Das Gute Bier... in Chile?

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After spending nearly a month in Argentina, we headed back to Chile crossing through Argentinian passport control, for the 6th and final time. We originally planned to head over to Puerto Montt in Chile's Lake District but made a last minute change to the journey and headed slightly further north to Valdivia, instead. The reason for this decision: our old friend Lonely Planet, who raved about Valdivia's historic fortifications, riverside charm, German influences and fat Sea Lion visitors. Once again, LP pretty much nailed it, although we feel, their suggestion that the town itself was a real gem, was misplaced. Valdivia in our opinion, is nothing special - it's not that attractive, isn't an architectural eye-pleaser and isn't buzzing with the nightlife and eateries, you often find in riverside towns. Instead, what really made our visit to Valdivia, was what it had to offer beyond the town boundaries...

The drive from Bariloche without exaggeration, was breathtaking - a winding road past beautiful mountains, white snow-covered countryside, crystal blue lakes and stunning forest. As the sun began to set in front of us, it looked like the sun was melting away in the distance. The border crossing was fairly simple, once again the Chilean border officials searched our bags for the slightest indication of any organic contraband - they're very strict and Laura quivered as she waited to see if they found her Yerba Mate tea bags stashed at the bottom of her bag - fortunately they slipped through without being uncovered!

We have to say, we nailed it on accommodation in Valdivia. We found a wonderful little room (or should I say, suite) in Hostel Totem just off the Costanera (riverside). It was warm, cozy and clean - doesn't sound like anything particularly special but believe me, at the asking price, it was a real find. On arrival, the bad weather from Bariloche continued and our first morning was met with Manchester-style drizzle and thick grey and gloomy clouds. A walk along the riverside was fairly uninspiring, it's quite bleak and not particularly pretty despite it's billing as Chile's most attractive city! After only ten minutes of riverside strolling we arrived at what can only be described as "one of the weirdest things we've seen in South America" so far. A fish market on the river bank - nothing special so far - with a horde of sea lions barking at the fishmongers for scraps. These huge and completely untamed, lumps of fat, clamber up onto the concrete bank, waiting to be fed with any scraps going. The weird thing is it seems to be completely normal and nobody other than us, found this at all strange.

For the rest of the day we decided to "do the forts", taking a colectivo to Niebla, a small village just outside of Valdivia near where the River Valdivia joins the Pacific Ocean and home to a 17th-century Spanish fortification. The site is well-preserved and from it's vantage point offers up some beautiful views of the confluence of the Valdivia and Tornagaleones rivers, a key strategic naval defensive position. From Fuerte Niebla (Niebla Fort), the Spanish could bombard any potential invaders trying to enter the river mouth, in a crossfire. From the other side of the river, the Spanish also occupied the Castillo de Corral, where the gun emplacements of Batería de la Argolla and Batería de la Cortina fired upon enemy ships. For just $1, you can catch a boat across the river to see both these fortifications and the remaining broken ramparts. It was also our luck that the sun came out for the first time in a long time, so we had spectacular views of the scenic estuary. During the 'War of Independence', our old friend Lord Thomas Cochrane, whose exploits were proudly displayed in the Naval museum that we visited in Valparaiso, boldly seized a Spanish vessel in the harbour. He then proceeded to land his 300 musketeers and take Corral - no mean feat, since it was defended by 700 soldiers and 100 cannons. It was an audacious move which made him a hero in Chile. Back in his home country of Blighty, he was reinstated into the Navy (after previously being dismissed for fraud charges) and was even promoted to Admiral!

Valdivia has something of a German influence in the town as a result of a large immigration of Germans into the area, in the mid-19th century. Much of their influence such as grandiose mansions and industry, were destroyed by a 1960 earthquake. Some things still remain including the "Kunstmann Beer Brewery" where you can indulge in a big bowl of sausage with Sour Kraut and large quantities of the local brew. It has to be said, it's quite a gimmicky and rather cheesy reproduction of the German brewery experience but the locals love it and arrive in their droves to sample the ales and enjoy a German sausage-fest (no innuendo intended)! We tested the six different brews on offer in shot glasses, before opting for a pint of our favourite. We then washed down a bowl the size of our heads, containing a variety of meats (or at least Tommy did) with the suds - delicious! A comedy photo in the "stick your heads through this and look like a prat" board outside, rounded off the visit and an enjoyable day-trip in Valdivia.

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