Yan Kee Way

Bailey and I left Cliffs and went Puerto Varas to stay with Negra, another chef from Cliffs. We had an AMAZING asado of at her house- sausage, ribs, poco de gallo salsa, and wine! Ah it was delicious!

My Spanish understanding is way better than when I first arrived in Chile. I am to the point where I no longer realize that Spanish is being spoken; it feels like everyday talking. My speech is still slow, but I've been told many times that my accent is good when I speak. There was one point when I was talking with Bailey and Negra that I didn't even realize our conversation was in Spanish, it just felt natural and normal. I have a feeling when I go home I will still be thinking in Spanish. I can't believe I'm to this point after only three weeks. No wonder Bailey's Spanish (or should I say, Chilean) is so good after her four months of working here!


Bailey, Negra, and I took a microbus in the morning to Yan Kee Way to visit Bailey's friend JP (Juan Pablo). JP was a receptionist at Cliffs when Bailey worked there and now he is a receptionist and waiter at Yan Kee Way, which is a hotel and resort on the shores of Lake Llanquihue in the shadow of Volcan Osorno. The resort is owned by an American who gave it its name because Lake Llanquihue is sounds like "Yankee Way". It's kind of tacky...


Nevertheless, we had a beautiful view of Volcan Osorno all day. We ate an awesome lunch in the lodge at Yan Kee Way, cooked by Negra's chef friend Juan, of strip steak and spinach-stuffed tomatoes with a brownie and ice cream dessert. I love that Bailey has chef friends who have chef friends! I've really enjoyed seeing the behind-the-scenes of the tourist industry during this trip. Since Bailey worked in guest relations at Cliffs last year, some of the people she worked with are now working at other resorts for this season. Since Bailey wants to visit all of them, we've been fortunate to stay at some beautiful, and otherwise exclusive, places!

In the afternoon while JP was working, Negra took Bailey and I on a hike to a waterfall at Petrohue River. It was a gorgeous place- beautiful aquamarine water against black volcanic rock with Volcan Osorno in the background. Purely picturesque. We spent the evening with JP and Negra, drinking wine and piscolas on the porch, watching the sunset change the colors of the snowcap on Volcan Osorno, and salsa dancing!

Parga, Otra Vez!

Bailey and I have returned to Cliffs in Northern Patagonia, also known as Parga! We are hoping for better weather and to see some of Bailey's friends who were taking their free days during our first visit. It was well worth the return trip!

During out first night back, we hung out in the kitchen during dinner time at the lodge. I loved watching the chefs Negra and Miguel cooking in the kitchen! It operated like a well-oiled machine, or controlled chaos as Bailey likes to say. I was fascinated by the roles that each of the chefs played- preparing the ingredients, cooking the food, and putting the final decorative touches on the plates for the waiters to deliver to the dining room. Literally fascinated with this process! Miguel had some leftover risotto that he let us try, ahhhhh was it yummy!

Later that night, the Cliffs staff had an asado and party for Enzo's birthday and Filipe's going away. Enzo is a baker (bread and desserts), and Filipe was a guide who went with us on the crazy Olivido trail during our first visit. Earlier in the day, Bailey and I had gone shopping with Poncho for all of the meat, beer, Pisco, and Coca-Cola for the party. Soooo basically there was a lot of eating, drinking, dancing, and all around good times. The Chileans are such good dancers :) Yay for salsa and cueca!


The next day we had better weather. It was a bit overcast, but low wind and not too cold. I made the hike again to Playa Ortiga, but this time along the beach instead of over the torn down trees. The weather was clearer, so I got so great pictures! Later in the day we hung out with Esteban in the muebleria, which is the wood shop where he makes stools, chairs, boxes, tables, mancala boards, etc. Esteban is a funny old man with crazy Einstein hair and missing teeth. He is very patient and loves teaching us about Chilean words and culture. Bailey said that she spent a lot of time hanging out with Esteban in his muebleria; he was a great teacher for her. Esteban served us coffee and gave us bookmarks that he had made, regalitos! That night we watched Cliffs play a soccer game against a local church. Cliffs won 3-2, and we had an asado afterward with the visiting team.

Our final full day at Cliffs started out rainy in the morning, but cleared up to perfection in the afternoon! Bailey and I did a small workout in the gym in the casino and visited a villa with Paola. It was cool to see the inside- I loved the sea creature themes and the decorations. After lunch, the rain cleared and we had blue sky! The air was warmer too! It was exactly what we had been praying/waiting for!

