The next morning (sun 25th) we were back on the Seven Lake Route to Valdivia. On the way down we stopped off at Conaripe and Panguipilli. On these stops we got some magnificent views of the lakes and the valleys. Life looked simple and relaxed in these parts. A bit of farming and fishing was all that occupied the locals.

The weather decided to turn just as we arrived in Valdivia. That suited me just fine as we were to spend the afternoon at the a Sunday Fiesta at Niebla, just outside Valdivia. Here, Chilean food was out in full force. Skewers, soups, lamb, steak and the ever present empanadas. In total there was about sixty food stalls and only one beer stand. As it was a Sunday and the Chileans are quite family orientated the place was full of families - grandchildren to grandmothers. On the stage local children did some typical Chilean dancing and afterwards a band entertained the masses. Those of you who know me, are well aware that dancing is definitely not one of my strong points. My protests did not stop our guide, Pradi, from dragging me out for a dance. At least I amused the rest the crowd there. Despite my two left feet, the tasty food and good company made it a fun day. Oh, the stuffed potato also helped. Greasy goodness!

Monday was the last day of our tour with Pachamama. We stopped in the fishing village of Puerto Montt for a walk around the artisan (the most overused term in SA by the way) stalls. All the usual alpaca jumpers, Peruvian hats and handicrafts lined the walls. Here I tried the local speciality - deep fried conger eel. I can honestly say it pushed my cholesterol level to dangerous levels. Accompanying the deep fried eel was chips and two fried eggs! Suffice to say I didn't manage to eat all of it. Not so greasy goodness! Although as a non fish person the eel was actually nice. Maybe I'll just grill it in future.

Onto our last stop Puerto Varas. This small grid had more of a resort vibe, than a town or city which was nice. Our first stop was on a rooftop cafe overlooking Lago Llanquihe for some ice-cream. As we a busy month of travelling ahead of us we took this as a chance to recharge the batteries before head toward the great Patagonia.

I was able to take a bit of a breather knowing that I would not have to get up tomorrow and do another day on a bus. Maybe 'organized fun' was the new way to go. This tour went off without a hitch and I was getting used to been chauffeured around been told what to visit. Ha - not really, but I did enjoy the reprieve from all the planning and organising.