Archive for the ‘The 2014 Rucksack Trip’ Category
Saturday 8th November 2014
Accommodation in Tierra del Fuego is expensive and often doesn’t include breakfast, but if you want to eat before the local bakeries open, the big service stations like YPF and Petrobas offer a nice range of coffees and pastries from 7 o’clock in the morning.
General José de San Martín watches over Río Grande
Waiting for our minibus to Ushuaia
The Ruta 3 follows the coastline for a while
We’re not the only ones heading for the end of the world
Stop-over in Tolhuin – with the famous bakery ‘La Unión‘ in the background
The countryside becomes more scenic by the mile
Lago Fagnano
The rough waters of the Beagle Channel
Ushuaia – we’ve made it!
It seems like an age since we started in Buenos Aires (1st September) and passed through La Quiaca (12th September)
Now we have to gather a lot of information and make decisions: accommodation, what to do in Ushuaia, are we going even further south to Puerto Williams in Chile (the real southernmost human settlement on earth), and when and how do we get back on to the mainland, by plane, bus or boat? The ladies at the tourist information office are extremely helpful – their service, knowledge and friendliness are exceptional; we get maps, addresses, the weather forecast for the next days, prices and they even call several hotels for us to enquire if they have vacancies – Ushuaia is always busy and remarkably expensive. We receive a free certificate that we’ve arrived at the end of the world, get our diaries and passports stamped and are very impressed.
After quizzing several tour operators we find out that the tour to Puerto Williams takes at least two days and that the crossing of the Beagle Channel to the Isla Navarino has been cancelled today. This uncertainty we would have to deal with on both the outbound and inbound journeys and although we are ahead of schedule, it’s just too risky – we may be stuck on the island for days. Oh well, there must be still reasons left to come back one day…
With the time frame for our stay settled, we find a comfortable room in the B&B De las Artes run by lovely host Marcos who can’t do enough to make us feel at home – which we do straight away.
Then we go on a sight-seeing tour of Ushuaia.
Click on the photo to see the full panorama
Some serious equipment…
Kelp Goose
The obligatory tourist shot
Dolphin Gulls
Ushuaia International
For dinner Marcos recommends an excellent locals’ restaurant
Many travellers describe the town as ugly…
… but we already like Ushuaia so much that we will stay at least another day.
Friday 7th November 2014
Early in the morning we leave Punta Arenas heading for Punta Delgada and Primera Angostura where three ferries run permanently from 8:30 hrs in the morning to 1:00 hrs at night between the mainland and Tierra del Fuego.
With summer arriving in Patagonia, we are reminded that it is Christmas soon…
The last impressions of Punta Arenas
Who has the right of way?
Woohoo – we’re crossing the Strait of Magellan to Tierra del Fuego!
Performing the usual ritual
The weather meets our expectations
Crossing into Argentina – and here, too, the nation grows…
Territorial division of the tip of South America between Chile and Argentina
As you know, we prefer to travel by day and as we’ve heard that the lakes and mountains around Tolhuin and Ushuaia are very beautiful, we decide to stop over in Río Grande and continue our journey in daylight.
Costanera in Río Grande
Part of the monument to the heroes of the Falklands War
Still a sensitive issue – to be discussed with caution here
We are glad to spot a sense of humour as well!
Although, when dinner time comes, we decide to ignore the appeal… 😉
Wednesday 5th November 2014
Busses to Punta Arenas leave Puerto Natales every hour and so we have a bit of a lie-in after our early start the previous day. The Ruta 9 is paved and we enjoy a comfortable journey looking out for huemules, ñandúes and sheep, hundreds of thousands of sheep.
Puerto Natales looks like freshly laundered in the morning
Local press
Along the Ruta 9
First glance of the Estrecho de Magallanes – the Strait of Magellan – and Tierra del Fuego
What we didn’t know is that there is a big endocrinology congress taking place in Punta Arenas, hotels are fully booked, and so we spend several hours searching for accommodation. Finally, the helpful señora in the tourist information office finds us a room in a small B&B a bit further away from the centre up a steep hill.
