-All right.
-Yes,

but I think the wall
is big enough for that.

You choose one nice color
out of the weaving,

and that, we repeat on here.

The nearby town of Pucón
has a population of nearly 20,000.

Surrounded by awe
inspiriting natural wonders,

it has become
the adventure capital of Chile.

Pucón's architecture is heavily influenced

by the German and Swiss settlers
of the mid-19th century.

And it's a melting pot
of cultural curiosity.

It also happens to be the home
of a local artist and friend,

who brings
Claudia's wall hangings to life.

-Welcome to Sandra's paradise.
-This is fantastic!

-This is Monica.
-Monica.

Oh, Sandra.

Chilean born Sandra
uses idiosyncratic 90-year-old looms

to produce her striking artworks.

-It's crazy. Yeah?
-Yeah.

It's fantastic.

Before we start weaving a wall hanging,
we need to choose the wool.

That's neat.

That's… that one, we have to use.

-That's fantastic. Yeah.
-Absolutely. I like that.

So yes, when you put your foot
on the pedal, it then,

the weaver separates,
and you put the next one in.

When did you first,
start working with the looms?

Learning from Mapuche artisans,

Sandra weaves extra texture
into her creations

using wood branches and even forest moss.

I find this really therapeutic.
It's artistic. It's creative.

You get different textures to work with,
and in your mind, you can start to see

where you're going with
with the different colors

and pieces of work
that you're putting together.

It is quite exciting!
It's my first piece of art.

We're taking away a selection of designs,

some of which are destined for our villa.

Where do you want the sheep?

You can actually really sit on them.

I think… just like this.

Like this. Try…

So, that they can kind of form one wave.

-Cool. They look great.
-Yeah.

You know, I think one will do,
and I'll take the other one home.

They're so beautiful.

Instead of taking the easier route

and deciding to import
all of her furnishings from Europe,

she's actually gotten to know
the local artists throughout the area

and is using that talent and local skills.
I absolutely admire that in her.

The décor of the hotel
incorporates Mapuche tribal art.

The Mapuche culture is thought
to date back to 500 B.C. in Chile,

but it's history
has involved ongoing struggle.

Unlike other indigenous tribes,
for 300 years from the mid 16th century,

the Mapuche managed to repel
the marauding Spanish Empire

from taking their territory.

But they finally succumbed
to the might of colonization

in the late 19th century

when families
were massacred for their land.

The Mapuche's vast territory within Chile

was reduced to a mere
5,000 square kilometers.

And the once proud people that survived
were treated as peasants beyond the pale.

After further restrictions in the 1970s,

the fight for recognition
and land reform goes on today,

as the Mapuche continue to feel
the threat of cultural extinction.

Paradise always comes with
a bit of politics.

Sitting here
in this serene spot by the river

looking out over the lawns
of a beautiful hotel,

it's important to remember that it's all
built on what was once Mapuche land

and is surrounded on all sides
by land that still is.

They were here for thousands of years,

and their recent history
has been a tragic one.

Now more than ever,

they're demanding reparations, respect,
and a place at the table.

The hotel wants to embrace all cultures.

More than 30 percent
of the staff are indigenous.

-Mari mari, peñi.
-Mari mari, peñi.

And one often hears Mapudungun
being spoken here.

So in the spirit of inclusivity,

Michael and Claudia have been planning
to host a special one-off event.

We are trying to get a better connection
with some of the local people.

A day at the Vira Vira
celebrating Mapuche heritage

to strengthen local relationships
and give guests and staff alike

a chance to learn
about this endangered culture.

I'm really excited about that.

I think this is going to be
something very unique.

Mapuche concierge Patricio
has been in charge of all the details.

I'm trying very hard, but you know,
this is very important, people, so…

I'm not a hundred percent sure.

Some of the dignitaries
around here in this region,

they don't feel very comfortable
with the Chileans

and the European immigrants
because of the past, so hopefully…

they are going to accept
the invitation, but I'm not sure yet.

The event's success hinges on Patricio
convincing the Mapuche High Priest

to turn up and recognize the occasion.

Of all the experiences offered
to guests at the hotel,

by far the most swashbuckling must surely
be mountain treks on horseback.

Overseen by legendary Chilean
house cowboy, Rodolfo Coombs.

Champion horseman Rodolfo even trained
the Spanish Olympic equestrian team.

He has 14 horses
and breeds a very special type,

the sturdy Criollo of South America,

which is best suited
to this frontier terrain.

We're just down the road
from the Vira Vira

and are here to be Rodolfo's stable hands,

preparing horses for hotel guests
who'll be trekking later today.

-Hola.
-Nice to meet you

Nice to meet you.

