Yan Kee Way Lodge Hotel Puerto Varas

... to Puerto Montt. By the time we got our luggage from the hotel we had missed the last bus to Chiloe, a small island off the coast of Chile. We would stay another night in Puerto Montt and leave for Chiloe in the morning. We say goodbye to Francisco, he has been our companion and partner in crime for the past week. He took his vacation a week earlier (his school has a different vacation schedule) so we will not be accompanying us to Chiloe. He has been ...

... or so I have been told - having arrived at night and it being cloudy all day, I have yet to see any of them). I have had my first taste of British weather here too (I thought I would avoid April showers by switching hemispheres) which means there is even less to do than in Villarrica. But the rest may do me good - I start hitting the national parks for a fair bit of walking next week, after the 4 day boat trip down to Puerta Natales on Friday.

... the LAN airlines office and soon found out that all flights were booked until my scheduled departure, which was 4.5 days away. Well, OK then! So I started asking the LAN lady where I should stay around here, any good places to go and dance, etc. She started pointing and telling me in spanish ¨well, I wouldn´t go east, because that area is dangerous. I wouldn´t go around the southern area, because that is dangerous. I also ...

... six of them) are slightly larger lifeboats that can do double duty when needed. Six of us were separated from our main group by some rather rude passengers in a big hurry and we found a straggler (Bill) from Legendary Journeys who was also "orphaned" so we had to wait until the next tender but it was, happily, not a long wait. We had visions of a rough ride but it was a very smooth, and somewhat boring, seven minute ride to shore. Gail, Veronica ...

... a lovely breakfast. The food was pretty basic, cereal, eggs, fruit, tea and coffee but it was really good. Every morning you have a briefing about what you´re going to see that day and at what times. We the played cards with Marco and Katherin but had to cut it short when the boat started rocking! At about 5 or 6pm we were out on the open sea and the boat was jumping about all over the place. Walking was far too confusing so stayed in bed ...

... was cool. El Calafate is a small town born largely out of tourism in the local area. The main attraction here is Puerto Moreno Glacier, the largest moving glacier in South America. Some stats, the glacier is 30kms long. 6kms wide, it protrudes 60 meters out of the water and underwater it is a further 120 meters below. At the top of the glacier it snows almost every day of the year. The sheer scale of it simply blows you away. Our ...

... think Woolwich ferry and you'll get the idea. But unlike the Thames, the sea was full of Sea Lions. They wouldn't keep their heads up for long enough to take a decent picture though.. Chiloe was very interesting- we went to the two main towns- Ancud and Castro. The Chiloeans are quite insular, have their own customs and traditions and in particular ...

... kaikkia varautumaan matkaan siis muovipussein. Keskella maantieta muuten bussi pysahtyy ja saatat kuulla kova-aanisesta sanat mano, bolso, fruta. Eli kasi, laukku ja hedelma. Que...??? Kaikki ulos bussista tavaroineen hedelmatulliin!! Tullissa oli lapivalaisuhihna ja virallinen tarkistus jottei matkatavaroissasi ole kiellettyja hedelmia. Luojan kiitos meilla ei ollut ilmeisesti pommiin verrattavissa olevia hedelmasalaattievaita messissa, ties mitka sanktiot ...