No quisiera estar escribiendo este post, pero necesito hacerlo, en memoria de un amigo que nos ha dejado demasiado pronto, más que llorar su muerte, quisiera celebrar su vida. Marcelo nació bien lejos de la Patagonia, en Concepción, pero la vida y el amor lo guiaron hasta el fin del mundo, donde como tantos, se enamoró de del viento, la inmensidad y la soledad de esa tierra. Marcelo era un hombre cálido, lleno de vida y alegría, él es el de la camisa roja, de pie junto a la mesa.
I wish I wasn't writing this post, but I need to do so, because this friend has left this world too soon, but I still want to celebrate his life instead of crying his death. Marcelo was born far away from Patagonia, in Concepción, but life and love guided him to the Southernmost part of the world, were he became one more of those who arrive and fall inlove with the wind, the inmensity and loneliness of that land. He was a worm and most joyfull fellow, he is the one with the red shirt standing by the table.
Some three years ago I made a trip to Patagonia with my youngest daughter and as soon we arrived to Punta Arenas we called him just to say hello, he was living and working with his wife Sandra in a small hotel in Río Verde. Some of my chilhood's best memories are from this place totally out of this world were not much seems to happen, but were you can't stop finding unbelievable landscapes, sea and skies you won't find elsewhere.
Marcelo y Sandra, haciendo gala de la hospitalidad patagónica, nos invitaron inmediatamente a su casa. Al día siguiente tomamos un bus a Río Verde. En cuanto llegamos Marcelo preparó una cena maravillosa en un momento, también invitó a los huéspedes del hotel, dentro de los cuales había una chica vegetariana, Marcelo en un dos por tres le hizo una tarta vegetariana, mientras nosotros disfrutábamos de un rico corderito asado, acompañado de ensaladas de la huerta, y los chistes y canciones de Marcelo.
We were inmediately invited by Marcelo and Sandra to spend some days at their house by the hotel. You cannot say no in Patagonia, so the next day we hopped into a bus that left in Río Verde. As soon as we arrived, Marcelo made a wonderful dinner for us in no time, and he invited the guests staying at the hotel, one of the being a vegetarian, he also prepared a delicious veggie pie for her, while we enjoyed a perfect roasted lamb, incredible salads from the garden and Marcelo's jokes and songs.
Marcelo aprendió a cocinar y a recibir a la manera patagónica, muchos años entre asadores y cocinas le dieron el conocimiento necesario para abrir su propio restaurant "El Asador Magallánico" en su ciudad natal , era un gran cocinero, pero la gente iba a su restaurant no sólo por la comida, sino por su calidez, su amabilidad, su alegría de vivir, que hacía inovidable su personalidad. Pero la muerte es ciega e injusta, se lo llevó una noche cuando volvía a su hogar después de cerrar el restaurant. El conductor del auto ni siquiera se detuvo a ver que había matado no sólo a un hombre maravilloso, sino también la alegría y las esperanzas de toda una familia.
Marcelo learned to cook and host the patagonian way, many years arround stove, ovens and barbecues gave him the knowledge he needed to open his own place the Asador Magallánico -Magellan's Barbecue- back in his hometown, he was the best host ever, people went to his restaurant not only for the incredible food, but for Marcelos jokes, his wormth, his joy of living, his love for everything he did. But death is blind and unfair, she took him away from us one night returning home after closing his restaurant, the driver didn't even stop to see he had killed not only an extraordinary human being, he had also killed the joy and hopes of a whole family.
