Chillán #2, Pucón and Huerquehue

Friday, 07.02.2020

A bus ride that's fun, a bus ride that's nice... Many Chileans complain about taking the bus here, but I think it's perfectly fine. So today I took the bus back to Chillán through Talca, where Juan's mom picked me up. We went shopping together, and then I took a walk around the neighborhood because I felt like moving. It's very American, with a wide, straight road lined with similar houses on the sides. At the end of the road, there's a playground and a meadow with cows and horses. Juan's mom said she had never been to the end of her neighborhood before. It's a 5-minute walk...

In the evening, I made plans to cook with Camilo, the first vegetarian Chilean I've met. We made quinoa with mushrooms and guacamole, and I got to taste different beers from his own brewery. Two of them were made with grapes, very exciting and delicious. He composts, buys sourdough bread, and has various social entrepreneurship projects underway. Very impressive and inspiring. Plus, at the age of 29, he already has a 13-year-old daughter who lives with him and his own house. They say, 'if you're the smartest person in the room, leave the room.' But here, I was in good company and could learn a lot from Camilo.

Saturday, 08.02.2020

Finally, back to the mountains! I went to Las Trancas with Cristian and his girlfriend Consuelo, whom I met at the first birthday party in Chillán, and we hiked up to Laguna de Huemul. The two of them are dentists and recently bought a nice little house in Chillán. The trail was incredibly diverse - a section of green, fresh forest, a lot of black volcanic rock, and in the second half, a steep, dusty climb. The sun was beating down on us at almost 40°C (104°F), and Cristian's dog Aiko was suffering the most. The trail was quite challenging because of the heat, but after a few hours, we made it and jumped into the lagoon as a reward to cool off. On the way back, we were all quite tired, but Aiko had to be carried over the steep sections because of his short legs. In the end, we treated ourselves to refreshing drinks and a shared pizza to regain our strength.

Back in Chillán, Juan wasn't home, so the two of them took me with them. Since everyone I meet here is incredibly kind-hearted, I was allowed to take a shower, got fresh clothes, and stayed until late at night when two more friends came over.

At midnight, Juan came briefly and I went back to the house to change, then returned to the others. Later, we drove into the city and went to two clubs/bars to dance and drink. Juan and a few more friends joined us, and it got later, and later, and later. I know theoretically that Chileans like to party until the early hours of the morning, but I had to experience it myself. At 5 o'clock in the morning, we drove back to Cristian's house and a few people were in the pool. I was quite tired but somehow wanted to see what else would happen. In the end, not much happened - a little drinking, chatting, dancing - and suddenly it was bright outside. At 8 o'clock, we went to Juan's house and slept a few more hours. It was a nice experience, but next time I'll definitely go to bed earlier.

Sunday, 09.02.2020

In the afternoon, we set off together - Juan's family was going to his grandfather's house and dropped me off at the bus station on the way. There, I bought a ticket for the next (and only) bus to Pucón and then I sat in the supermarket next door, as the bus didn't leave for another 2.5 hours. There was food, Wi-Fi, and a seat for me.

The bus ride was comfortable, and when I arrived at half past ten in the evening, my new host Edwin (Wino) picked me up from the bus station. Wino is a guide for pretty much everything and has been living in Pucón for a long time. Almost every day, he takes tourists up the difficult path to the Villarica volcano, and then he takes care of his chickens, bees, garden, and goes for a run. He also participates in trail running and Ironman races.

Before we went to his house, he took three French interns from his tourism agency up to the mountains so that they could start a multi-day hiking and camping trip there. So I got to see a bit of the surroundings too, even though I was getting tired. Everything is beautifully green and fresh, with many mountains, rivers, lakes, and volcanoes around. The full moon was shining brightly over the landscape and illuminated the French campsite. When we arrived at Wino's cabin, we quickly went to bed.

Monday, 10.02.2020

Wino left at 05:30 in the morning to guide tourists up the volcano. I used the day to explore Pucón and make plans for the next few days. But first, I looked around the property a bit and fell in love. Very close to the city center, right on the main road, there is a small green oasis behind a fence, with fruit trees, chickens, two beehives, and a (presumably self-built) cabin. There are two more units on the property that are rented out. Our cabin is also almost a tiny house. On the ground floor, there is a large room with a small kitchenette, a beautiful wooden table, and a sofa corner. The small but nice bathroom is also on this floor. A short staircase leads up to the upper floor, where Wino has his bed, and around the corner, separated by a closet, there is another single bed where I sleep. Since Wino is a bit smaller than me, everything is very low, and I always have to be careful not to bump my head. But it's super cozy, simple, and cute, with lots of wood and little frills.

Around noon, I went to the town of Pucón and just walked aimlessly along the main road. It's very touristy here, with a wide range of European cuisine and travel agencies. There is even a zero-waste store. Accordingly, it's quite crowded, with tourists everywhere. At the end of the main street, I took a short break at the harbor, with a beautiful view of Lake Villarica, and took the time for a meditation. Deeply relaxed, I continued to the next bay, where there is a long beach with black sand. It looks nice, but it's way too crowded for me, so I quickly turned around and instead sat in the park with a Mote con Huesillo. On the way back, I went to the supermarket and the fruit shop so that I wouldn't starve in the next few days.

Back in the cabin, I cooked quinoa with vegetables and made hummus again. Wino came back from his Volcano tour in the afternoon, and we both took a nap. After that, we discussed plans for the next few days and went for a short run. We missed the sunset at the beach, but the view is still amazing.

Tuesday, 11.02.2020

Today, I'm going to Huerquehue National Park for hiking. Because of my sluggishness in the morning, I almost missed the bus, but luckily Chileans don't take punctuality overly seriously. At the entrance, there was a long line and the need to pay, two things I don't particularly enjoy. But they say it's beautiful, so let's go in.

The uphill path is consistently steep and challenging, and it runs through the forest for about the first half. It's quite warm, but it smells fresh and shady. The trees and flowers are definitely more exotic than in our forests, although it's not much warmer here than where I come from. The last part of the forest is more open and even steeper, so you have to use your hands. When I finally emerge from the forest, there's more climbing, this time over large rocks. I sweat and sweat, but a few hundred meters away, there's still some snow. It's only now that I see the surroundings, and it's breathtaking. The further I go, the more there is to see. Three snow-covered volcanoes are revealed, as well as various lakes and lagoons in different shades of blue and green. As I sit in the shade of a rock for a lunch break, I slowly feel the cold air and return to a normal temperature. I love scrambling along the ridge, even though it's still quite challenging. The trail is well-traveled but not excessively crowded.

I manage to return much faster because going downhill allows me to make good use of gravity, but in the end, I feel my legs and knees a bit. When I reach the bottom, I still have some time until the bus arrives, so I sprint to the access point to the lake and jump in for a quick cool-off and to rinse off some of the dirt.

At home, I'm a bit tired at first, but then I feel a bit adventurous. And since I'm leaving Pucón tomorrow for now, I decided to try out the Hangout feature on Couchsurfing and found someone right away. Cristián from Temuco is in the area on vacation and wants to go for a drink with me (or something similar, it's a hangout after all). We stroll through the lively city together and choose a quiet, authentic bar with a patio. I treated myself to a very delicious Pisco Sour, but a variation with avocado. Delicious! And we also shared some Papas Bravas. Cristián is a psychologist and works in a hospital as well as with athletes, and he is also a self-employed personal coach. We had a relaxed conversation about all sorts of things and had a pleasant evening. After that, we were both quite tired and went our separate ways. All in all, it was a very successful day.