Pucon was not on our original list of places to visit however, I finally managed to get Fay to deviate away from the original plan... miracles can happen!! But what an absolute great decision we made in coming here. As we entered the small town, all you can see is one massive white Volcano… it towers everything, even the clouds! Nothing like you've seen before. It was breathtaking. We couldn't take our eyes of it.

We arrived at Paradise Pucon Hostel - not quite the paradise I was thinking of but still was cool in its own way. Gloria the owner was really nice & warmed to Fay & I quickly. As usual our first day consisted of walking around the town & getting our bearings. Lots of little craft shops everywhere. I spotted a woollen hat for fay that a lovely old Chilean lady was actually making as we entered her small shop, we spoke perfect "Spanglish" to her & purchased the hat. We also found a beach & was surprised to see black sand… but gorgeous weather didn't stop us from sunbathing AGAIN!!

… 4.30am woken up by the mini bus that we'd booked to take us to Villarrica, an iced capped volcano that stands at 2,847 m (9,341 ft) AND IS STILL ACTIVE!! Two guides & 8 hikers, so 10 in total. We check our rucksacks & dressed accordingly (Wind breaking waterproofs, proper hiking boots & an oversized icepick, we did look the part) Departing two hours before sunrise was the best option because 4 & a half hours later we were the first of the day to reach the summit, to peer into the crater that pours volcanic gases out constantly. No such thing as safety in South America… no ropes or gas masks or explanations on evacuation routes… just a small shout when a small avalanche started to form. Fay bless her froze in shock, but luckily we moved her on before the heavy pieces of ICE came tumbling in her direction (nothing like a bit of danger). We then started to descend to my delight, After hours of hiking up, all you want to do is get to the bottom as quick as possible… & there the answer was, Bum boards! Descend in style! Similar to a sledge but for one person, we glided down the Volcano at speed, the most fun part of the day…. Over 2800 metres of sledging!! Awesome!! Later that night we headed down to the hot springs with a few beers, where we dipped in & out & relaxed for a few hours in 5 different warm, steamy & secluded thermal springs… just what the doctor ordered after such a momentous day.

The bus to Santiago didn't leave Pucon until 9pm so on our last day here we visited the National Park of Haripiparque. Gonzalo our Portuguese friend from the Hostel came with us for a fun packed 20k hike (7hrs up, down & through the park). With two water falls, 5 gorgeous lakes & a landscape to die for it was a brilliant day. Climbing trees & peering over the edge of the gushing falls had the Adrenaline pumping & the camera flashing. All in all an excellent time here in Pucon!