On the way to the hostal I am interviewed for a school project
The views make up for the relative remoteness of our accommodation (click on the photo for full panorama size)
Down into town
The southernmost English-speaking school in the world, founded in 1896 and serving an area larger than that of Great Britain
Palacio Sara Braun, where Shackleton was received by the British Club in July 1916 and where he raised funds to rescue the rest of the Endurance crew still stranded on Elephant Island
Monument of the schooner Ancud, sent by the Chilean government in 1843 to claim sovereignty over the Strait of Magellan
Imperial Cormorants – or long-necked penguins, as Johannes claims…
And at long last, Johannes spots an Huemul (South Andean deer)
Not everyone can be as lucky as I was in 2010…
Still, we celebrate the occasion with two of our Chilean favourites: Raspberry juice and Churrasco Italiano (thinly cut steak in a bread roll with avocado, mayonnaise and tomato)
La Catedral – Punta Arenas is the southernmost city in the world (the towns of Ushuaia (Argentina) and Puerto Williams (Chile) lie further south though)
Thursday 6th November 2014
We have a rest day in Punta Arenas – I really like the place and there is still a lot to see. Johannes enjoys sitting on the Plaza Muñoz Gamero watching the world go by…
Statue of Magellan with a mermaid and two indigenous Fuegians at his feet
Local legend has it that touching the Fuegian’s toes will bring you back to Punta Arenas one day…
In the meantime I visit the Museo Regional de Magallanes in the Palacio Braun Menéndez
Office of Mauricio Braun, brother of Sara, another member of the wealthy pioneer family
El Comedor
First charting of the Strait of Magellan in the 16th century
Writing utensils of José Nogueira, Sara Braun’s husband, successful sheep breeder and merchant in Sandy Point (Punta Arenosa in Spanish)
Early examples of the excellent Chilean wine
Reunited Johannes and I explore more of the city
Long-necked penguins and Tierra del Fuego in the background
Of course, I have to touch the sea
Captain Johannes at the wheel
We also visit the city’s fascinating cemetery
How people like you and I are buried in this part of the world
This reminds us that life is short and should be lived to the full
In the evening we find a little gem of a restaurant
Is it the shaky hand of our lovely host that makes us look blurred?
Or all the alcohol?
We drag each other home – buenas noches, Punta Arenas!
Tomorrow we will continue our journey to Tierra del Fuego and cross the Strait of Magellan.
Sunday 2nd November 2014
We are a bit sad that we have to leave the wonderful Hotel Lago del Desierto but at some point we have to continue our journey south if we want to make it to Ushuaia on this trip. Johannes expects the big double-decker bus we travelled in from Bariloche to Esquel, as it was from the same company and continued to El Calafate, but when we arrive at the terminal we see only one vehicle waiting:
Mind you, for the grand total of four passengers this morning, the company could have hired a taxi…
Hasta la próxima vez, El Chaltén!
Last view of the Fitz Roy Massif, Cerro Torre and Lago Viedma
Ruta 40
Lago Argentino on the horizon
After three hours we arrive in El Calafate and go straight to the another bus company’s counter to pay for the (by email) pre-booked tickets to Puerto Natales the next day. As the bus leaves before our usual breakfast time, we find another Hostería which is much closer to the terminal. Then we explore more and different parts of the town.
Definitely not on the Gringo Trail…
Für Jõrgel
The exercise is completed with a visit to the Heladeria
The best ice cream in Argentina according to the locals
Monday 3rd November 2014
We travel from El Calafate in Argentina to Puerto Natales in Chile, from where we want to visit the country’s most famous national park, the Torres del Paine. The bus is pretty full, we don’t have the best views but the journey is still pleasant and unspectacular – apart from the usual border formalities including x-raying of luggage and signing documents confirming that we don’t carry any products made from fruit, vegetables, cereals, wood, animals etc. Chile is free from food parasites and they would like to maintain this state.
First glimpse of the Cordillera del Paine
When we arrive in Puerto Natales, we follow the recommendation of the helpful señora from the coach agency in El Calafate and buy a tour package for the national park from the bus company next door. They will pick us up from the place we stay in the following morning; so we have to inform them where we are after we’ve found accommodation in town.