Since the weather was warm and the waves were smaller (still big for me, but not as menacing as earlier), Bailey and I went sea kayaking! Bailey and I shared a double kayak, and Arturo came with us, also on a double but by himself. Charlie was going to come, but he had an allergic reaction in his eye, so he just slept on the beach haha. Arturo and Charlie are both hilarious! Charlie washes dishes in the steward and wore sunglasses all day and night because of his eye, we started calling him the Terminator. Arturo is 23 and works as a lugero and also in the Cliffs kitchen. They call him Lobo del Mar, a sea lion!

I sea kayaked on Moreton Island, outside of Brisbane in Australia, but it was not like kayaking at Cliffs. The biggest difference was that there were no waves at Moreton Island, but there were big waves we had to get past at Cliffs. I was kinda nervous, but I trusted Bailey, the pro kayaker!she was the steerer, and was the power for the beginning. Haha I felt like i was going to bounce out of the kayak over the waves, but we made it to calm water on the first try without flipping, and boy was I glad we had our wetsuits on and that the sun was warm! I was impressed that Arturo made it out by himself on the big double boat.


It's hard to describe that perfection of our day kayaking... It was enjoyable and relaxing and thrilling and beautiful and entertaining all at the same time. We paddled over perfect turquoise water through floating seaweed and sea foam to the circle of rocks at the left of Playa Dos. The waves churning like a cauldron inside the circle, but we managed to get close to some of the towering rocks. We were able to see caves and archways in the rocks that I had no idea were there! We saw two sea lions napping on the rocks, and hundreds of birds circled around us as we paddled. It was lovely :)


As we paddled in the bright sun across to another set of rocks, we saw a group of four dolphins about 20 meters away! It was incredible! We watching them play and jump in the waves while we were kayaking, it was so beautiful! W also saw a little baby sea lion on another rock and watched him yawn and dive into the ocean. We then set up to paddle back into the beach, trying to time the waves correctly so one doesn't scoop you up from behind and dump you over. Haha we had a wave lift up the kayak from the back, but the front got pinned in the sand. We hung on and rode out the wave to the shore. Woooo crazy!


In the evening, Bailey and I went to the kitchen at the lodge to hang out and watch Miguel cook. It was so fun!! Miguel let us try a shrimp in a white wine and cilantro sauce, then he made a whole venison steak for us! Yuuuuum I want chef friends back home! I also got a whole piece of blueberry cheesecake and bites of a chocolate raspberry torte! Aaaaah heaven! Drake opened us a bottle of smooth white wine for us, and Lucho made us a pisco sour with ginger and honey. Haha things started getting crazy in the kitchen- Alberto and Freddie came in to share in the wine, Charlie was washing dishes with his sunglasses on, and Lucho lost the top to the tea, finding it later INSIDE the pot! So fun, so buzzed, lots of laughs!

Thanks to the clear day and low wind, we also had a clear sky at night! Ahhh finally! The nearest town is two hours away, and Cliffs is right on the coast of the Pacific Ocean, so the heavens were literally laid out above us in perfect, minute detail! The stars were so close it felt like you could almost touch them. The sky was so clear and the night so dark that you could even see the stars low on the horizon and through the trees. It was a wonder, the universe on display above us at a hands reach. We wandered onto Playa Dos and watched the stars, seeing two shooting stars and the Milky Way with the Southern Cross right in the middle on the thick band of stars. I had my iPad with me and used it to look up some of the constellations, since it's probably the last time I'll be in the southern hemisphere for a while. It was absolutely wonderful :)

Chilean Culture and Lifestyle

Now that I've been in Chile for a few weeks and have visited numerous cities and stayed with several families, I have a few observations and comments on Chilean culture to share.

But first... some geographical fun facts! Chile is only 265 miles across at its widest point, but from north to south, Chile is 2800 miles long! Do you think that's fantastic?! Get this: Chile has over 4000 miles of coast line!! This is mainly due to Chile's islands like Chiloe and Easter island, as well as numerous inlets and bays). Because Chile is so long, it has a varied climate with world's driest desert in the north (the Atacama) to the rainy temperate climate in the south and down to the Antarctic region in the extreme south.

