Lakes Trip - Part 2

The next day we were to leave Pucon for a drive along the scenic '7 lakes' road to Vladivia. Unfortunately the visibility was crap, so we only stopped a few times for photo opportunities - once at where the lava river sometimes flows (giving me a chance to demonstrate my immense stone-throwing prowess!) and then at another lake side where we could see a reasonable view and some wooden statues that had been reinterpreted. We had also stopped for breakfast where one lucky dog got an empanada bonanza, but for many the highlight was the stop at the filling station where we beheld a faded poster of a chimpamzee playing tennis. This had smoke machine (who had already lost against a monkey at basketball on his trip) in stitches for a good 15 minutes, and then at periodic intervals throughout the trip, and then again whenever it popped into his mind...

...anyway, when we got to Valdivia the first thing we did was to go and look at the Sealions. These were rather entertaining and talkative creatures, and contrary to some expectations, they had faces!! They also stank. After that we went for lunch, though it was going on 5pm by this time. We caught the end of the Wimbeldon final on the TV (hey Hips don't Lie just came on the radio here and gave me a flashback..) and those who were able started on the beer again) some had trouble with food at this point. We managed to go buy a "surpriso" (or something like that) and some beers for back at the hostel - smoke machine opting for an alphabetical tour of South American beers, with the odd alcopop thrown in. We then headed out to a bar - the bunker, along with the Irish girls friend Harry who'd also met us. This was a pretty nice bar; huge burgers, huge Long Island Ice Tea's (we're talking half a bottle of spitits in this thing), we got the hooters out (so to speak), penguins were making unfortunate noises, Smoke machine's wife went up in flames in the end, and so on. At 4am they kind of wanted to shut the place so we left (the Irish having already gone there sordid seperate way. We returned to the hotel where the plan was to have a little whisky. Unfortunately the Irish had left us their foul pink girlie drink (Frutilla Colada) and we felt it would be wrong to let it go to waste, so it was disposed of. Much to our regret the next day when we had to get up after 2 hours sleep and head for Puerto Montt where I was meant to get my boat. As for Valdivia itself, it was nice to see the sea lions, but the town looked fairly grim to me, as always maybe it was just the weather.

After a sleepy hungover journey we got to Puerto Montt, and the bus was eloquently described as smelling "of ass and alcohol". Turned out my boat wasn't leaving that day, maybe not the next, due to weather problems, so I was going with the remaining tour people Puerto Varas nearby to wait, as it was nicer and "less dangerous" than Puerto Montt. We did have lunch in Puerto Montt in a tiny little restuarant by the sea. I ordered on a recommendation, and it was not what I expected so I struggled a little in my convalescing state (maybe it was for the best my 4 days on a boat hadn't already begun. The free pisco sour's did go down okay though.

When we got to Puerto Varas everyone was incable of doing anything, especially as it was cold and wet outside. We flicked through a lot of tv and movies and generally did nothing, while smole machine had fizzled out and was hardly seen that day. The next morning it turned out my boat was still not going, but would leave the next day. The rest of the tour headed off back North in the stinky bus and I stayed in Puerto Varas another day. The weather had actually brightened up and you could see across the lake, so late morning I went out and had a walk and climbed a small hill near the town. There I accumulated a canine entourage, and was feeling pretty good walking through the park in the fresh air. Unfortunatley the promised view at the top didn{t materialise as it was forrested up there. I bought myseld some stuff to cook lunch and dinner and spent most of the afternoon taking advantage of the free internet and getting this damn thing up to date. I had another stroll in the evening and a reasonably early night to catch up on some sleep without the snoring and farting Ashton in the room.

Next day I got the bus to Puerto Montt, which was a bit nicer in the sunshine. After checking in I did a bit of shopping and managed to get some contacts to replace my missing specs, and an adaptor so I could finally charge my iPod and Camera. A quick lunch and some snacks for onboard purchased and I headed back, I even bought the obligaratory wooly hat to keep my ears warm on the boat. It was around 2pm where we were finally allowed to board the Navimag to take us south to Puerto Natales!