Tulivuorikiipeilyä ja koskenlaskua

After the rainy days on Chiloé Island, I (Carole) traveled back to the Chilean mainland with my German friend Lisa, whom I had met a few days earlier, by ferry. We landed in Chaitén, a small, sleepy village that is still recovering from a volcanic eruption in 2008 that destroyed the entire village. There is a hike to this volcano that we took on the second day. According to the weather forecast, it should have been sunny, but it was cloudy and the higher we climbed, the thicker the fog around us became. Countless stairs later, we could hardly believe our luck. We were suddenly above the sea of fog and admired mountains, glaciers, forests, lakes, and the impressive, smoking volcano.

Next, the journey continued to Futaleufú, a world-renowned paradise for rafting, kayaking, hiking, and mountain biking. We opted for a half-day rafting tour. It was my birthday and I was very excited about this adventure. After everyone received their equipment and completed the safety instructions, the wild ride through the rapids began. And a wild ride it was - the waves came from all sides and tossed our boat around. Amidst the beautiful nature, we 'fought' our way down the turquoise blue river. It was incredibly fun and an unforgettable experience.