Altos de Liracy - face to face with nature!

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The think that strikes you most at night here is how dark it is, and how noisy nature is! The bird and other various animals that I´m sure hide in this beast of a forest come alive at night and squawk, howl and purr (yes I swear to got I heard a Puma!). This makes midnight trips to the toilet a whole lot more interesting! One thing we had read about was a particular poiseness spider called the Chilean Rescue Spider whose bite can be fatal, and that likes to hide in shoes and clothes. So as we made our way back to the tent on the second night and encountered th biggest spider I have ever seen in the wild lurking on a rock of course, I assume it to be this one! Can´t overcome the urge to take a photo though and sneak a quick one before legging it in the opposite direction! Then of course there was the snake we found lying in our path, fortunately dead (probably killed by previously mentioned spider!). As we re-read up on the hazardous wildlife of Chile we discover that this Spider was probably tp big to be the poisoness variety, though the one that jumber out of Phils t-shirt when I was repacking the bags at the end of the stay was definitely more on spec! And though snakes and spiders are all very creepy mother nature really showed us who was boss at 8:30 pm just as we were dozing of on the 2nd night......

http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/last_event/world_chile.html


Yes, we were in a bloody erathquake!!!!! In a tent, in the middle of nowhere, with no other people around, there was a massive rumbling sound, echoing through the valleys like. Phil and I both darted upright and said "what the hell was that?", and then the earth began to shake from side to side for about 5 seconds. Now, for Chileans, earthquakes a more or less part of life, Chile being smack bang on the middle or a tectonic plate. But not for us! So yes, pretty scary. I was waiting for the world to cave in which of course it didn´t. Not even a rock falling off the hill. We stayed up for about an hour pretty shaken (ha ha) and waiting for aftershocks or something but it was all fine.) The alternative would have been a two hour trek in pitch black back to the village which obviously wasn´t an option, so we just went back to sleep and everyting was fine in the daylight!

After 3 days we return to civilisation, absolutely filthy and absolutely starving but really happy to have had a great few days in nature. Return to Tito´s Cafe for another sandwhich (and another!) and bus it back to the city ready for a hot shower and a clean bed!




That was a few days ago and we are now in Pucon, home of Villarrica volcano and pilgramage of adrenaline junkies from around the world! Will fill you in on the last few days next time but I think thats ebough for now. Hope you are all well, and that summer is beginning at last!

Love

Charlotte and Phil xxx

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