Blogs from Chiloé Island, Los Lagos, Chile, South America - page 8

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South America » Chile » Los Lagos » Chiloé Island March 19th 2009

EN FRANCAIS PLUS BAS MORE PHOTOS HERE True, I swear a lot by Couchsurfing, but staying at a atmospheric hostel, in town, one block from the lake and with other travelers also has its perks. As I wonder what to do the one day I have in Puerto Varas before going to Argentina, my French roommate invites me to share a rental car for a day trip in the area. Two other travelers, an Irish and a British-German from Portugal join us for what was the most lovely day, at a leisurely pace and under pefectly blue skies. I must have said "I can't believe how lucky we are with the weather" at lest a hunderd times that day... We strolled on lovely shaded paths, went up the Osorno volcano's glacier, and finished the day soaking ... read more
Osorno Volcano at Sunset
Observing Osorno Volcano
Goofing Around on the Beach

South America » Chile » Los Lagos » Chiloé Island March 16th 2009

Hey everyone. Guys cheers for all the emails and messages. Gar especially, you´re playing a stormer...good to hear the news from home and that you guys are still keeping track of what we are getting up to. The skiing photos, what we have seen of them, look great. Another year without injury too.....that´s a good record. Anyway we are back in Argentina. Another trek and a half to get here. Last time we spoke we were about to get a Ferry...we figured that would go off without much drama but we were wrong. We almost missed it because of a Fishermens protest in the town next to the port. We ended up having to walk around it, through a field and a stream and hitch a lift with a Chilean Student and his Dad to our ... read more
Chilean student who helped us
Captain Birdpie
Darlene 016

South America » Chile » Los Lagos » Chiloé Island March 11th 2009

Hi everyone, Its been awhile but i'm back. I have a great adventure to tell you about so get comfy and i shall begin. After we left Ushuaia we headed north of course and our destination was the island of Chiloe. This is the biggest island of Chile and is half the size of Holland so a little one. We got the boat across the chanal to the island. On the way see seals and dolphins which makes a otherwise boring boat trip nice. So we get to Isla de Chiloe and the first point of contact was the small town of Ancud. Not much to see here but we checked it out. We decided we would take a short enough bus trip out to a part of the island where you could see penguins. Thing ... read more
Blue whale skeleton!
Little old me!
Where penguins should be!

South America » Chile » Los Lagos » Chiloé Island February 22nd 2009

So 2.5 hours later I arrived in Castro the capital of Chiloe. The Islanders were the last supporters of the Spanish Crown and apparently offered it to Britain. But the Foreign Secretary of the time turned it down and they surrendered in 1826. Anyway enough of the history lesson, but its very different here from the rest of Chile as they were cut off for so long. They have something like 120 different varieties of potatoes, and I sampled about 3 of them during my time here, and yes they do have individual tastes, but... they do still taste like potatoes. Anyway sightseeing..... I saw wooden churches.... and wooden churches.... and wooden houses... Yes everything seemed to be made out of wood, apparently due to the lack of metal historically. They were pretty amazing though, you ... read more

South America » Chile » Los Lagos » Chiloé Island February 16th 2009

We got a bus a few hours Southwest to Valdivia, a city on a river not too far from the coast. We stayed a couple of nights in a hospedaje which is usually someone´s house a bit like a B and B at home and usually the cheapest option to sleep other than camping. The owner was very friendly, like almost all the Chileans we´ve met so far. The town itself didn´t have that much to offer but it felt like a proper Chilean town, unlike Pucon, which had stunning surroundings but had little character and even less selection of food options. In Pucon, the choices were hamburguesas, chips or completos (the hot dog things that are swamped in mayo and avacado sauce) and other fast food. It was very, very touristy and basically exists as ... read more
Hungry sealion
We say they´re sealions
Statue in Puerto Montt