Only when I ask the landlord of our hostel if he could call the bus company on our behalf and tell them where we are, do we learn that it is illegal to sell tours at the terminal; the central bus station is solely for getting from A to B and tour operators are not allowed to offer their services there. I am worried if the tour we’ve already paid for will actually materialise, especially as we haven’t received a detailed description of what is included in the price…
We make a few more enquiries in town, get similar descriptions and quotes from other agencies and decide to hope for the best. In the meantime we’d rather spend our time exploring more of Puerto Natales.
Seno de Última Esperanza – Sound of the Last Hope
Big sky
We discover the local ship cemetery
We also find out how the Puerto Nataleans are keeping warm
Tuesday 4th November 2014
We are ready for breakfast at 7 o’clock and wait anxiously for a minibus picking us up for our tour to the Torres del Paine national park at around 7.25 hrs. Our landlady informs us that the driver will report to reception and we’ll be called by name. Mmmh, my little note says only ‘Manuela y Papá’…
I shouldn’t have worried so much; a minibus pulls up, the driver knows our full names and we get in together with all the other tourists who have purchased their tour packages the legal way. We have a fantastic day with a professional tour guide, are lucky with the weather again and drive 250 kilometres in a total of 12 hours through breathtaking countryside.
Here is just a small selection; all photos of the national park can be found in this gallery, from #74.
First stop: Cueva del Milodón – the cave of the Giant Ground Sloth (click on the photo to see the panorama in full)
The Cuernos (horns) del Paine
On the way to the Glaciar Grey
First glimpse of Lago Grey
We are the only ones who make it to the Mirador in the limited time you have on a tour
Glaciar Grey
Lago Pehoe and the Cuernos del Paine
Salto Grande del Río Paine
Cordillera del Paine (click on the photo for full size)
Torres del Paine
Guanaco
More guanacos
Lago Nordenskjöld and Torres del Paine
With Toni from Madrid, who has saved all her annual leave for a month-long exploration of Chile
Lago Sarmiento
I still dream of living here breeding sheep…
There are several means to get to the end of the world
Back in Puerto Natales
Tired but very happy we have dinner in an excellent little fish restaurant where we are suddenly the last guests…
Internet is really slow in this part of the world, as you may have noticed by the lack of daily updates. Last night I had to leave the laptop in the hotel lounge just to upload a grand total of three photos overnight… Anyway, here’s a quick catch-up to let you know where we are and have been – and that we are still enjoying ourselves immensely.
Friday 24th October 2014
We travel from Trevelin in Argentina to the border with Chile on a regional bus that only runs twice a week (later we hear that this service was cancelled the other day…); then by minibus on to Futaleufú. Here we are extremely lucky again: there is only one connection to Coyhaique per week, scheduled for Friday at a quarter to twelve. We arrive around 10 o’clock and thus still have time to exchange money and get some supplies for the journey. Considering the sparse connections serving the Carretera Austral we decide to do the 10-hour trip to Coyhaique in one go and will not stop in Puyuhuapi as previously planned.
In the end the journey takes over twelve hours, because the Chilenos are working frantically on paving the whole distance of the Ruta 7 from Chaitén to Coyhaique. A major project which will not be completed until 2017 at the earliest, as the road will also be broadened to two lanes and huge amounts of rock need to be blasted and disposed of. While the construction is an admirable effort, it will also take the adventure out of the famous route…
The landscape along the Carretera Austral is absolutely stunning; we are blessed with surprisingly good weather and arrive tired but happy in Coyhaique just before midnight. Luckily we even find a room in the first place where we ask for accommodation. Photos can be found in this gallery, #1 to 118
From Trevelin to the border between Argentina and Chile
Our luxury minibus from Futaleufú to Coyhaique – shared with only four other passengers…
Between Futaleufú and Puerto Ramirez
In La Junta
One of the many road closures
In Puyuhuapi
More road works…
Just before it gets dark we cross the Cordillera de Queulat; the pass still being unpaved…
Saturday 25th October 2014
Rest day in Coyhaique. We move to a hotel where we have more space and a baño privado and explore the town. There is not a cloud in the sky – an extremely rare occurrence in Chilean Patagonia. Photos here; #119 to 190.