The problem is we know next to nothing
about these giant kicking beasts.

Who will be the best groom?

Our job is to remove
any muck from the horse's skin

-to ready them for saddles.
-She likes that?

Si! Absolutely, absolutely.

-All this dust.
-Look at all the dust that's on her.

Lo siento…

But I'm less excited about
walking behind those powerful legs.

Walk, walk, walk and nothing will happen.
And clean the right.

Go on, give her a little kick,
a little tap. Tap in the knees. Go on.

-She just farted.
-Pass me, pass me the brush.

-Yeah, but she just farted.
-It's really easy.

-What's he called?
-The horse?

-Yeah.
-Caporal.

-Caporal?
-Caporal.

-And what's that one?
-Caporal, Caporal is five-years-old,

He's the brother of Regolona,

the same mother, different father.
It's classical.

Yes, it's typical, no?

Muy bien.

-And then, through there.
-Great.

Time for the judge's decision.

For me, the winner today…

Mr. Giles!

-There you go. How did we arrive at that?
-I wonder. I wonder.

I thought mine was too dusty.

It seems around here,

even the victors don't get immunity
from a spot of shoveling.

-Only.
-Yeah, no don't worry.

Okay, yes.

I work for the BBC.
Shoveling shit is not a big problem.

-Great.
-Oh, that's a massive pile of…

Rodolfo has known
Michael and Claudia for years

and even helped find
the location for the hotel.

Michael arrived here maybe eight years ago

to do a horseback excursion
like everybody.

-He was just a tourist?
-Si! Si!

He was a tourist with a kid like this.
All the kids were really small.

He was looking
for a place to do the hotel.

At that moment, it was a little hotel.

And we will help you to…
to find that place.

That place was a…
a place from some friend of me.

And now, you're solely exclusively for,
for Michael's hotel guests.

That the point. That's it.

So, Rodolfo, if this goes well,
will you find a piece of land for me?

Si! Si, si, si!

I'm not so good at the technology.

Rodolfo has personally fashioned
numerous trails throughout these mountains

and decides
to saddle us with one last task.

-One, two, three.
-There's a newly made beginners route.

Queue a couple of guinea pigs
to test it out.

Rodolfo's Chilean style
is reins in one hand,

your hips matching the gait of the horse.

Some of us seem to be getting
the hang of this more than others.

No, that way! No, no, no! Fucking hell!

This is… fuck! This bollocks. Fuck.

Well, that's quite enough
of us plodding about.

Now, here's how a pro does it.

Rodolfo. What a guy!

-The Chilean John Wayne.
-Yeah, exactly.

-I mean, it's… it's just slightly taller.
-Way better.

Beyond horses,
the Vira Vira strives to find unusual ways

to share its extraordinary
surroundings with guests.

It's 6:30 a.m., and we're going to help
Operations Director Greg

serve up the guest breakfast.

In the unique location,
they can only be reached…

by helicopter.

Oh, and with a spare 1500 pounds.

Getting quite big Jurassic Park vibes.

These ancients forests
contain rare monkey puzzle trees,

some of which are thousands of years old.

Seeing the Villarrica volcano
from up here is spellbinding.

That is amazing!

It's spectacular!

There's smoke pouring out of it.

It emits toxic sulphureous gases.

And down in that crater
is an unpredictable lava lake

that last erupted in 2015.

Our breakfast spot is in the snow line
near a lake called the Blue Lagoon.

I'm going to be the super attentive waiter
for the morning.

And I'm in charge of hot food.

Greg says we've got about half an hour
to prepare a beautiful breakfast table

and have the field kitchen up and running

before the chopper returns
with the guests.

But no one has accounted
for the biting wind up here this morning.

So, I'm instigating Plan B.

I seriously am carrying a fully laid,
more or less, table with frying pans

down a mountain
because I wasn't happy with the location.

Maybe it's being a restaurant critic
that makes me so fussy.

You okay?

Oh, yeah.
Can you help me carry the last two meters?

Yeah, thank God you're here, Mon.

We have strawberries, blueberries,

and we're going to try
to make the pancakes

when they're here, okay?

Maybe hold the table.

A delicious breakfast banquet
with not a minute to spare.

-Hello.
-Hi.

Americans Diddi and David from Alabama
are the lucky ones

being spoilt rotten by us today.

It's a little bit further
than you'd normally get in a restaurant.

But we have reserved
the best table in the house.

-Oh, I love that sound.
-That is cool.

Yeah, that is my kind of sound.

Would you like
a large pancake or little pancakes?

How are we feeling?

Little? Little and large.

-Cheers.
-Cheers.

I wonder what the rest of the world
is doing today.

They just melt in the mouth.