The great thing about this long coastline in Chile is that the ocean is always to the west, which means that you can see phenomenal sunsets over the water every evening! Even with all of the coastline though, many Chileans do not know how to swim! I've asked several Chileans why, and they say something to the effect of when you have so much of something you tend to take it for granted.

In fact, many Chileans do not know how to drive either. Because of this, there are two forms of identification in Chile: a driver's license and a personal ID card for those who do not drive. The extreme majority of Chileans travel by bus, which is an effective, reliable, and very accessible system. There are tons of bus companies, and I've ridden on nearly every type of bus offered, from the big double decker sleeper buses for overnight rides, to the single-level coaches (both nice buses and trashy buses, and some with a bathroom and some without), and down to the tiny microbuses that don't have designated stops (you jump on and off from the side of the road and pay accordingly).

While I've taken direct buses from Santiago to Puerto Varas and back, some bus routes I've taken are more "local" (read: sketchier) than others. For example, the coach bus from Panguipulli to Conaripe (on the way to visit Byron in Villarica) was completely along a gravel road, and the bus driver would stop in the middle of climbing a gravel hill to let passengers on and off! The bus from Valdivia to Huilo Huilo was painfully slow as the bus stopped every two minutes to pick up and drop off passengers (it did this for six hours)...

Because travel by bus is so common in Chile, no one is polite. Other passengers bump into you, kick your chair, push and shove, stand in the aisles, shove past you, etc. with no apologies. Oh and do they stare! It's almost always the men too, and they have no shame in getting caught staring at you. Nevertheless, all bus travel has been very affordable, costing anywhere from a dollar for a microbus to 24 dollars for an overnighter. All of the buses have conductors that collect the tickets or money, even the microbuses.

All of the Chilean cities I have seen have a similar appearance and feel. The cities are all very colorful with brightly colored buildings and rooftops, as well as colorful and artistic graffiti covering the sides of buildings and bridges. Some cities have way more graffiti than others, like the sprawling Santiago and the busy port of Valparaiso. However, even the youthful city of Valdivia and the quiet and remote town of Los Muermos have graffiti. Also, there is no animal control in Chile, so there are stray dogs everywhere! Santiago and Valparaiso are the leaders in this category, but Pucon comes in third because the stray dogs there are so big! When I asked the locals what they thought about the dogs, they said that the dogs are happy because they are free. I think the dogs look sad because they have no one to take care of them...

It has been interesting staying with Bailey's friends, as it has really given me a more local experience and an insiders look into Chilean life and culture. Chilean life is very family-centered, and almost every one of Bailey's friends live with their parents and siblings at home, even the ones who are 26 or 27 years old. They move out of the house when they get married. Chilean homes are very small compared to those in the States, but they are cozy, comfortable, and simple, not at all extravagant nor is there any wasted space. The houses all have stoves to keep the main living rooms warm, and there are several thick wool blankets on the beds to stay warm during the night. There are water heaters that have to be lit before showering, doing the dishes, etc. All the water heaters I've seen are gas, but some are lit with a spark and others with a match. It's hard remembering to ask to have to hot water turned on if you want to shower.

Chileans are tiny little people, especially the men. I feel more like a giant here than I did in China! I have to keep reminding myself that I am an average height for the US . Chileans are also quite reserved and timid, especially when you first meet them. It takes some work, but once they open up to you, they are extremely friendly, kind, generous, and hospitable. They've got great personalities too and love to laugh and joke! To greet each other and to say goodbye, whether it be a close friend or a stranger, they kiss each other on the cheek. At first this was uncomfortable for me when I was first introduced to people, but now I'm used to it. Even though I like how personal and close the Chileans are with each other, I still prefer shaking hands.

Chileans LOVE soccer. They are obsessed with it, and it is always on TV. The two most popular teams in Chile are La U and Colo Colo. The fans for these teams are hardcore and are raised to be fans by their parents from the moment they are born. Also, nearly every Chilean I've met smokes, and they smoke indoors. Ah it kills me to be sitting next to someone when they light up, or having to go to sleep in the same room where everyone was smoking.

I like that Chile has their own music and dance culture. When I was in Asia and Australia, the only music I ever heard out at bars or clubs and on the radio was the same music they play in the US. In Chile, it's rare to hear any American music (in fact, I'm really beginning to miss American music). Chileans listen to a lot of salsa music, reggae, and reggaeton, and they LOVE to dance to it! Put on a rap song and they get all confused, but put on a some salsa music and you've got the best dancers that I have ever danced with! I like dancing with Chileans so much because they actually know what they're doing- they grew up learning how to dance and how to lead their partners. I haven't gotten bored with a dance partner here yet, which is so different from the some of the monotony of dancing in the States.