Car wash for a good cause in Coyhaique
The bomberos (fire brigade) are helping as well
Araucaria (monkey puzzle tree) – extremely tough to withstand the harsh elements in Patagonia
Río Simpson
La Piedra del Indio – the Head of the Indio
Nice place for a farm – with the trails right on your door step
Coyhaique is the main supply centre of the whole region
Enjoying the regional Cazuela – and the Cerveza, of course
Sunday 26th October 2014
Without a reservation we just try our luck and go to the bus terminal for 9 o’clock. We are fortunate enough to snatch the two last seats on the minibus to Cochrane. There is another service half an hour later but we don’t want to risk being stuck in Coyhaique for another day if that bus is fully booked as well. We sit in the last row on the left, where we don’t have the best views of the gorgeous countryside but occasionally we catch a glimpse.
At 2 o’clock in the afternoon we get off in Puerto Río Tranquilo where we want to visit the Capillas de Marmol. While we are searching for accommodation, a young couple approaches us to tell us that they have booked a boat trip for 15.00 hours and we can join them if we want. That accelerates our efforts to find somewhere to sleep and we just make it on time for departure.
The crossing is rough and exciting, the caves are absolutely amazing and we think this experience is the start of a beautiful friendship with Tal and Chen from Israel, who are in the middle of a 2-month trip through South America and freshly engaged since Machu Picchu. After we’ve reached terra firma again they offer to take us to Chile Chico in their hire car the next day.
Photos are in this gallery; #191 to 502
Breakfast is served in our room
… and it is quite a good one!
Near Villa Cerro Castillo
Cerro Castillo
Five seasons a day – it’s a bit like Scotland
Río Ibañez
Lago General Carreras – Chile’s biggest lake
In Puerto Río Tranquilo
With Tal and our skipper
Capillas de Marmol – the Marble Caves
Monday 27th October 2014
¡Feliz Cumpleaños, Babbelito! Today is Johannes’s special birthday. The landlady has decorated the breakfast table with a homemade cake and accessories the friendly ladies in the tiny village shop have helped me sourcing the previous evening. Tal and Chen pick us up at 9.30 hrs and we drive along the shore of Lago General Carrera to Chile Chico on the border with Argentina.
Again we are blessed with gorgeous sunshine and stunning views of the biggest lake in Chile – a fantastic birthday present for Johannes. The route is unpaved but mostly well maintained and we would make good progress if we wouldn’t have to stop for photos every other kilometre… We have a nice late lunch in Chile Chico before we cross into Argentina and find accommodation in Los Antiguos.
By the way, we haven’t seen a single minibus the whole day and wonder how long it would have taken us to get here by public transport…
Photos here; #503 to 718 and here (Argentina) #341 to 360.
Happy Birthday, Johannes!
Cisne de cuello negro – black-necked swan, native to the south of South America
Driving the actual distance of 166 kilometres would probably take three to four hours only…
Lunch in Chile Chico
Into Argentina
Los Antiguos
It’s not easy in this village but we finally find a birthday dessert!
Tuesday 28th October 2014
Just before they drop us at the bus terminal in Perito Moreno, Tal and Chen ask if we would like to join them on the 700-kilometre journey to El Calafate. Wow, we are gobsmacked by their kind offer and gratefully accept.
Long stretches of the Ruta 40 have been paved since 2010 and the only ripio left are the 174 kilometres between Gobernador Gregores and Tres Lagos, where we lose the hour that Chen has gained on tarmac against the GPS’s estimate. We are lucky that the wind is not half as strong as the last time I travelled this route and was almost blown off the road. Photos here (not fully uploaded yet – please check later).
Wednesday 29th October 2014
When we wake up there are patches of blue sky but on the way to the Perito Moreno glacier the clouds are closing in and it begins to snow. Tal and Chen are hugely excited, as snow is rare in Israel, but the weather also means that the view from the Miradores is zero. Fortunately the sun comes through for about twenty minutes and we get some glimpses of the glacier and all the wonderful blue shades of the ice. Photos here (not fully uploaded yet – please check later).
