Adventures in Geneva, sorry Puerto Varas.


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South America » Chile » Los Lagos » Puerto Montt
March 12th 2012
Published: March 12th 2012
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I am writing this entry sat under a cloudless sky. The sun is high in the sky and for the first time in two weeks I am warm. The dormant volcano dominates the skyline and my two companeros, Karina and Andy are walking the shore line of the lake we have found.
So,I arrived at the unholy hour of 8am off the boat to the querkiest guest house so far. La Roca. A small house in a Alpine summerhouse style with wooden effect finish. It's is painted a runny shite brown with lime green windows. If it was a bigger house it would look like something out of the horror film, Amityville. It is tiny though, and reckon there could be much banging of head on door frames. Owner though is a great fellow, Leon. His memorabilia reflects his past. A rock and roll lifestyle, guitars hang on walls, and his 'zero gravity experience' picture and certificate as the first Chilean man in Space taking pride of place. A small glimpse into his world. At 5000 pesos (£6.50) a night a real find. Am staying here with two from the boat, Karina from Melbourne and Andrew from North Carolina. Karina has done the CELTA course I am taking in July. A quietly spoken strawberry blonde woman around 30yrs who is on a round the world ticket. Andrew is around the same age, floppy hair like Hugh Grant and has travelled a great deal. Also an English teacher and fluent in Spanish, he has been helping me with my tenses.He is heading to Columbia to teach there. Both charming company. Have suggested renting some wheels for a few days and explore. They seem up for it.
So walk into town and it is like being in a twee alpine village. This area was settled by Germans in the last century and their influence remains. Cake shops, Germanic bars and every house a chocolate box picture of an Alpine summer. It lies on the shore of a huge Andean lake and if there was a fountain shooting out the it, then I could be on the shores of Lake Geneva. An old man is sailing his replica sailing vessels. Each an intricate exact replica. Apart from the wild dogs roaming the streets, which are a pain but no trouble, it is a lovely peaceful town.
So renting a car from one town and dropping at another is a ridiculous price (£600 for 6 days) so we decide that renting one for 3 days and exploring the island of Chiloe would be money better spent, retiring to P. Varas. Pencil in for Monday.
Saturday: bumps to head ... Three! . Once going up stairs, once down, and once getting out of bed. This house was not designed with me in mind and my head damage prediction is coming to pass. Some might say there is nothing left to damage though.
Decide with Karina and Andy to travel by minibus to Ensalenda and one entrance to the national park, a distance of 45km along the huge lake we are staying by to explore and take a closer look at the snow peaked dormant volcano we can see from the town. The sun is shining and it's a gorgeous day. Dropped by the bus in the middle of nowhere and wander into the national park. Nothing to report and a bit disappointing. The volcano is only 6 kms along the trail but will take 10 hrs to walk there due to terrain. Take stock at little drink shack. Thanks to Andy's fluent Spanish the owner advised it would be better to hop back on the next bus and head 15km up the road to Petrohue. Amazing views and boat trip to boot. Chilean folks are the best. Several stopped as we stood on side of the road to see if we were ok and wanted a lift. No many gringos get out here. Anyway a bus comes. Picks us up but soon becomes apparent it's not a public bus but a Chilean tour bus full of Chilean tourists. Good adventure. We stop at miradors on the way up but arrive in good shape. Now friendly with the tourists we join them in the boat. The coffee shop owner was bang on. Amazing place, fantastic view of volcano and great fun. The lake was formed millions of years ago when all the volcanoes around us erupted. 360 meters in depth in places. We are 25km from the Argentine border and 70km from the volcano in Bellerochie,Argentina that caused the air delays in the southern hemisphere last year, and which it is suspected had huge impact on weather around the world too. Ash is still in making everything hazy. After an hour or two there my hat is covered in fine layer of the stuff.
Back into town and an empanada and coffee. Waitress comes to the table with jar of instant coffee and water/hot milk. Bizarre. The only coffee shop have ever been into where you make your own # coffee. Then I relax. This is South America man. End.
The day breaks. bumps to head:one
Rain and lots of it for the next few days. Open top jeep rental will have to wait. We will go our separate ways and will go to Chiloe on the bus instead. Decided to cook a Sunday roast. Sourced a fresh chicken do looks like we are on. Roast papas y carrots for colour. Yum.
The next entry composed with chicken in the oven:
Looking at the condition of the oven bringing dinner together could be like nursing home a WW2 bomber but hopefully it will be worth it. Vino tinto poured too in homage to Keith Floyd.
Spent the afternoon chatting to Kirsty ( the hairdresser from boat) and Tom, also from the boat. In fact come to think of it the town is full of # boat people. Note to self: go to Puerto Montt and tell the local mayor his town is a shithole as everyone is here for this reason. We all met up last night in a pub and good time had by all. The Who and Pink Floyd G8 summit reunion playing on the music system. Made them do the 'evolution of man' photo. (thanks to jonny lee-Ibiza for that idea).
So the hairdresser is called Krista. 32, blonde and legs that go all the way up. Tom is about the same age, but without the blonde hair or legs thankfully. Both are from Holland and great people. Kirsta is at the top of her game at home, house, friends, well paid job and reckon Tom is too. Tom's father has skyped him to say an important document has arrived to be signed. I said to Tom not to worry and it will just have to wait. I get feeling Tom wants to stay travelling and the document may never be signed. Both, like me, are searching for something more in life. Although am in a special position in that I have done my career and my children are all grown up and it is all in my hands, they still have it to do, but both agree that they must follow their hearts now and not worry about what their friends and family might think. As the Chinese proverb says ' put your hand in a bucket of water, take it out. The hole that is left is a how much you will be missed.
I find travellers are very much alike and that is why there is so much comerarderie between us all. Most of the Navimag boat party peoplewho are are now in P. Varas are lone travellers. For this brief moment we are all companeros, sharing the experience of travel knowing there is still more if the world and the people that inhabit it to see. Sure, we exchange details and faceshit details. But it is the bumping into new people (both travellers and locals) in life that for me is what travel is all about. Exchange life experiences and passing the day overs beer and cigarette. We all agree that the party on the Navimag was a very special day of likeminded people joining together to celebrate life.I may bump into them again, I may not, but with all my heart I wish them happy adventures. 'Mi casa tu casa' as Risso from Sydney said to me once, and like the man he is, was true to his word when I met him and his lovely girlfriend Ming in 2010.
So the roast dinner with amazing gravy was delicious. Three happy campeneros. A full tummy. Even Karina ate the roast carrot which she later admitted was a first for her.
Chatting outside later to a couple from Germany, they were noting how expensive they thought Chile was. Me? I judge a country by the price of a beer/bottle of wine. A lesson I learnt in Vietnam. A litre of very palatable wine for less than £2 means this place is ok by me.
So,last day in Puerto Varas, letting supper go down, a glass of whiskey courtesy of Andy and listening to the radio. Good times. Tomorrow bus to the island Chiloe.
Me gusto tu trabajo. ciao mes amigos



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