How are Monica's pancakes?

-Over the top.
-They like them, Mon.

I think Giles did a good job,
I have to say,

to be a… a waiter for one day.
Now, they're, they're having a good time.

I think we had the right spot.

What's important to me as well is that
they have a contact with guests, you know,

so they don't just feel dropped there,
but they talk and, and see how they feel.

-Have you finished, madam?
-Oh, I can't possibly eat any more.

I can well sympathize.

When we first arrived, it was early,
it was cold, it was wind-blasted.

I thought you'd probably want
to walk up here,

drink a thermos of tea, and walk on.
Why would you want to stop and sit?

And it's, at all, a bit harsh.

But now, they're in this lovely
little hollow. The amazing view,

and it's a really, really brilliant touch.
I am totally won over.

Events like a cultural day
demonstrate the hotels desire

to bring people together
and share diverse traditions.

Such occasions involve making the most
of the landscape and local produce.

Whether setting up a special
alfresco dining area by the river…

Or helping Michael
prepare homemade cheeses,

such as Gruyère, for people to try.

-What taste does it have?
-Sweet, isn't it?

It is.

Farmer Hico's sausages
are made to his secret recipe

which requires a hands-on approach.

It feels kind of fantastic,
because it's cold and squelchy

with a sort of granular feel.

Perfect.

Some of these parmesans
are nearly four years old.

So it's all about girth?

Getting to grips with Hico's pork
is surprisingly thrilling.

Look at that. My first sausage!

Tada! A little bit lumpy.

I'm going to take it
literally into my suitcase.

No, no, no, no.
That's for the celebration.

That's beautiful.

On the day of the celebration,
everything is in place.

We're part of the welcoming committee.

Patricio has donned
traditional Mapuche clothing.

But will the regional High Priest
actually turn up to acknowledge the event?

This is Mapuche High Priest,
Don Alberto Llanquileo Marinanco.

Mi esposa.

-Mari mari!
-Mari mari!

-Mari mari!
-Mari mari, peñi!

Don Alberto uses the drink
to bless the hotel.

Tribal elder Don Alberto

is in charge of blessings
throughout this Mapuche area.

And we head straight towards the volcano.

In Mapuche culture,
it's called Rucapillán,

which means "house of good spirits".

If we do the right thing
with our environment,

the volcano is resting and peaceful,
but you really can see some years ago,

it happened
when a lot of people were coming here

not respecting the environment and nature,

the spirits get mad and angry,
and we had these eruptions.

The explosion three years ago, spat lava
more than 1,000 meters into the night sky

and was seen clearly
from the hotel grounds.

Don Alberto is attempting
to soothe the volcano's spirit

with Muday, blessing water,

in light of
the destructive actions of man.

In Mapuche culture, everyone is encouraged
to care deeply for the natural world,

a world of not just volcanos
but rivers and forests.

Don Alberto then insists that we
try another intriguing Mapuche activity,

one that aims to bring people
closer together.

This is palín, rather like hockey

but with hand-woven headgear
and far fewer rules.

Mapuche, staff members,
and our very good selves

are taking part in the inaugural game.

Don Alberto's nephew, Mateus,
a gardener at the hotel,

is considered quite the pro.

Battle commences
on the manicured lawns of the Hacienda.

This is great fun!
Take all your aggression out.

I haven't got the best footwear
for this though.

It's thought that this ancient game
was once used to settle tribal disputes,

and it's easy to see why.

Smash it, Giles!

It's the most ridiculously
dangerous thing I've ever seen.

Go, get back!

It's the follow-through,
you could just have your eye out.

Health and safety has gone amok.

The game a draw, the day ends
with the hotel's cultural offering,

the barbeque.

-Is it the best sausage you've ever had?
-Well, yes.

Excellent! Good answer, my friend.

I think it would really help, you know,

that the different cultures
we have, you know, European

but also local culture, that they will see
that each one has something nice,

something valuable, and hopefully,
each one can learn from the other one.

Bottoms up!

Salute.

You know, I really like this hotel.

I think it's a really simple,
straightforward, friendly,

kind, nice, right-thinking hotel.

It's about, you know,
being accepted into the community,

about saving the surrounding area,
you know,

and then now,
we've got the Mapuche involved.

They've got the blessings from,
from the local people.

Which is key, because basically,
in the modern world

tourists don't want to feel,

"I've flown all this way,
spent all this money,

and I'm continuing
the kind of colonial disaster."

You want to feel
you're bringing a little bit back

and they, they do make you…
I think they're making people feel that.

Everyone here, from Michael and Claudia…

to Patricio and the Palín players,

is on a mission to share with the world

all that's special
about this extraordinary part of Chile.