Thursday 30th October 2014
Tal and Chen take us with them to El Chaltén; it’s their journey back to Bariloche where they have to return the car. Although it is snowing in the morning, the weather improves on the way and grants us the most wonderful views of the Fitz Roy mountain range.
The hotel I stayed the last time is fully booked but we find a lovely room in the excellent Hotel Lago del Desierto which is even closer to all the amenities. Like in El Calafate we have difficulties getting cash from the only cajero in town and find that hardly any business accepts payment with credit card. The season here lasts only four months from the middle of November to March and it isn’t worthwhile for the small enterprises to pay a whole year’s fee to the credit card companies. While this is absolutely understandable it leaves us in a precarious situation and the risk of having to wash dishes for the rest of our stay.
Out of the blue we come across the perfect solution of our problem: the restaurant where we have a delicious dinner takes Euros at an incredibly good exchange rate for us – we will return with more money than we set out with… 😉
Friday 31st October 2014
Today we do the Capital Nacional del Trekking justice and trek to the Lago de los Tres. Thanks to cloudless sky and bright sunshine we have splendid views of the Fitz Roy Massif. The first three hours of the trail are pretty easy going but the last two kilometres it’s a backbreaking climb up to 1,150 metres above sea level. As a reward we see a condor, the frozen Laguna de los Tres and the Fitz Roy in their full glory. We are happy but a tiny bit tired after the 28 kilometres we have covered in 12 hours… Photos to follow.
Saturday 1st November 2014
We think we have deserved a rest day and take it easy: just a little 11-kilometre stroll to the Mirador del Torre, a nice lunch with the leftovers from last night’s Milanesa, a visit to the local Heladeria on the way back, some shopping for presents for the loved ones at home and another attempt at uploading photos to finally post an update here…
Cerro Torre
At the Mirador del Torre
Please come back to this post in a day or two – I will keep trying to upload photos and add them to the days in the text. Thank you for your patience.
We are already in Coyhaique! The only bus serving the Carretera Austral from Futaleufú went two hours after we arrived in the Chilean border town on Friday!
But before we tell you our stories from Chile, here are some photos accompanying the recent ‘Quick Update’ –
Tuesday 21st October 2014
Our high-end coach on the route from Puerto Varas to Bariloche
Bye bye, Panamericana…
Lago Puyehue
Río Pilmaiquén
And whoosh – we are in Argentina!
Snow on the Paso Cardenal Antonio Samoré at 1,314 metres above sea level
Iglesia Catedral
First chocolate samples…
Wednesday 22nd October 2014
From uptown to downtown Bariloche it’s a steep descent
We find adventures everywhere we’re going…
We are briefly tempted to buy a car for independent travel through the Patagonian wilderness…
Bariloche and Lake Nahuel Huapi
Of course, we have to feel the water
Careful, Johannes – I haven’t seen any shoeshine boys in town…
We make a friend
The Neo-Gothic cathedral
Time for a coffee…
… and chocolate!
For our British readers…
Thursday 23rd October 2014
Hasta luego, Bariloche
Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi
In El Bolsón
La Patagonia argentina
Our cabaña ‘Ty Gwyn’ – the white house
Afon Percy – downstream becoming Río Futaleufú in Chile
Tuesday 21st October – we travelled from Puerto Varas in Chile to San Carlos de Bariloche in Argentina.
Wednesday 22nd October – rest day in Bariloche to thoroughly sample the excellent local chocolate (and admire the gorgeous setting of the city in the Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi, of course).
Thursday 23rd October – we are now in Trevelin (south-west of Esquel), the village of the mill, founded by Welsh settlers in 1889. Still two Welsh tea houses and plenty of Welsh names about – our cabaña is called ‘Ty Gwyn’, the white house.
Friday 24th October – tomorrow morning we will head to the border and enter Chile again; then we will try to get as far as possible from Futaleufú towards the Carretera Austral and further south – Santa Lucía, La Junta and maybe even to Puyuhuapi.
