Chilean lake district
Trip Start
Mar 31, 2006
1
25
37
Trip End
Mar 31, 2007
Osorno,
Chile
Thursday, November 16, 2006
So you find us back in Entre Lagos putting our car back together with all our camping equipment and getting ready to trek further north in search of sufficient warmth to sleep in a tent. It has been lovely around the northern lake district although this early in the season the weather has been very variable. When we picked Dave and Stella up from the airport we stayed another two days in the area of Entre Lagos and went for a great hike up to a volcano crater in the Puyehue Park up the slopes of the ski area. At the top you get a magnificent view of Volcan Osorno and Puntiagudo (both active) beyond; not easy to take photos with the howling gale.
We then went north to Panguipulli on lake Calafquen for more walking up mountains and through forests and more views of yet more perfect snow-covered volcanoes. One of the volcanoes, Villarica is constantly puffing, quite exciting to watch. We had three nights there which has now blurred into mere memories of several route marches lots of food, beer and wine and trying to recoup enough energy for the next day's assault. The countryside is truly beautiful though....lush green grass dotted with beautiful big trees, wildflowers everywhere, cows and sheep languidly chewing...all very restful and peaceful until you encounter a volcano which is so dramatic.
From there we motored south to the island of Chiloe (driving was very pleasant as it gave us just enough time to recover before the next assault. Chiloe was very quaint and looked like pictures we have seen of Newfoundland with houses precariously perched around little bays (often on stilts) and up windy streets. Most houses are clad in shingles or pressed steel; shingles of every shape, size and hue and most faded to a lovely grey. Churches everywhere also clad in shingles and often battered sheets of metal as well; modest from the outside but warm and welcoming inside, with light wooden paneling. We stayed two nights in Castro in the centre of the east coast of the island. Getting from the mainland to the island by ferry brought home to us the seafaring nature of islanders as the entry and exit to the very was very "informal" - something they did daily with no thought, not at all like the very regulated, and safe, BC Ferries we are used-to in Canada. I do like the Latin American approach to safety: it is your problem not the authorities, you weigh up your own risks and take your own care; if you want to drive straight through the ferry and out the other side and into the sea then that is your choice. Our cabana in Castro was built out over the water on very rickety-looking piles; clearly it did not meet any Canadian tsunami regulations! From Castro we drove to another little island called Isla Quinchao which reminded us of the Isle-of-White off England's south coast. Everywhere the farms are beautiful in rolling countryside and really could not be more English although with a sufficient Latin touch to be different.
From Castro we drove across Chiloe to the west coast where the Pacific was pounding on a 20km long beach and the wind bent you every-which-way. The little town of Cucau was completely destroyed by a tsunami in the 60's but has since resurrected itself ready for the next one - you takes your chances. We had coffee at the best little café we have seen on the whole trip - the Darwin - and found it difficult to leave. Luckily we found a wonderful cabana to stay in on the nearby lake as Cucua had little accommodation open this early in the season (we stayed way out of our price league at the Huillinco Lodge (which we highly recommend info@cab-huillinco.cl)but at a greatly discounted rate and run by a lovely man who gave us a guided tour of all his follies in various stages of completion; must have a had a very long suffering wife.
From the island we trekked back up to Lake Llanquihue which is the third largest in South America and like an inland sea. When we finally found somewhere to stay the heavens opened and we were treated to a fantastic storm which whipped up the lake to almost surf-able waves. Where we stayed was at the foot of Volcan Osorno but it stayed hidden in the clouds until our last day when she (or he? I think volcanoes are female for fairly obvious reasons) suddenly exposed herself in all her splendid glory. We visited Lake Todos Los Santos where the ferry/bus trip to Argentina goes from and one can see why so many people pay the US$160 to do the 12 hour trip.
And that is all as we recover from all our guests and prepare to go back on the road and roll out our tent. We have no photos at all this time since our new camera has dies on us and we are awaiting Simon's arrival when he will bring us a new one from HK) but will add them when our various friends email their digital photos to us.