The food is terribly disproportionately priced between restaurants and the grocery store. Restaurants can get expensive very quickly, with a simple salad costing $12 and an entree costing $15, while grocery stores and liquor are super cheap! It's 3 to 4 dollars for good bottle of wine, 4 dollars for a liter of Pisco, and I typically buy fruit, yogurt, and granola bars at the grocery store and only spend about 4 dollars!

Wow, have I eaten some great food while in Chile too! Some of the traditional dishes that I've tried are cazuela de ave (a stew with vegetables, chicken, and potatoes), pastel de choclo (kind of like a shepards pie with meat and corn), pastel de papa (meat and potatoes), sopapillas (deep-fried bread), empanadas (meat or veggies folded in dough and either fried or cooked in an oven), chorillana (a Valparaiso specialty of french fries, onions, eggs, and meat), and a completo (a hotdog with avocado, ketchup, and mayo). And wow do they know how to cook meat! An asado is what they call their BBQ's, and I've had incredibly good meat during late night asados at Cliffs, Huilo Huilo, and Negra's house in Puerto Varas. It's meat that is covered in salt, pepper, and spices, cooks slowly over coals, and literally melts in your mouth! To drink, it's Piscola and Pisco Sours all the way!

Valdivia

My Spanish is getting better! Now I am understanding and following more of conversations than before. I've been meeting a lot of Bailey's friends and families who only speak Spanish, and I have been able to speak with them well! I still get nervous sometimes and speak slowly, but I am beginning to have more and more fun meeting Bailey's friends and their friends and families.

In fact, I have some nicknames now. Alberto (El Mono) has begun calling me La Soldada (The Soldier) because he thinks I am strong and independent. I'm kind of touched by this and like his nickname for me. When I meet Bailey's friends for the first time, many of them comment that I look like either Anne Hathaway or Kiera Knightly. I think it's just that I have brown eyes and smile big, but I am flattered all the same. Her friends also call me chistosa, which means silly or funny, and Felipe at Cliffs gave me the nickname Curly Sue during the one night that I wore my hair down on this entire trip. Good times!


After leaving Pucon, Bailey and I spent a couple nights in Valdivia to hang out with Marsela, Giselle, and Ricky, who are three of Bailey's friends from a cliffs who worked as interns in the kitchen when Bailey worked there last year. It was sunny and warmer in Valdivia while we were there, which is rare in this city. Valdivia is one of the rainiest cities in Chile! We took advantage of the sunny weather by walking along the river and through the fish market. The sidewalk along the river had a huge crack down the middle that had been filled in. Bailey explained that this crack was caused during the earthquake last year.


The Valdivia river is also home to sea lions! These sea lions are huge! They lay out on the docks right next to the sidewalk. You could literally walk up to them and touch them if you like, but nobody does because they are smelly and mean. It was really neat being so close to these wild animals though!

Bailey and I visited Ricky in the chocolate shop and bakery that he is now working in. Ricky specializes in cakes, especially cheesecakes! Yuuuuumm! Bailey and I then went with Marsela to lunch and then walking around the University and Botanical Gardens in Valdivia. The Botanical Gardens are right on the university's campus- wouldn't it be neat if Tech had some botanical gardens to stroll through during the day?


Bailey, Ricky, Marsela, and I all stayed at Giselle's cabin for the night. Giselle lives a bit outside of the Valdivia city center near Niebla and Playa Los Molinos. Giselle and Marsela made pastel de papa to eat that night- it was a heavenly dish of meat, onions, and cheesy potatoes!

Villarrica and Pucon

Bailey and I are visiting Bryon who lives with his family in Villarrica.. Villarrica is near Pucon, which are both towns along Lake Villarrica and at the base of Volcan Villarrica. Pucon is famous for it's adventure sports, similar to Queenstown in New Zealand. In Pucon you can go whitewater rafting, canopying, kayaking, canyoning, climb to the summit of the volcano, and relax in the thermal springs.