Internet is already flaky and we don’t expect major improvements until we’ve reached Coyhaique. Buses will become a rare occurrence, too, we have heard – nothing and no one seem to move during weekends in this part of Patagonia and some connections run only thrice a week. Wish us luck…
Pictures – as could be uploaded so far – can be found here.
Sunday 19th and Monday 20th October 2014
From Valdivia we take the bus to Puerto Varas on Lake Llanquihue, starting point of the Cruce de Lagos, one of the most iconic crossings of the Andes that takes you via Lago Todos Los Santos, the most beautiful of the lakes, Lago Frias and Lago Nahuel Huapi to Bariloche in Argentina. This trip I couldn’t do in 2010, as there is no way to take a motorbike on the boats, and I am very much looking forward to an unforgettable experience.
When we enquire about the details of the journey, three obstacles raise their heads: the price – 280 USD per person, the weather forecast – rain, clouds and fog will last at least until Thursday, and the time – we cannot wait three days until the sky clears, as we will need sufficient buffer days on the Carretera Austral where buses are scarce and may only run twice a week. There is no point spending a vast amount of money if we can’t see anything of the gorgeous landscape.
Well, what are our priorities? I would like to see the Saltos de Petrohué (waterfalls) and the Lago Todos Los Santos – the fact that the ferry trip also takes you to Argentina is a welcome side effect, but there is also a very beautiful bus journey over the Paso Puyehue (Complejo Frontizero Cardenal Antonio Samore), which is far cheaper and more reliable.
A tour agency offers a day excursion to Petrohué which includes visiting the falls and a boat trip on Lago Todos Los Santos for CLP 34,000 (around £35) per person. With the helpful agent we arrange that we can just turn up on the day after checking the weather in the morning (usually they want you to book a day in advance, understandably).
As we have found an absolute gem of a hotel (El Greco), we decide to stay two days in Puerto Varas and hope that the weather improves.
We are not the only ones affected by the cold climate
Puerto Varas in the rain
This is what it should look like
Our superb accommodation – Hotel El Greco
Local delicacy Paila Marina in the evening
We do a bit more research and then take the local bus to Petrohué the next day. The route follows the south shore of Lake Llanquihue.
The driver drops us at the waterfalls, the road is being repaired further ahead and apparently closed. Ok, although we have planned to visit the lake first, we obey and head for the –
We can almost see the Volcán Osorno…
The vegetation is absolutely amazing
We spend just under two hours at the falls – in comparison: on the Cruce de Lagos you are allowed only 20 minutes… Leaving the visitor centre, we start walking the six kilometres to Petrohué village along the unpaved road.
It’s dry and pleasant but still a long stroll – fortunately, after 1.5 kilometres, we manage to blag a lift with an empty tourist bus to the shore of Lago Todos Los Santos. And here I am very grateful to have my dad with me; while I am far too hesitant, Johannes just approaches a skipper who is about to set sail and asks in a mix of English, Spanish and sign-language if he can take us on a boat trip. The reply comes in German – by chance we have stumbled across a group of German tourists who are shipped across the lake for a long hike; we can join them for a small fee and will then be taken back in the otherwise empty vessel. I am over the moon!
Petrohué
The weather has held the whole day and our self-made trip has cost us CLP 9,000 (under ten pounds) per person – we are more than pleased!
For the next day we buy the bus tickets to Bariloche and look forward to the road journey to Argentina.
Puerto Varas by night
All pictures from Puerto Varas, Saltos de Petrohué and Lago Todos Los Santos here, #857 to 1,185
Saturday 18th October 2014
With a heavy heart we vacate our cottage on Saturday morning and head to the bus terminal, where the super-friendly owner of the café serves us a lovely breakfast. The coach leaves on time but Villarrica disappears from the horizon without Johannes ever seeing the volcano. We will have to come back one day…
A pleasant 3-hour trip takes us to our next destination Valdivia, capital of the Los Ríos region appropriately situated at the confluence of the rivers Cruces, Calle Calle, Valdivia and Cau Cau which also connect the city to the sea. Valdivia is also called the Capital de la Lluvia, the rain, as we hear and notice later. After two fruitless attempts we find a nice hostal near the Costanera along the Río Calle Calle, make ourselves comfortable and then set out on our usual sight-seeing tour.
