¡Bakan!

---

The rain was setting in for three days in Vilarrica, but just as I was preparing to move on my trip took turn in a completly different direction.

Enter Kai and Paublo. Kai is the incredibly enthusiastic german living in Chile and seeking adventures of all kinds and Paublo the trusty chilian who is choc full of zeal teaching us spanish, who can often be heard saying “Perfecto” and has a habit of putting heavy shades on only in the afternoons.

We 4wd-ed around Vilarrica and Pucòn for a few days, finding Theraml springs, waterfalls and keeping ourselfs entertained with ´Metropoli´ - The santiago verson of Monopoly.

(just as an aside, nearly all the streets in chile use the same set of names!).

Once in Pucòn, after a hard day of towing Kai and a local half way up the volcano, we hit town in true style by smuggling in a bottle of rum into an overpriced ´tourist´bar. (I know, I know - some things never change). What a hit, It would have been a great night if Kai´s very expensive bike hadn´t got stolen, Paublo´s wallet too, and I hadn´t missed my guided hike up to the top of the Volcan Vilarrica.

As you can see I got there in the end, clawing myself up the snow and ice, sucking in some toxic sulpher and all! Unfortanetly we saw no lava, its one of those “don´t need to see it to believe it” things. It felt great to have finally made it and sliding down the volcan in little snow trenches was fantastic even if slightly painful at times.

Now i´ve parted ways with the guys and find myself in Valdivia, costal centre of the 'regìon de los rios’ and with good cause. Nearby and pictured is a cannon from some 400 year old fort, the place was closed so I had to make my own way in, i guess security has lapsed a bit over time.

Valdivia itself has a few museums that got myself along to, spending my time wondering around gazing at contemporary art and historical German and Mapuche artefacts.

After visiting the old fort, i could not help going to the ´kuntsman´brewery. Their slogan is something like "Das gute bier" and i whole heartedly agree: "un grande de larger, por favor".

Next stop, Puerto Varas. At this stage the plan is to cruise down to ‘Torres del Paine’ do the 'W' hike in 4 days and all while trying not get blown away and maintain a core body temperture of 37 degrees - fingers crossed.

---

Photos

The Summit crater
You don´t want to be any closer to an active volcano that this

Bike tow
"ok, just don´t fall off man"

Cannon
What a blast! (i defy anyone to think of a worse dad-joke)

Top of Volcano
thats the lakes district over there (and don´t pay out my goofy hat!)

Kuntsman brewery
Not as dangerous as that fateful Jonny Walker tour and more tasty to boot.

Volcun from the ground
Volcun Vilarrica from the ground

Fishmarket in Valdivia
a fishmarket in Valdivia

Comments

[manda]

hmmphh
So jealous.... nothing more to say... Hugs Manda