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Published: August 21st 2008
Ross:
From Bariloche we caught an 8 hour bus over the border to Puerto Varas in Chile. Rumours had been flying around about poor road conditions over the Andes but after a 30 minute wait on the Argentine side of the border the authorities allowed us through. Heavy snowfall meant that the roads were fairly covered but we eventually arrived at the Chilean checkpoint of Villa La Angostura and headed on to Hostel Ellenhaus in Puerto Varas for a two-night stay.
Puerto Varas was originally a German settlement and this is echoed in the architecture and German-named drinking establishments. However, our fellow German traveller, Walter, was somewhat dismayed at the lack of German speakers. Puerto Varas is located on the edge of Lake Llanquihue in the Chilean Lake District, north of Puerto Montt and south of Osorno.
Dinner on the first night consisted of some tasty seafood at a restaurant recommended by Joaquin, our tour leader, with Pol opting for a lightly battered congrio (google it...) with lemon sauce whilst I settled for a baked salmon fillet with spicy mash. The rest of the evening was spent in a small bar experiencing the delights of pisco sours, the
Argentinian Border Control
Due to poor conditions and deep snow we nearly had to turn back to Barilochelocal Chilean tipple.
Day two in Puerto Varas saw a group of us taking a minibus to rapids and waterfalls (yes, more waterfalls) on the Rio Petrohue, via a llama farm and green lake filled with algae. In the afternoon we headed up Volcano Osorno to a ski lodge. Some of the group opted for snowboard lessons but the main ski lifts and runs were closed due to blizzard conditions. As such, I braved the elements and some icey steps in an undersized dressing gown and jumped in a rather rustic hot tub heated by an open fire in a metal box. The water was lovely and warm near the surface but ice cold at the bottom.
The minibus ride up the volcano was somewhat eventful. The road conditions worsened half way up resulting in the need for snowchains which unfortunately our local driver had never used. After a group effort we finally got the chains on which didn't really help much, especially when the one side broke and the other got wrapped around the driveshaft. The driver then instructed us to walk the rest of the way but the strong winds and driving snow meant most didn't
Joaquin - GAP tour leader
Dreaming about one day being able to reach the pedals! Luckily the actual bus driver was somewhat taller... get much further than the next hairpin. We were eventually shuttled up to the ski lodge in a pickup, though at the end of the day a most of the group were fairly disgruntled at the driver's lack of experience and safety awareness. The snowboard lessons were fairly dire as well so, after moaning to the tour guide on our return to the hostel, the day was written off by most involved. Dinner on the second evening was courtesy of Big Jon from Exmouth, a classic chicken curry and rice thrown together expertly in the tiny hostel kitchen.
The next morning we were back on a six-hour bus to Pucon after seeing very little of sleepy Puerto Varas itself...
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