Very short update...

This week, Chileans are celebrating. Instead of "manana, manana" (translated: I'll do it tomorrow), it is said "quiza proxima semana" (maybe next week). On September 18th, Chile celebrates the International Day of Independence, followed by the Chilean military holiday, and today (September 19th) has been added since 2007. Throughout the week, traditional "Fondas" are held. A lot of greasy food is eaten and people drink all day, all in the company of family. That's why many Chileans are traveling to their families, and the university is also closed... Marte and I are taking advantage of the days off to spontaneously go to Pucón. This city is a MUST for all active backpackers. You can climb volcanoes, do all kinds of water sports, hike, cycle, ski, and so on. We spontaneously booked bus and hostel last weekend, and on the morning of the 18th, we left.

I dragged my backpack through the rain to the bus station, where I met Marte and we happily waited for our bus. However, it turned out that we didn't have valid online tickets from the internet booking. After some discussion, we were allowed to continue the journey (the bus driver received a larger tip ;)). Hopefully, the return trip will go just as smoothly... The long-distance buses here in Chile are much more comfortable than the German ones, but they should be, because it takes 19 hours to get to Santiago. The trip was uneventful and everything in Pucón was great... except for the weather. It was pouring rain, and according to the weather forecast, it would continue like this for the next few days. But no matter, we're not going to let that get us down. We took a stroll through the city, planned our next few days, and found a good empanada shop. They even offered a filling of turkey and plum jam (really delicious).

This is the first time I'm staying in a hostel, and I have to say, I really like it. We have a large modern communal kitchen (everyone generously labels their food so that no one eats something wrong ;D), the water is hot, and everyone has their own "room". It's designed in this Japanese beehive style, which means you open the door, fall into bed, and close the door (the backpack is locked outside in a cage in the hallway). The reception is staffed by young French people (the hostel is called "French Andes"), who are always open for a chat. A large glass front allows a view of the surrounding mountains, weather permitting.

And what we're experiencing here and whether we catch the bus back to Valdivia, you'll find out in the next blog (attention, advertisement ;)). Let's just say, it's simply indescribable here.

Frieda (21.09)