Day 76, Sun Nov 14 Villarrica
Off to Villarrica, which derives its name from the smoking volano which can be seen looming over the town on sunny days or the lake nearby; I am not sure. Check into Torre Suize. The rules drawn up in the hostel room surely will remind the trvellers the owners are Swiss! The language was very precise and military. “Check out 12:00 SHARP!” I meant to take a photo of the rules, but it slipped my mind.
Off to a village called Lican Ray, on lago Calafquen. 30 minutes by micro from Villarrica. Lovely views of volcan Villarrica. Nice sunny day to spend an hour at Playa Grande, which isnt all that big. It is very pleasant! The sand was black and volcanic. The volacno villarrica continues to throw off copious amounts of smoke. There are signs posted of routes of evacuation in case of an eruption. The folks didnt seem too concerned that they are so close to a live volcano. I guess the town is quite far away.
Dinner is fish at a local restaurant. Good food on the beach! Back to Villarrica and off to a walk on the lake. Time to try out some chocolates as well. Another pleasant day in Chile. Back at the hostel, I meet a Catalan who is travelling around Chile and Argentina on his bike. He has managed to give me ideas on my next trip. Surely it would be a fun way to see a country! I tell myself that I can do it. Maybe a month on the road in the US will give me the confidence.
Day 77, Mon Nov 15 Pucon
Pucon is the main tourist hub. It is also a fairly small town: the major attraction is climbing the volano. I am giving my body time to recover from the sunstroke and decline all offers from tour operators.
Rented a bike from the hostel and it is a 30 km bike ride to Ojos de Caburgua, a pleasant waterfall. The lago azul is more alluring than the waterfall. It is a nice ride through some nice neighbourhoods. I am glad I got the bike ride in, as I have been itching for a day on a bike. On nice sunny days, I do miss my bike, nestling in my friend’s basement in Seattle.
Arabic food for dinner. Falafel and hummus; yummy!
Day 78, Tue Nov 16 Pucon
The hostel owner has two huge dogs for pets – Newfoundland breed? They bark most of the night and keep me awake. Opt for a quiet day, reading in the sun.
A walk to the beach and an hour walking around town is the only activity of the day.
Day 79, Wed Nov 17 Pucon
Off to a 4 hour hike in Parque Nacional Huerquehue – lagos chico, verde and el toro form the lagos circuit. A very nice hike. Well worth the entrance fee of 4000 Chilean pesos.
Back to town and I manage to catch about 20 minutes of the Brasil – Argentina football game. Messi scores in the dying minutes of the gme and give the Argentines their first win over Brasil in ages. I am not very happy with that result. Off to bed to wake up early for my 6 hour bus ride to Puerto Varas.
Damu