Bryon's family is so nice and so welcoming! When we walked into their house, it smelled like freshly baked pastries and cakes. Bryon's mom and dad are both bakers! They were up at 6am making double layer cakes with homemade frosting, and their fridge is full of cartons of cream! Byron was the head chef at Cliffs when Bailey worked their, and he said he was inspired by his parents and their bakery business. Byron also has a brother who is studying kinesiology  in Temuco, and a sister who is studying to be a tour guide. Byron recently got back from a five month solo backpacking trip through South America, visiting Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina, and Peru. Bailey and I really enjoyed staying at Byron's house! It was so comfortable and relaxing, and you could even hear the horses walk by in the morning, their hooves click-clacking on the cobblestones as they carry buggies full of fruits and vegetables. I love it.

Our first night in Villarrica, Byron showed us around the town. We walked along the lake, saw Byron's church and school, and visited the artisans craft shops. Miguel (also a chef at Cliffs) came to visit. We had Mexican food for dinner (yay for corn tortillas!), and then we joined two of Byron's cousins at a bar for drinks. Mmmm tequila and piscolas. So Chilean!


The next day, Byron went with Bailey and I to Pucon. Pucon is a great town! It's very walkable, has lots of restaurants and cafes, and tons of outfitters and tour operators that provide a plethora of adventure activities. There are also a couple of lakes with views of Volcan Villarrica, as well as lots and lots of stray dogs (which is common in every city in Chile, except that these strays were huge dogs that chased cars for fun). We ate lunch (and dinner!) at an awesome restaurant in Pucon that Byron loves (and coming from a chef, that means it must be really good)! I had gorgonzola bean gnocchi for lunch and then a smoked salmon, avocado, and ricotta cheese sandwich for dinner. Yum! We got a hostel in Pucon for the night since there were quite a few activites we wanted to do. 


It was cold when we were in Pucon, but it didn't stop us! Bailey, Byron, and I went whitewater rafting on the Trancura River. There were five Class 4  rapids and one Class 5+ rapid that we walked (and then jumped from the rocks back into the river). This was the most intense rafting I had ever done (since before I'd only done Class 3's), and it was so intense. The rapids we did today weren't even rapids! They were waterfalls! It was insanely fun, but I was legit scared at times too. We had a great guide though, who gave commands in Spanish and in English, and he also explained the route/line through the rapid that we were going to take very well. 


The next day we went hiking in Huerquehue National Park, about an hour bus ride north of Pucon. The national park is home to beautiful green, tree-covered mountains, waterfalls, cascades, and several lakes formed by glaciers in the mountain valleys. We didn't have much time in the park since we wanted to get back to Villarrica in time for dinner, but we managed to hike for about five hours along the trail to Los Lagos. The portion of the trail that we hiked was through the mud along the calm, turquoise-colored Lake Trinquilco and then up one of the mountains to get a view of the lake from above. If we had had time to continue, we would have hiked down the other side of the mountain to see the other lakes. Even though we didn't spend a ton of time in the park, I was happy to be outside and hiking for the day.


When we returned to Villarrica, Byron made a version of pastel de choclo for dinner, which is a Chilean dish of corn and meat. After dinner we walked down to the lake- we finally had a clear sky with no rain clouds" so there was a magnificent view of Volcan Villarrica! As the sun was setting, the snow-covered volcano changed colors from white to orange, then to pink and to red. 

The next morning we slept in, and Byron made a brunch of scrambled eggs, avocado, and chicken, as well as yogurt, cereal, and fruit. We had beautiful weather today, so I did some souvenir shopping and went down to the lake for more pictures of Volcan Villarrica. The sky was perfectly blue with no clouds. You could see the steam coming out of the top of the volcano and how the wind blew it across the sky! It was incredibly beautiful! Byron's mom had a lunch of chicken, beef, rice, and peas for us before we got on the bus for Valdivia. Byron and his family are so amazing! His mom is absolutely adorable, and even called me "mi hija" when we said goodbye. So lovely! I just feel so rested and relaxed and happy :)

Adventure Sports!

Lucky day! Alberto happened upon a TV crew in the lodge from a Chilean show called Adventure Sports (Deportes Adventura, I think). Because Bailey and I are both gringas (white foreigners), the film crew asked if they could film us, which means that we got to go around with them and get filmed doing all of the activities at Huilo Huilo! For free! What good fortune!

So Bailey and I ran back to the staff housing to grab warm clothes and pack our bags because we are climbing the volcano! Snow-capped Volcan El Mocho! To summit the volcano, we needed lots of gear that I had never used before- cramp-ons, an ice axe, and lots of rope. Alberto was our guide during the trip, and he tied the three of us together in a line and taught us how to use the gear to climb.


