Crossing Over

I don't think too many people would disagree with me if I said that one of the reasons people chose to live abroad is to maximize travel opportunities. Before I came to Chile I was REALLY optimistic about all that I would be able to see over the course of just one short year, and now that I'm over the halfway mark I know that I was a little too optimistic. In my recent travels I've met backpackers who've been traveling for almost 5 months and still haven't seen it all. Money is obviously a huge factor and South America is a big place. Of course it makes sense when you put it all into perspective, but before you move to a new country it's natural to think about what you'll be able to do and see, not about how far away Ecuador really is from Chile.
I didn't realize how overwhelming it was until I recently sat down at the computer with the LAN Chile page open, combing the website for last minute deals and trying to maximize my remaining summer vacation until classes begin shortly. (cue the violins, right?)
Indecision led me to take an easy bus trip from Santiago, over the Andes Mountains and into Mendoza, Argentina. Many people make this journey to renew their 90 day tourist visas, and others like me do it to see a new city in another country and of course to drink more wine. Mendoza has a great wine culture as well, so more wineries were definitely on the list of things to do. Armed with a seat at the front of the bus and my anti-nausea pills, I left at about 8:30am and took the day bus to take advantage of all of the pretty scenery. It's definitely not as breathtaking in the summer without the snow on the Andes, but there is some added peace of mind in knowing that you won't get stuck up there. It's not a bad ride at all, 3 hours until the border crossing and then from there only another 3 hours to go.

Not a bad place to stop for customs

Thank you for visiting Chile!

These views make the long bus ride worthwhile

More on my visit to the Canyon de Atuel and wine drinking in the next post!

Last stop, Chiloe

You'll find Chiloe where the mainland starts to split into all of those tiny archipelagos that continue all the way down along the coastline of Chile. I read in my Rough Guide book that it's actually part of a mountain range that sank below the water following the last Ice Age, and was originally inhabited by the southern Mapuche, isolated for many years due to resisting European colonization.
There are so many amazing things to do around the Lakes District and Chiloe is one of those unique things that I felt I just had to see. Believe what the books say when they tell you that it's a lot of traveling to do in one day and that it's much better to at least stay overnight, but that wasn't an option for me, so off I went on a bus, a ferry, on foot, and in a tiny boat to see all that Chiloe has to offer.

Load all the cars, tour buses, and trucks onto the ferry

Almost to the other side, but still a ways to go before Castro

First glimpses of island scenes, on foot

Lots to buy at the market including books for sale about the many legends of the island

The plaza in Castro

Chiloe is famous for 18th and 19th century wooden chuches

This lady had the crowd going nuts with her guitar

Fresh salmon, anyone?

How about for lunch?

I skipped the curanto, Chiloe's signature dish of meat, sausage, shellfish, chicken, and potatoes, baked in an earthen pit using hot rocks. Traditionally it was baked in the ground for a day or two, but nowadays it's more likely to be oven baked in pots. Sometimes I wish I ate meat...
The other thing that draws people to Chiloe is the palafitos, the old fisherman's houses on stilts. These are best captured from the water, so off I went in one of the tiny boats that take people out for very touristy prices. Luckily, I got a "special deal" on a 30 minute trip. This guy already had some others in the boat and just needed one more, so I got my set price and wasn't worried at all when the boat didn't start right away...

The Mercedes of all boats

Right on cue, as if the boat captain had paid him off, this guy landed right in front of me as the boat was docking

After a really great day, watching the sunset on the ferry ride back was just an added bonus

I like volcanoes, a lot

I got all excited in my last post and started writing about my trip to the Lakes District without including the second view of the little map that I had made. From Punta Arenas I flew to Puerto Montt, and spent about 3 nights and 4 days in the region trying to cram in as much as I could.


View For the folks back home... in a larger map

Anyway, back to volcanoes...My first experience near an active volcano was Volcan Arenal in Costa Rica. I still remember the trip we took up there at night in a jeep, trying  to snap photos of the lava bubbling over the top at night with a crappy camera that could barely capture anything but a tiny red dot, followed by some swimming in the natural hot springs. What's not to like?
As predicted, when I arrived on the shores of Lago Llanquihue, I like many others I could not stop snapping photos of the beautiful Volcan Osorno. Since the Lakes Region experiences a lot of precipitation, Osorno maintains its perfect snow-capped peak. It has released pressure through side vents and craters such as La Burbuja, so it won't lose it's perfection like some of the other volcanoes with misshapen peaks. See the difference...

Volcan Osorno

Volcan Calbuco

The crater, which has guys waiting right there with equipment in case you want to scale down and check it out

I'll speak more in a later post about avoiding expensive tours, but for now I'll say that I did take a tour to Parque Nacional Vicente Perez Rosales to see the Saltos de Petrohue, to stop by Lago Todos Los Santos, and to reach the top of Osorno, all things that would have been difficult to do on my own without a rental car.

Los Saltos de Petrohue...

Lago Todos Los Santos

And now to the top of Osorno. It's a pretty technical hike that requires a lot of equipment for the ice, so I climbed up the easy way, on the chair lift.

I think next time I'll bring my skis and check out the beauty of this place all covered in snow

My German Roots

I love traveling in Spanish speaking countries where people take one look at me and immediately assume that I'm from Germany. I think it's great that they can reach this conclusion without even looking at my last name, which would be an easy giveaway.
It's not like my friend M, who is also a good old fashioned gringa with Irish blood who speaks such good Spanish that she often get's called Puerto Rican, or most recently during her visit to Chile she was told she looked Central American...What?!? I wish I were having that problem...
 Anyway, I took my German roots and headed to Puerto Varas next, a cute little town that was colonized by Germans along the bay of Lago Llanquihue.

Better shots of the lake and volcanoes in future posts

It's a busy place with everyone on summer vacation

Lush and green everywhere

Lots of European architecture

It's also known as the "City of Roses"

Just around the lake and even cuter and more European looking is Frutillar. It's an easy minibus trip from Puerto Varas and it doesn't disappoint.

First I grabbed a jugo at this adorable little cafe while the skies were clearing. All of the kids were stopping to pose with the elf.

A cute little poem about elves

Quaint bed and breakfasts

One of my favorite photos, I think I'm ready to take a photography class!!!

Tomorrow I'm headed over the Andes to Argentina, so the rest of the posts from my trip south will have to wait until I get back. I can't wait to see a lot more of these...

I'm a little obsessed with vineyards these days