10-01-20: Everything will be fine

On the previous day, we drove to our next destination Fundo Laguna Blanka in very bad weather. On the way there, we made a detour to the city of Temucu, which not only serves as the economic center with 230,000 inhabitants, but is also a stronghold of the Mapuche people. The city itself could not contribute to improving our mood, rather the opposite. In any case, we continued 1.5 hours later.

The weather was still bad when we arrived at the Lodge Fundo Laguna Blanca, and we couldn't imagine that the weather forecast for the next days would really come true. It had actually predicted beautiful sunshine.

The lodge is operated by a German family who sold everything in Germany 13 years ago and then bought a property with 1,200 hectares in Chile. The goal is to operate sustainable agriculture and forestry in connection with gentle tourism.

Our first impression upon arrival was, 'What have we booked here?' Due to the bad weather, we had the impression that some Germans thought they had to emigrate in order to pursue quirky ideas. In addition, we were not supposed to have internet access in the following days. We were so wrong. The days at the lodge definitely belong to the best days of the entire vacation. It was so beautiful that we even stayed one day longer than planned. By the way, the weather the next day was absolutely beautiful with continuous sunshine.

Paths have been created throughout the huge area, inviting you to take long hikes and rewarding you with beautiful views of the three surrounding volcanoes Tolhuaca, Lonquimay, and Llaima.

Furthermore, there is a great lagoon, created from the glacier lake of Tolhuaca, on the farmland. Long hikes and horseback rides can be taken without encountering other tourists. We were also the only guests at the lodge during these days, as many bookings were canceled due to the previous situation in Chile. The entire tourism industry is suffering from it.