Among the must-see places are the docks and the sea lions, the mercado municipal, the distinctive houses built by the German settlers, the plaza and the Isla Teja. The helpful señorita in the oficina del turismo also recommends to visit the sea-side resort Niebla on the Pacific coast and we duly obey. On the way back we stop for dinner at the Cervecería Kunstmann, which is quite a tourist trap, to be honest – but visiting a brewery that makes beer according to the German purity law and then advertises it as ‘das gute Bier’ in Chile is almost mandatory for us.
When we return to Valdivia we get off the colectivo in the centre and are in for a nice surprise: the city celebrates its Carnaval de Primavera (spring carnival) and we join the locals lining the costanera and watch the colourful parade. What a great timing that we arrived in Valdivia this weekend!
Breakfast at the JAC bus terminal in Villarrica
The Chilenos are constantly improving their road network
Wanna-be Matador…
Mercado municipal
All pictures from Valdivia and Niebla here, #574 to 856
Thursday 16th and Friday 17th October 2014
We leave Chillán early to make the most of the day and board the bus to Temuco where we have to change to a colectivo that brings us to Villarrica in the Lake District.
Housing estate Chilean style
On this side of the world the rapeseed is just coming into bloom
Villarrica lies very picturesque by the lake and the volcano of the same name. Unfortunately the impressive mountain is hiding behind the clouds and if I hadn’t told my dad how beautiful the volcano was he wouldn’t even know it was there…
This is what it should look like… (picture from 2010)
… and this is what we are presented with today…
On the way to the tourist information, where we want to enquire about suitable accommodation, a bright lilac building catches our eye, the Hostal Donde Mora. “No, we don’t have any twin rooms, only matrimonios”, says the landlord, “but you can have a whole cabaña with two bedrooms for the same price.” Well, we like the idea of having our own cottage in Villarrica very much and so we agree without complaints.
Our cottage in Villarrica
A stroll to the lakeshore is mandatory and with every hour that passes we hope the clouds will lift and reveal the gorgeous volcano. But nothing – the sky turns blue, the sun comes out but the mountain towering over Villarrica and neighbouring Pucón remains invisible. So we decide to stay another day in our cabaña and hope for the weather to improve.
Huh, there’s at least the tip!
When we look out of the window the next morning the sky is overcast again. Never mind, it’s dry at least and we can explore a bit more of the Araucanía region. Colectivos take us along the lake and on towards Caburgua, where the river of the same name creates beautiful waterfalls and deep blue ponds – the Ojos de Caburgua.
Laguna Azul – the blue lagoon
There are actually two sites to visit the waterfalls, one on each side of the river and for some strange reason the landowners haven’t come to an agreement yet to build a bridge. This means that you can only see a fraction of the ponds, then you would have to drive seven kilometres, pay another entrance fee to see the other part and then drive back the way you came or carry on to Pucón for another 15 kilometres. Not an option for us on foot.
After pondering the moral aspects of our behaviour we decide to ford the river at our own risk and save us the hassle of extreme trekking that day.
We don’t mind paying the extra pesos, as there are quite a few walkways and miradores to maintain, but walking 14 or even 22 kilometres more to see an area 10 metres away is just unreasonable. Why don’t the owners raise the fee, build a bridge, share the income, minimise the traffic and environmental impact and make visiting the site more user-friendly? As it turns out later, the crossing is also commonly used by the local pedestrians, who helpfully advise us that there is no alternative path anyway and that the only minibus serving the other side won’t pass until six in the afternoon – far too late for us.
View of the other side from the other side
You see, there are adventures to be had on a rucksack trip as well. On the way back to Villarrica we stop in Pucón and have some shockingly expensive but heavenly delicious coffee and cake in the Café de la P.
Then it starts to rain and doesn’t stop until the next day. We still manage to make the most of our time in Villarrica.
The big question remains, will Johannes see the volcano after all? Don’t miss the next episode!
All pictures from Villarrica here; #348 to 573
Pumpernickel on Tour 