Hola Greetings from Puerto Varas It has been an eventful few days since I last wrote. Staying at Campo Aventura in the Cochamo Valley, in the Chilean Lake District. Beautiful Fjords, Crystal clear rivers and temperate rainforests are quite unlike anything else I have experienced so far. The trip to Campo aventura was along a winding road, that is only laid with grey gravel and stones in preparation for resurfacing, So in places it is really bumpy and as in all of Latin America the road is travelled at speed and not necessarily on the right side of the road. The camp is a collection of wooden buildings reached by crossing a small wooden suspension bridge, that wobbles if you do not keep to central plank, as Lex the owner says - the adventure starts here !! Across some paddocks and set on banks of the fast flowing, crystal clear Cochamo River. It is the most amazing jade colour reflecting the rainforest and you can clearly see the pebbles that make up the river bed. My room is a little wooden cabin and afternoon tea (Once - elevenses) is waiting in the garden. Quite idyllic - Hannah and Lisa the owners children are playing in the garden and Pichi the dog watches over all of us. This is so far removed from the smog and chaos of Santiago I can't believe I am here... I meet and dine with Katrin, my guide for the horse trek, we are the same age, although she shames me by speaking German, English, French and Spanish with apparent ease and fluency. But why should I be surprised - Hannah the six year old daughter of the owners speaks 6 languages !! How ashamed am I to be a single language Brit! Note to oneself - I must learn at least one other language rather than knowing a smattering of German, French, Spanish ! Dinner is 4 course vegetarian, and absolutely delicious Empanadas Queso, Vegetable Soup, Cauliflower Strudel, Chocolate Souffle..... I sleep like a log and awake excited about my horse trek - after an equally yummy breakfast Corale my horse and Hugo Katrin's horse are saddle and waiting by the river. The saddle is not English but Western, like a cowboys, layers of wool blankets sheep skin and leather. The rains are woven rope and the stirrups are intricate wooden clogs. The purpose of the I was to discover 3 hours later. Fabien and Gabriel the Cowboys help us saddle up, my change of clothes, tooth brush and rain poncho are placed in a water proof sack on Corale's back and our lunch and provisions are hung in brightly coloured paniers across the saddle. I am wearing a helmet, and after a brief explanation of how to steer a horse and make him go faster and stop we set off. We cross a shallow part of the river and make our way down the road that leads into the Valley. I am surprised how comfortable it feels and how easy it is. Corale is a little slow but we make our way at a steady pace. Eventually the road stops and we head into the forest, grass and earth replace the road and the temperature cools by a few degrees but still we plod along. We stop at The Rio Pedro, rocky river, for lunch. We drink from the stream as the water is pure and untouched by humans. Horacio our Cowboy joins us for the rest of the tour to his farm in the Mountains, La Junta. It is 10 minutes into the ride I realise why Horacio has joined us and why we have wooden stirrups. We are following an old trail used to move cattle through the mountains from Argentina to Chile and the sea. The trail is well worn and in places the earth has worn down so much that you feel you are almost in a tunnel. The mud is so deep that the horses are up to their thighs. Logs have been laid across the mud and horses hooves slip and scrap against the wood. The trail is narrow and not much wider than the horse, rocks pertrude and your clogs protect you. The forest smells sweet like basil and strange birds, like the Chucao, call around you. The trail rises and falls and just as you see in the movies you are leaning back as the horse goes down a bank in one or two leaps. This is not the gentle lead reign treks of Ilfracombe. This is hardcore even for Katrin the guide. You are not frightened but you have to trust the horse and control him in the same breath. My horse Corale like to eat, and you have to stop him - he also had his own way of negotiating the trail. This sometimes meant he would stop, and then jump onto a bank nearly as tall as me. I am proud to say I did not fall off and could trot and canter when the mood took him. It was exciting, exhillerating more so than any rollercoaster and I loved it. If you had shown me the photos of the trail I would have said I could not do it. But although I was happy to see the sight of La Junta I had had the most fantastic day. La Junta is mountains and only accessible by 5 hours on a horse. It has no electricity and demonstrates how many people still live in Chile in the mountains. The wooden house had 3 bedrooms, a bathroom complete with shower and hot water and a kitchen come living area. The wood stove is central to the house. They cook on it, it heats the house, you dry your clothes over it, it keeps the pot of real coffee warm, and the one in the bathroom heats the water for your shower. Tatiana, Horacio's wife and their son Andre greet us and hot coffee and afternoon tea is waiting. As night draws in the candles are lit and dinner is served potato fritters and vegetables. Much excitment ensues when 2 walkers turn up looking for a bed for the night, They have walked the trail and it is too late to return on foot. After radio calls to base camp and some rearranging of room Wally and Sammy are accommodated. They spend the eveing by the barbeque pit eating Horacio's Chorizo. Sleep comes on a wooden bed with a camping mattress and sleeping bag. Sleep comes quickly. The next day you get to truly appreciate the beauty that is La Junta - towering monolithes of granite rise high above the camp. They are snow capped and water falls cascade through the trees that line the lower slopes. There is peace except for the constant chattering of 5 year old Andre. We decide to walk the 6km nature trail into the rainforest, being temperate we only have to worry about leeches and maybe the odd Puma! We see ancient trees and lots of mud and climb to the Cascada waterfalls. Andre accompanies us and he mimics his father with a bamboo stick instead of a machete. Pichi the dog who came with us from the base camp also keeps us company, occassionally disappearing but always reappearing before long. I step into one puddle to end up knee deep in mud. Luckily I have borrowed Wellies and we laugh as I try and pull my foot fromthe quagmire. I found out later that I have a circular cut on this leg just above the welly - whether this was a leech I do not know..... Sammy and Wally have returned to the valley on foot. Instead of walking through the river they are flown across the river in a cage with a pulley system. This has claimed Katrin's little finger nail previously when she caught her finger in the pulley! Great fun to watch. The trek back to Campo Aventura the following day was just as exciting and as there was the threat of rain raincoats and Poncho's were at the ready. Tatiana and Andre accompanied us, as Tatiana was not well and had to see a doctor the only way to do this was a 5 hour horse ride. There was more mud, and steep slopes. Corale kept me on my toes by suddenly running to catch up with Katrin and Haracio, and Tatiana who was behind me could be heard to laugh as I wooped with a mix of fear and delight. Andre has his own horse and really put me to shame! The rain held off and we were just congratulating ourselves on staying dry when we came to the last river. I am an old hand at this now and we set off to cross the 20 metres of water. Unfortunately it is a full moon and the tidal Cochamo is high. The current is strong and it is difficult to guage the depth of the river. Katrin is telling me to watch the bank and not the water as it is all OK. I watch her in front of me as her legs get higher and and higher ! Then I hear 'Oh Sh*t he has to swim'and our horses have to swim their way to bank. The icy Chochamo fills our boots and our trousers. During all this all I can do is laugh hysterically it was sooo funny.... We made it to the bank safely and just laughed all the way back to camp, where hot drinks and cake awaited us. This was one of the most exhillerating, adrenaline flled, funniest adventures I have had. I thoroughly recommend it to anyone beginner or not. The next day was a rest and the following day I walked the 10kms round trip to Cochamo to watch the Salmon and Mussle Fisherman. Tomorrow I go out on a boat to see the sea lions. For the rest of my time in Chile I will take the overnight sleeping bus to Valparaiso by the sea, then fly to the Salt Desert around San Pedro. Adios for now Lynne xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx