Valdivia

Actually, we planned to go directly from Bariloche to Santiago de Chile, but the last bus ride still had us feeling weary. So we decided to make a stop in Valdivia. The drive was again very picturesque, passing by Lago Nahuel Huapi, through the beautiful Puyehue National Park, and past the Osorno volcano. The border crossing was straightforward and better organized than in southern Patagonia, but again every single vehicle was checked and luggage screened. After the specially packed Argentinian Alpine feelings in Bariloche, this stopover may have been a bit hastily chosen, as now came Germany Deluxe!
The city, named after Chile's first Spanish governor, had a large German immigration in the 19th century, leaving behind their mark: architecturally, linguistically, and with breweries. Just as we were there, a beer festival was happening, organized by the Kunstmann brewery as part of a fundraising event for the first German volunteer fire department. Who wouldn't travel to the end of the world to admire Chileans in cheap dirndls and lederhosen, complete with an original Oktoberfest band? No wishes left unfulfilled. Otherwise, we were quite lazy, strolled around, ate ceviche at the fish market, watched the smelly sea lions by the river, visited museums on German history and the history of the Mapuche, and let our souls unwind. It was lovely, off to Santiago!