Monday, February 4 – Puerto Varas

Puerto Varas is a small tourist town (pop. 40k) located along Lake Llanquihue in southern Chile’s Lake District. It was founded in the 1850s by German immigrants. And I just happened to arrive during a massive heat wave! Yesterday it was around 90 degrees, and today was more of the same. (For reference, the highs beginning on Wednesday will be in the upper 60s – and apparently even that is warm for this time of year!) So, of course nobody has air conditioning. It didn’t turn out too bad though, as it cooled down significantly at night. I left the windows open when I went to sleep, and after starting with just a sheet on my bed, had to pull on a blanket in the middle of the night. (see related travel tip below) Plus, I prefer this heat to the alternative – Puerto Varas averages 200 days of rain per year.

Breakfast turned out to be a two hour affair. Shortly after I sat down I was joined by two other couples who were guests at the B&B. I ended up having wonderful conversations with the two english speakers in the group. One, Eduardo, is a biology professor at the University of Chile in Santiago. He spent his senior year of high school as an exchange student in a small town in northern Minnesota, having arrived speaking minimal english. Very fascinating guy, and he gave me some great tips on sightseeing in Santiago. The other guest, Guerillmo, is a law student at a university in Vina del Mar, near Valparaiso, Chile. He spent two years in the UK while his mother worked on her PhD. Also gave me some good info on visiting Valparaiso. Finally, our hosts kind of hinted that is was time to wrap up breakfast! I’m really enjoying this aspect of the trip – interacting with the many friendly locals that I’ve met along the way.

Following breakfast I stopped by an excursion office to book a couple trips and did some walking around the town. (Also went to a bank to use the ATM, where they were very helpful in getting me through the spanish menu!)

In the afternoon I took a half-day excursion to Osorno. It was about an hour drive to the base of the volcano. Upon arrival, there was an option to take a chair lift in two stages to higher elevations. Of course I did both! The cost of the excursion was $30 and both segments of the lift were $25. Funny story: there were about 15 people in the group – myself and a couple from Switzerland, the rest were from latin america (LA). When we arrived at the volcano we were left to explore on our own, with our bilingual guide telling us to meet up at 5:20pm to go back to Puerto Varas. The guide then took us three non-LAs aside and told us the real meet time was 5:30, with the earlier time stated to take into account the “LA” factor. Well, the Swiss couple and I were back and ready to go at 5:20. The rest of the group showed up at 5:45!

Promised Travel Tip: I mentioned leaving the windows open during the hot weather in Puerto Varas. Well, there is a drawback to that – outside noise. My solution – custom made earplugs. I happened to buy these when I was working in London. They were made by taking molds of my ear canals (I had to have the wax removed first!). Kind of pricey – I think $150-200, but one of the best investments I’ve made. They fit and work great! I’ve used them countless times while traveling. And not just in open window environments. We’ve all stayed at hotels with thin walls or located on noisy streets.

Finally, here are some Chilean peso banknotes. I know what you’re thinking, Tim’s rich! NOT! The conversion rate is about 650 pesos to the dollar.

Tuesday, February 5 – Puerto Varas

Today was a full day excursion to Isla de Chiloe. The island is known for its old world culture and traditions. And the Churches of Chiloe were designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2000. It was about an hour drive from Puerto Varas to the ferry that went to the island. Below are some images from the trip with a few comments. (The excursion cost was $58)