Chapter 1
Feeling like an episode in The Amazing Race, we finally found our way to Punta Aranas. The bus from Villarica was full so we got a bus north to Temuco then (after waiting 2 hours) headed south. Instead of going straight there we found ourselves on a milk run that took us west to Valdivia among many other little stops. Valdivia is a city we`d heard about but had no intention of visiting. Like many towns here the original structures were pretty much destroyed in the 1960 tsunami. All we could see were a few canons and a lot of German architecture.
Finally we saw the turn off for Punta Varas but the bus kept going. About 2 km down the highway we were dropped off. With bunch of hand gestures we figured out we were to go across the overpass and flag down a local bus. The word he was using was not in either of our dictionaries or our electronic translator. Local dialects always get us messed up. Anyway we managed to crowd on to the bus with our packs and were in town 20 minutes later.
Punta Varas is a small town on Lago Llanquihue. On a clear day you can see Volcano Osorno across the lake. It is truly beautiful.
Really a pretty village -again very German- we were pleased with our choice to stay here.
Once in town we called the Hostal Azul and they had a room so we trudged up the hill.
Ran in to Christian & Celeste who were staying there as well. Went to dinner together and decided to tke their car the next day to Lago Todos los Santos. The cloudy morning turned out to be a perfect cay. The plan was to take a ferry from Petrohue to Peulla to see what is described aas the most beautiful lake in Chile. We arrived at the port in the rain but took a chance anyway. What a great choice. It was a beautiful trip. Two volcanos came out of the clouds as the sun got stronger. Osorno is a perfect snow-capped cone much like Mt. Fuji in the wrong country. The other, Tronador, is more rugged.
Winding like a fiord, the lke shore rises directly. There are a few residents here but there is little flat land for them to work.
In Peulla we got off to spend the day hiking to a waterfall and just enjoying the sun. Some travellers connect to a bus then another boat which takes them east to Bariloche Argentina.
Glad we braved the weather to take this trip. The scenery was stunning.

This is the end of the fist chapter. We never got a chance to really experience the town so plan to be back before we board our cruise on Navimag.

Chapter 2 Punta Varas revisited....

It is now Sunday. Tomorrow we board Navimag ferry for our trip south along the Patagonia coastline.
Before we left we just had to come back to Punta Varas. Our friends Jean Pierre and Martine joined us here for two nights. They continue with us on Navimag.
The journey from Chiloe north was amazing. The sun was out and there were almost no clouds in the sky. That is amazing for this part of the world. The view to the mountains was so clear. We didn't fully appreciate the sun until we arrived in town . Both volcanos were visible. Not just visible... it was as if they jumped out from the horizon to take their place in our memories. Almost like they were out of place, not us.
This was a kick back time for us before boarding the ferry. The hostal where we are staying (Hostañ Azul again) has a great kitchen so we bought food and cooked dinner both nights. On Sunday morning we went to mass then, after breakfast, just wandered around the town taking in the atmosphere and the view. This is the first weekend of summer holidays. Families were out enjoying the beach, eating ice cream, playing with model boats on the lake and just relaxing like us. Most of the stores are closed which added to the holiday atmosphere.
If you want a place to relax (and the sun is out) this is the place to come. I might even do some reading. I wanted to write and sketch today but I was even too lazy for that.
Tomorrow we begin our four days on the ferry. We have heard everything from "That was the best experience of my life"  to "The weather was so bad it was a waste of time".
The next blog entry will let you know our feelings. Until that time have an egg nog for me.... and Merry Christmas.