10/11/12-01-20: In the shadow of the volcanoes

The next morning was perfect hiking weather. We set off for Laguna Blanca, accompanied by three of the Labrador retrievers that belong to the farm. Great dogs!

On the way there, we pass a lava tongue that changed the landscape during a volcanic eruption 100,000 years ago. We enjoy the views of the Tolhuaca and Lonquimay volcanoes, which have turned snow-white again due to the bad weather of the past few days. The landscape changes frequently, and we pass through dense rainforest, which is the original Araucaria forests in this area of ​​Chile, with trees up to 1,000 years old.

Unfortunately, the lagoon is too cold for a refreshing swim due to the cold weather of the past few days.

In the evening, we meet Beate for the next day and plan a horseback ride. We are very excited since Andreas has never ridden a horse before and Ruth has not ridden again since her riding accident a few years ago.

The horseback ride begins with a short introduction to the so-called 'riding from the core' technique. We choose suitable horses (we both decide on Chilenos) and off we go. The ride for four is incredibly fun and takes us through deep forests, open fields, beautiful flower meadows, and up a hill that guarantees beautiful views. Lunch is a picnic with lunch boxes and coffee, and then we return to the lodge, content and happy.

In the evening, a few of us from the lodge go to a folklore festival in Curacautín, where the band Illapu is also performing a concert. The music is good, but as the evening progresses, the atmosphere becomes more negative because many Mapuche people live here and also rose up against the government during the recent protests. The concert is extremely left-wing and we start the journey back shortly after midnight.

On the third day at the lodge - the weather is still very nice - we embark on another hike to the Condor Canyon. Unfortunately, we don't see any of these beautiful Andean birds, and it gets so hot around noon that we spend the afternoon at the lodge, lazing under a shady tree with coffee and cake. In the evening, we end our fantastic stay by the campfire.