http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Araucania/Villarrica/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from South America , Chile , Araucanía , Villarrica en-us Sat, 18 May 2013 23:25:44 +0000 Sat, 18 May 2013 23:25:44 +0000 The weather wasnt too good cloudy skies with intermittent light rain. No views of the volcano over Lake Villarrica from the front porch of our cabin yet.Fortunately its still possible to enjoy a visit to the hot springs that are famous in these parts despite the clouds and light rain every now and again. Based on the number of recommendations out of all the options available we settled on http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Araucania/Villarrica/blog-767086.html We arrived in Santiago on the overnight flight from Miami and were able to rebook ourselves on the early onward flight to Temuco which saved us from spending about 5 hours in the Comodoro Armando Benitez Airport. The airport in Temuco turned out to be pretty small so it was mighty easy to find the Hertz office located just outside so we could pick up our rental car. We had to wait a bit since http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Araucania/Villarrica/blog-767084.html Llegamos a las once de la noche pero igual Alfonso nos atiende con gran amabilidad nos lleva a recorrer el centro y despus tomamos un tecito connel y conversamos por mas de una hora. Su historia es fascinante y la casa que ha construido esta hecha y decorada con muy buen gusto. El diseo y el 39decor39 no hace sentir que estamos en Austria.La maana siguiente me despierto temprano y m http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Araucania/Villarrica/blog-717658.html Pour le photos..Les premires sont une fin de Pichilemu..le jour prcdent la balade ..d'ou la vido des Salinas.. C'est la pche aux crabes ..ou seuls nos pieds ressemblaient a la couleur des crabes..par contre on en a pas vu un seul..Ensuite c'est retour a Santiago la vue d'un toit et le concert que l'on est all voir ensuite..le dernier groupe c't un fanfare dans la ligne de Kusturi http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Araucania/Villarrica/blog-465243.html Down the road from Pucn is Villa Rica a quieter city with fewer foreigners and more local tourists. We thought it was worth our while to check it out. We arrived at lunch time and sat down for a plate of meat and rice then walked along the lake. We stopped and sat a while taking time to listen to a podcast from our favorite npr programs always nice to hear and bring good memories from hom http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Araucania/Villarrica/blog-460012.html A las diez de la noche mis amigos y yo nos fuimos de Santiago para Temuco por autobs que dur trece horas. La prxima maana lleguemos en Temuco y tomemos otro autobs para Coaripe donde bamos a trabajar para una semana en una finca orgnica donde se estudia la permacultura y tradiciones Mapuches. Coaripe significa sendero de guerreros en Mapudungun. No sabamos nada de la finc http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Araucania/Villarrica/blog-454815.html Hi Rich here to carry on our South America adventure.So after a few days in Santiago it was time to say our farewells to half of the travel group we had travelled from Lima to Santiago with spending New Year Christams day and the Inca trail with. A fantastic group of friendsWe soon met up with the new guys for the Santiago to Rio de Janerio Leg. We had previously discovered that the best way t http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Araucania/Villarrica/blog-373347.html When the lava flows from the volcano it sometimes forms tubes as the outside of the flow cools and the molten lava runs from the centre. We had a trip into one of these on Volcan Villarrica that was formed 2000 years ago. http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Araucania/Villarrica/blog-252022.html After New Year in Valparaiso we made our way to the Chilean lake district further south. We stayed in the town of Villarrica at a hostel run by a very abrupt German lady and her husband. After exploring the town and nearby lake we decided that we would hire bikes to go on a ride in the nearby countryside. After looking at the routes suggested by the hostel owners we picked one that was 39km long http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Araucania/Villarrica/blog-240335.html Villarrica ein kleines beschauliches Staedtchen am gleichnamigen See und gleichnamigen Vulkan. Bei einem Bummel durch den Ort findet man mitten im Zentrum ein MapucheIndianerKulturzentrum mit einem originalgetreu nachgebauten Haus und einigen Staenden fuer die selbst hergestellte Handwerkskunst und Essen. Unten am See hat man einen herrlichen Ausblick auf den See und den Vulkan Villarrica wel