We have just returned from our bus trip around the south of Chile. It was awesome. Pachamama are the only Chilean company offering a bus tour designed for backpackers. We set off with 4 Irish, 2 Aussies, 2 Colombians, a Scotsman and Graham from Richmond with our guide Toña and driver Marco (Jack Nicholson look-a-like). The first stop was in Pichilemu on the coast - the Chilean surfers' paradise. So we went surfing! Well, tried to surf. After a brief lesson from our instructor Elvis (so happy about that name), we threw ourselves into the sea. Luckily we had wetsuits and booties so it wasn't too cold. The waves were pretty big compared to Jo's previous surfing experiences. Jo managed to get on her knees a couple of times and I struggled but it was really good fun. We were shattered afterwards but were rewarded by the first of many fantastic barbecues back at the hostel. The second day was the longest drive as we made our way to Pucon. We stopped at the Museo de Colchagua at lunchtime. It was a massive private collection of all sorts of stuff from rude aztec pottery to race cars. It's owned by Carlos Cardoen who used to be the US' number 8 most wanted man. He still can't set foot outside Chile but he's alright if he stays put. We arrived at Pucon in the evening and collected the equipment for our climb up the active volcano Villarica the following day. The third day was the Day of the Volcano. We were told it would take approximately 4 hours to climb if 2 chair lifts could take us part of the way up. Fortunately they could. We put on our crampons, hat, mittens, goggles, windproof trousers and jacket and began the ascent armed with an ice-pick. We were told that you didn't need to be that fit to climb the volcano - this is a big lie. The conditions were cold, windy and icy. It was ridiculously steep at times (I reckon as steep as a black run at a ski resort) and one fall could result in the loss of limbs (our guide's words!). It was slow going and we thought we could see the summit on numerous occasions only to find that there was more to go. After 4 hours we were finally approaching the top when we met sulphur fumes coming from the volcano. That, combined with heavy winds, jelly-legs and nearby cliff edge scared the poo out of Pookie. But we made it and the sense of relief (Jo) and achievement (Mikey) was incredible. Jo preferred the way down because we could appreciate the stunning views of the surrounding lakes and other volcanoes. We also didn't have to walk in the painstakingly slow zig-zag manner. Yay! Nearer the bottom we also got to slide down the gentler slopes on our bums, using our pick-axe as a brake. We got to the bottom at about 5 to complete 7 hours of gruelling climbing. We had a celebratory beer at the hire shop before heading off to some hot springs for more drink and the hottest pool ever. On Sunday we ached a lot. It was a short drive to Valdivia where we went to a fish market to buy food for dinner. We got 1.5kg of salmon, 2 massive hake fillets and 1kg of mussels for 5 squid! On the river bank right next to the market were several massive sea lions sitting in the sun, waiting to be fed. We also saw pelicans fighting hawk like birds for the scraps. Very Nemo-ish. The weekend was the Chilean independence celebrations so in the afternoon we went to a typical town fiesta with the usual funfair and games. That night we ate a fish feast with a couple of Sauv Blancs and a few beers. The salmon was most excellent (expertly prepared by Michael). On Monday we spent time in Puerto Montt and Puerto Varas where I played some blackjack in a casino with a great view of the neighbouring lake and Jo had a huge tequila cocktail. Tuesday was our final full day admiring lakes and German inspired towns. We had some Kuchen for breakfast (hom) and started making our way back up north towards Santiago. We stopped overnight near Los Angeles where we saw a waterfall and Marco cooked us another cracking barbecue. Today we completed the trip with a vineyard stop for a tour and some tasting. We got back to La Casa Roja at 4pm. It's been a fantastic week and we'd recommend Pachamama to anyone who wants to see lots of Chile, meet some great people and have everything organised for you! We'll probably update again after the Pachamama North trip just before we head to New Zealand. Lots of love Mike & Jo xxx p.s A Belated Happy Anniversary Mr and Mrs Bull!