So Wednesday night saw me happy yet exhausted and I met up with the Israeli guy, the one who had just parasited onto my tour group climbing the volcano, and we got a local beer at a bar inbetween our two hostels. Turns out the guy should be in a looney bin as he kept trying to ask me what I was afraid of and convince me that I should make sure that I face my fears and dont act in a way that I will regret 5 or 10 or 15 years down the line. All in all I think he was just upset that I didnt want to kiss him and that I left him there when I went home rather early. Thursday was my last full day in Pucon and I went to the beach all morning and then went to lunch at the same cafe where I had met the son of the UN diplomats who was attempting to rebel against his parents, etc, etc and got HARASSED by a Chilean man who claimed it was his 45th birthday and wanted me to go to his birthday dinner in the neighboring town on Villarrica, AS IF. I had to endure him annoying me (he was nice at first, but then he got SUPER AGGRAVATING) and I just wanted to flick him off and slap him in the face or something. The people who worked at the restaurant allowed him to bother me while I was trying to eat and read a book which I did not fully understand, but hey, I finally finished eating and got out of there. He seemed quite upset that I am so beautiful and that I wasnt dying to go to his intimate birthday dinner IN ANOTHER TOWN. What a bad idea, why would I ever agree to that, why would ANYONE ever agree to that? Anyway, done venting. That evening I went to the hot springs Loz Pozones for a few hours and met some pretty cool Americans and English people, erasing the annoying old man from my mind.
Friday morning saw a hasty departure from Pucon (after a decent sleep in) and an arrival in Valdivia, a costal town further South in Chile. In Valdivia I spent 2 days, the first just getting to know the local fish market and botanical gardens and the second taking an adventure that resulted in 3 boat rides and 4 bus rides to get to and from an ecological reserve that houses a beautiful beach nestled in between some sand dunes. It was quite relaxing and fun but a little disappointing, as I tried to hike in the ecological reserve and literally could NOT understand the Chilean working at the desk. He was not very helpful to say the least. It was odd, as he also didnt seem capable of understanding me. What a dilemma. So I just ended up on the beach all day. The water was prettttty chilly considering hwo far south I am at the moment, but everyone was swimming.
After Valdivia I headed to Osorno, and just passed right on through without even stopping and took a small bus out towards the Puyehue National Park and asked to get dropped of in Nilque, what I thought was a small town. Turns out its 1 restaurant that is over priced and a group of cabins for rent that are run by the same women who run the adjoined gas station. It was a bit of a start to be dropped off there and just decide I kind of HAD to stay there, but it turned out all right. The cabins werent horribly expensive (about $26 per night) and I had my own TV with directTV and a small kitchen and bathroom as well. The first day I walked down by the restaurant (about 2km away) and went swimming in the crystal clear lake before walking back in the evening and picking 1L of blackberries that were growing along the road. Turns out I had cookies bought from the meager choices available at the gas station and the full L of blackberries for dinner. With water. Very delicious, actually. The second day I made my way relatively early to the Park (about 17km down the road, further out of town) and found out that they wanted to charge me $20 EACH WAY to go to the trailhead for hiking to the awesome waterfalls that my guide book talked about, and instigated my stop in the area. I was not willing to pay $40 for less than 40km of transit, so I settled for the two shroter trails close to the hot springs and then a 2.5 hour soak in the hot spring (all of which ended up costing me about $10, including the buses). So not a loss by any means. Today is Tuesday, meaning this morning I woke up at 8AM and waited by the side of the road for one of the buses taht have NO AVAIALBLE SCHEDULE to pass in order to get back into town (Osorno), from where I immediately bought a bus ticket to Puerto Varas, even further south. Which is where I am now, in Puerto Varas in a little hostel that has only 2 other people staying in it and 2 lap tops available for guest use. Also some really great guide books. So I am making lists of things I want to do once I get further south (aka the southernmost city of the continental Americas) and on my return trip(s) to Chile.
Hope you all enjoyed this. And know that when I get back to Argentina I will upload probably 1,000 photos, so dont despair over their lack in these posts.
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