South America » Chile » Los Lagos » Chiloé Island February 13th 2009

¨Life is not measured by the amount of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.¨ So from Puerto Montt took the bus plus boat to the island of Chiloe, reaching the capital Castro. The town was really wellcoming, and the hotel even more. These Chileans are real sweeties. I am getting more and more disgusted with the leaders here for what they have done to this wonderful people. Anyway, this aside, I had the plan to stay in Castro for 2 days and then move on to other places on the island. But no. I can´t. I enjoyt the place a lot. The hotel is so nice and the host, as i said, a kind of Doda (aunt) Daliah. With her brother, sort of husband, nephews and a grandmother of someone, ... read more
Castro lanscape
Up and down in Chiloe
Lizards

South America » Chile » Los Lagos » Chiloé Island January 30th 2009

Heute war ein ereignisreicher Tag auf der Insel Chiloe, auf die ich gestern von Puerto Varas aus gefahren bin.. Nelson, ein Brasilianer, den ich in der gespenstischen Herberge in Valdivia kennen gelernt habe, und den ich zur Canopy Tour ueberreden konnte, hat mit mir zusammen den Ausflug unternommen. Wir sind mit dem Bus per Faehre uebergesetzt und haben ein Hostal mit Meerblick gefunden, dass mir zwei Freundinen aus der Schweiz, mit denen ich in Neuseeland am Bus war, empfohlen haben. Diese Insel ist wirklich ein ruhiger Fleck, fast keine asphaltierten Strassen und kaum Busse. Erinert mich an meine Jugend in St. Peter ;). Nein, Scherz beiseite, wir haben durch Zufall einen Taxifahrer gefunden, der sich bereitwillig als Touristenfuehrer erklaert hat und uns von Ancud nach Caolin zum Reitstall und spaeter nach einem Ausritt in der Pampa ... read more

South America » Chile » Los Lagos » Chiloé Island January 18th 2009

I mentioned towards the end about my wallet going missing in Puerto Montt. I didn't however mention that I did get the tent and camping equipment I needed, so it was time to head to Chiloe, where my camping adventure could begin! The ferry across the narrow stretch between mainland Chile and Chiloe was pretty cool, and we spotted a few seals frolicking in the water, as only seals can. Our bus then took us to our destination, the small town of Ancud on the north coast of Chiloe. My first revelation about camping is that instead of being in the centre of town, like you are with hostels, you have to walk out with all your bags to your campsite. This inconvenience was however tempered by the fact it was less than half the price ... read more
Drowned Forest
Camino Secondario
Bay at Puñihue

South America » Chile » Los Lagos » Chiloé Island January 8th 2009

040 - Chile - Ancud 01/08/09 - 01/19/09 Unexpected Chile Here's a little travel hint from the 'engineer half' of Do It Like The Locals: a little spontaneity can add some much needed spice to your travels. Also, don't believe everything you hear or read about a place. Okay, that's two travel hints, I admit, but that's what Chile was for us: spontaneous and quite unexpected. First, Bariloche (Argentina), a town prime with Argentinian tourists from Buenos Aires and other parts of the country. Getting to Bariloche consisted of a 22-hour non-stop bus ride that couldn't have ended late enough. That's right, the bus system of Argentina is so good we didn't want to get off once we arrived. The middle-class seats on their buses are equivalent to first-class seats on airliners (OK, I admit, I've ... read more
Penguins of Ancud, Chile
Santiago, Chile
Great depiction of cooperation between North and South America

South America » Chile » Los Lagos » Chiloé Island December 6th 2008

Hello again! wow it has been a very long time since I have written you guys. I have been pretty swamped here finishing my classes and saying good bye. I am in concepcion again after a 5 day long adventure to the south, Chiloe and Bariloche in argentina. The trip was great and my new tent has been serving me well. Chiloe reminded me alot of Ireland, wet cold, cloudy and green. Argentina was another story, Hot. Bariloche was really touristy which I didnt like too much, but they did have some great chocolate and meat. At this point my traveling group and I have returned to Concepcion to change a couple of things in our packs before we start heading to the north of Chile and Machu Pichu! I have 30 days now to get ... read more




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