Puerto Montt

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  Puerto Montt, Chile
Sunday, February 3, 2008

After a reasonably late start we arrived in Puerto Montt (20km South of Puerto Varas) at around midday and headed for the Tourist Information office to get directions to the hotel I had booked. After getting directions we spent the next hour trying to find the place (we drove past it 5 times), which is fairly frustrating with all the one way streets you have to negotiate to get round the block. Maybe the reason we were missing this place is because it didn't look all that much from the outside and was in a more run down part of the town, oh and we thought it was an old railway station so couldn't be on a hill. When we arrived at the Hotel Boutique Tren del Sur and got through the door we were pleasantly surprised, although it didn't look like much from the outside once you got in it was like a tardis and extended back a fair way, plus it's interior was made from a lot of old railway sleepers (not an old railway station then) that we really liked. The owner was called Mario and he spoke very good English, he gave us a guided tour, recommended places in the town to see and was generally a very nice guy, even better when he showed us to our room, there was a nice big welcoming bed made from railway sleepers and a jacuzzi tub

Puerto Montt - "safe" looking electrics

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So accommodation sorted we went for a look around the town itself. The town reminded us of a minature Blackpool, a sort of run down holiday destination with a windy sea front, so not much to write home about. At the time we were there there was a free rock concert going on so there were lots of Chilean versions of Lauren (my Sister - not Aussie Lauren) walking around in the usual black garb with skeletons on etc. We spent a couple of hours walking around the mall they had there which was fairly reasonable, Maud picking up a pair of flip flops for Tahiti for $6. We then decided to go for a drive down the coast but there wasnīt a great deal to see except for the fishing boats moored up on the beaches and salmon farms floating near the shoreline as we drove along the dirt path to the final village. Driving back we popped into a artesenal market to check out the local crafts and artwork, there are some nice wooden crafts and good leatherware but nothing that stood out for a purchase, there was a nice 6 foot by 6 fooy Llama rug, but Maud said we had enough of those, so no more packages home then.

At the end of the night we couldnīt be bothered searching for something nice to eat so went back to the mall for a Pizza Hut (easy but safe meal) then back to the hotel for an early start in the morning to catch our flight to Punta Arenas, then to pick up a new monster truck and head up to Puerto Natales to see Torres del Paine, until then, Caio for Now

Puerto Montt

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Oh a P.S. too. We have decide that my blog writing skills are a little better than Maudīs, but she is better at doing the photos and cashflow for the tour, so going forward you will mostly (I am sure I can get her to write a few) be reading my charming, witty, literary pieces (or not), hope you donīt mind or of a different opinion to us !!

P.P.S. Also thanks for everyone who has commented on our blogs, it really makes us think this is worthwhile spending the time on, and also keeps us in good spirits to hear from you all. Even better to hear about is all the miserable weather in England, though donīt feel too bad, itīs blowing a gale at about 100km an hour down here and also pretty chilly (Maud had 5 layers on today) and this is SUMMER in Southern Patagonia !!!!!!

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