Blogs from Valdivia, Los Ríos, Chile, South America

Zaterdag 10 januari, kwart over 6 in de ochtend. Met minibusjes rijden we door het Nationale Park van Villarrica – de ‘welvarende’ buurstad van Pucón waar de Spanjaarden kwamen om goud te zoeken. We gaan de gelijknamige vulkaan Villarrica (2847 meter) beklimmen. Het is de meest actieve vulkaan van Zuid Amerika en heeft 59 waargenomen uitbarstingen gehad, waarvan de laatste in 1992 plaatsvond. Ook nu is de vulkaan actief: er komt een constante sliert rook uit de krater op de top. Gelukkig staat het stoplicht, dat aangeeft wat de condities van de vulkaan zijn, op groen. Op 1400 meter hoogte stappen we uit het busje. Bepakt met helm, waterdichte broek en jas, handschoenen, pikhouweel en rugzak lopen we naar de skilift die ons naar een hoogte van 1800 meter zal brengen. Alleen daar aangekomen blijkt dat ... read more

The ups and downs of traveling. From great places like Pucon to shitholes like Puerto Montt. Well, more to that later. When I got up the day after the volcano climb I can not tell you how much I knew that I have legs; they hurt like hell from the previous day activities. But I was still on a high from the experience. The day was absolutely gorgeous but I decided that it is time to move on. Friends in Santiago told me to go to Valdivia, a town on the coast. I was told that it is a relaxing place with some good places to visit. So I booked my ticket, went back to the hostel and packed my bag. The trip into Valdivia was only about 3 hours and after a short walk to ... read more

Hiya ! Following-up from our trip to Chiloe we spent just over a day in Valdivia, a city just few miles from the coast of Chile and a pleasant stopover on our way to Volcano Villarica and the city of Pucon. The city, by contrast to the still more traditional life of Chiloe, has modernised his city and attracted a young population with a big university; yet it has not lost his soul and the economy there still remains centered around fishing and boating. One of the most pleasant attraction of Valdivia is his fish market held throughout the day on the riverside, but it's not only to buy fresh fish or wonder around the many vegetables stalls that tourists wonder around... It is for the 10s of sea lions that are kept away from stealing ... read more

All neoprened-out from our active few days in Puerto Varas, it up to Valdivia a few hours north in the Province of Los Ríos (newly-created four years ago and numbered XIV, thereby completely messing up the lovely neat provincial numbering system). We stay for only one night in a lovely old house run by a charming English, French, Swedish and (of course) Spanish-speaking lady who looks after us very well (even cooking us a slap-up breakfast, an indescribable rarity in Chile, where desayuno incluido usually means instant coffee and a bread roll). Valvidia is a pleasant riverside city with a bustling and vibrant fish market right on the banks of the Río Calle-Calle. Visitors flock to the market not to buy fish and shellfish - of which there is a mind-boggling variety...there are at least four ... read more

Day 53 - Friday 2nd December Last night we went out for dinner at a restaurant called Sacho, and like a lot of restaurants and hotels in chile was run entirely by women. I suppose this only our third Chilean town so we are curious to see if this trend continues as we travel. Anyway the restaurant had great views over the nearby harbour and for the first time in ages we were able to order seafood. Shelley got a Salmon that had a mild (very mild) chile salsa topped on it, and I got a very curious meal that was a fillet of salmon stuffed with Chorizo sausage, cheese and tomato. Both were a speciality of the area and were great so we have vowed to return. When we got the bill we ... read more