How I became vegan in a day

by Rafael Ostria (Chile)

Making a local connection Chile

I was traveling with my girlfriend in the south of Chile. We went to this wonderful almost magical place called "Santuario de la naturaleza el Cañi". I just had a BBQ last night because I was omnivorous and that was normal for me. We started walking through a dry road with not many trees, not so fun but after 20 minutes we reached the beginning of "Cañi" and trees started to get bigger, taller, greener as we started getting inside the deep Araucanian forest of millenarian Araucarias, animals started to get closer to us, like curious about who were we in a very naive way and suddenly I started to feel the pretense of the living trees, I just could say hello in a very respectful way, they said high in their great wisdom and simplicity, I ask for perdition to keep going into their kingdom and they said yes with out hesitate. I don't do drugs tho. We reached a lake where we climbed an enormous tree that was down, animals keep sounding aground andon coming to see us. Then we reached another bigger lake where we took a nap and then we had to, we jumped in the lake where we swam until the other side and back. We had some food, fruits and nuts and kept walking the hike, it was not over yes. So,we kept walking for anotheir 45 minutes until we reached the top of the hill where we could see tens of lakes and 4 volcanoes that surrounded us, we felt on top of the world. Suddenly I geared my girlfriend telling meme really quietly "look, look, look" and I turned around and I saw that hugh hawk flying chasing a smaller bird (everything was smaller that the hawk), even seeing the hawk fail in his hunt I saw something I had never expected whites. Then he flew back to us and he passed so close that we could see him watching us and then he left flying away to one volcano. We stayed there meditating alone for about an hour and we start descending on an unknown route so it happened, we got lost. We walk for about one hour and we got to a empty house, we were thirsty, my girlfriend was cold and about to cry so I gave her my phone and she called for help, meanwhile I made a fire outside the house and starting exploit g the place where I found a cabin not far from there. I admit I did something wrong, It was pen but I broke in because I was not invited and was not my property but I found water and something much delicious, around 5 boxes of different beers, I had to do it, I stole 4 beers and went back to my girlfriend. So there we were, in an unknown place watching 3 volcanoes in front of us front the porsche of an unknown house having cold beers waiting for help. They didn't tool long, we saw lights, we shouted and they,shouted back, we left most part of everything as we founf, turned the fire off really good and finally met the guides. After all we laughed course was a great adventure and since then I am vegan, I had never feel I'm part of everything, the whole planet, animals and nature, I can not be part of it's destruction and I want to know as much as I can from the world that is hugh and so little at the same time