http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Araucania/Villarrica/blog-234096.html It's been a while since our last one but that's due to the fact that we've been up to so much and haven't had a chance to write or call. We have been in Villarica since Friday morning and are staying with our friends Karla and Victor. They have been looking after us so well and making sure we don't miss any sights before we go. We went to the town of Valdivia where we saw a really cool fish and ve http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Araucania/Villarrica/blog-211810.html HelloHope everyone is keeping well. Sorry we haven't been in contact things have been slightly more hectic than we thought in a good way.So far we have spent a few days in Sao Paulo Brazil then moved onto Santiago in Chile. From Santiago we have made our way south through Chile visiting Valparaiso Talca Temuco and National Park of Conguillo and we're now in Villarica in the lake district of http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Araucania/Villarrica/blog-128014.html Villarrica turned out to be a great place to relax for a few days do not much and make new friends. We really enjoyed ourselves despite not seeing much of the town. Our hostel was excellent and we had a view from our window of Volcano Villarrica which dominates the skyline. We wanted to climb it but at US90 for the trip it was twice the price I had anticipated 45000 Chilean Pesos. Friends wh http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Araucania/Villarrica/blog-124747.html NickIts going to be a long one We left Santiago at a reasonable hour the bike now shod with a new rear. Our first days riding in 4 was a gentle reintroduction to 2wheel travel with a mere 125 mile 200km jaunt to Curic a small but apparently pleasant town. We arrived and soon found that virtually all accommodation was being used by migrant workers employed in the vineyards so we sa http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Araucania/Villarrica/blog-99604.html April 06DEUTSCH WEITER UNTENSometime in April around Pucon All I hear is have you climbed it yet Did you make it Im dead and we didnt see a thing....what they are talking about is Villarrica a still active Volcano near Pucn the most climbed Moutain in Chile. People come here ONLY to get on top of that thing and the guides it is not allowed anymore to go without charge an arm http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Araucania/Villarrica/blog-53801.html For the sake of chornology ill get to the volcano bit in a sec to take up where I left off last time let us travel back in time to about the 30th of MarchFrom Talca I went nowhere got sick antibiotics hung around Talca for about 4 more days. I was however lucky to meet a great chap called Christo who put me up at his place in Talca for the duration as an owner of a local vineyard the hes http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Araucania/Villarrica/blog-51932.html Monday 6th of March. It is the first day of school for Chilian children...Uniforms have moved from the shops to the pupils shoulders...It feels like early September...but it is early March yesterday I was wearing shorts and I forgot to put sunblock on my legs...conclusion sunburnsYes guys it is still summer here...but as I was a bit frustrated not having seen snow for a long time unlike yo http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Araucania/Villarrica/blog-44910.html We were woken this morning by rain. Yay.We were pretty much confined to our tent being fair weather cyclists and all until 9am and hence didnt get on the road until about 11am. Still got some efficiencies to gain in the packing department.The first 5.5kms were perfect cycling country with ever changing views as we rode close to the lakes edge and then climbed fairly steeply up over a small pa http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Araucania/Villarrica/blog-27710.html Of all the problems I thought we might encounter along the way having Christies pedal fall off 40kms from the start was not on high on the list of probabilities.Today had started well Christie didnt bang her head on the roof and didnt say were not going anywhere. In fact she was out of bed and half packed and ready to go before I had roused myself.We got the obligatory photo take ou http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Araucania/Villarrica/blog-27701.html I was woken this morning by Christie getting up banging her head on the hostel roof hard. After crawling back into bed she turned on her side pulled the sheets over her head and stated in a very very unhappy tone Im not going anywhere todayThat I figured was that for day one of our great cycling expedition. I went downstairs in a bit of a huff but my spirits were soon brightened http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Araucania/Villarrica/blog-27695.html