I enjoyed learning the technique of using the ice axe, as well as learning how to walk and climb in cramp-ons. The cramp-ons were tricky at first, but we eventually got the hang of it. The ice axe was fun, and both Bailey and I had the chance to use it for real when we both slipped on separate occasions and started sliding down the face of the volcano. It was like we were in the movies when the actor is falling and drives the ice axe into the snow to stop. Crazy!


Unfortunately we did not end up summiting the volcano. The warm weather has been melting the glacier at the top and causing it to split apart, forming large and deep crevasses. We still got close to the crevasses though and got to lay on the snow and peer down inside them. The light blue ice was beautiful, but it was kind of scary looking into the crevasse and not being able to see the bottom because it was so deep!

We spent the rest of the afternoon trekking across the glacier in between both volcanos and climbing on some of the exposed rock. My favorite part was that the weather and the view were absolutely perfect! There was not a cloud in the sky, hardly any wind, and bright strong sun that kept us warm on the snow. And it was so quiet up on the glacier! In fact, it was so quiet that my ears hurt from straining to hear something! Because the sky was clear, we got to see the most incredible view of the Andes Mountains. You could literally see the folds and folds of earth that formed with the tectonic plates crashed into one another to formed the Andes Mountain Range. We could see clear across to Argentina, which is marked by several magnificent snow-capped volcanoes! Ah it was INCREDIBLE!


After spending six hours hiking along the volcano's glacier for the filming crew, we went on a night hike to the Huilo Huilo waterfall. We carried torches, I almost set the trees and then my hair on fire, drank Pisco Sours, and watched the waterfall lit up by lights. 

We were asked to spend the next day and a half with this film crew and do more activities. They want us to go mountain biking with them, horseback riding, and do the Canopy XL, the longest and highest canopy zip-line in Chile. Bailey and I were considering staying to do the activities with them, especially since they would all be free for us, but the weather is now awful and raining. Since the crew doesn't want to do the activities and get the cameras wet in the rain, Bailey and I will be leaving Huilo Huilo with Alberto and heading off to meet up with Byron in Villarrica. Adelante!

Huilo Huilo

The Mapuche Indians are the native people of Chile. Most of the names of places in this area come from their language, like Panguipulli, River Fuy, and Huilo Huilo, etc. In the Mapuche language, "huilo" means "crevasse", and saying it twice is to add extra emphasis. So the area of Huilo Huilo is named for a very deep crevasses in the mountains and carved by the rivers. 

Alberto used to work in Huilo Huilo as a guide, so we are joining him there as he visits his friends. Huilo Huilo is a hotel complex and adventure center located in temperate rainforest about 25 km from the Chilean-Argentinean border. The area is surrounded by ranges and ranges of the sharp Andes Mountains, and spotted with tall, snow-capped volcanoes. I'm hoping for good weather so we can see some of these volcanoes :)

And so begins the long day of transport to Huilo Huilo. We didn't think it would take very long... but it did.

Bailey and I jumped on the bus out of Cliffs after breakfast. We rode on the gravel road to the small town of Los Muermos, then got dropped off in Puerto Varas. We hopped on a minibus to the nearby Puerto Montt, where we then boarded a bus to Panguipulli. We were shocked to learn that this leg would take over six hours (and we almost missed the bus because it took forever to get our lunch at the Puerto Montt train station)! Haha it turns out that our sketchy bus likes to stop every hundred meters or so along the side of the highway to pick up hitchhikers. It also allows food vendors, bread makers, and guitar players onto the bus to sell/market their wears... Wow. So it was stop and go, stop and go, stop and go, back through Puerto Varas, to Valdivia where we connected on another bus, and finally to Panguipulli. We were happy to see Alberto waiting for us in Panguipulli where we boarded our final bus that took us (and hitchhikers) along the gravel road through the small town of Neltume and dropped us at the doorstep of Huilo Huilo's Baobab Hotel. By the time we arrived, it was nightfall. The best part of the day (besides the guitar player on the bus), was the sun setting behind a volcano over Lake Panguipulli during our final leg of the trip.

Bailey and I were quite cranky and extremely hungry when we arrived in Huilo Huilo. We followed Alberto in the dark to the staff housing area, which turned out to be a row of really nice log cabins. Sweet digs! We stayed with two of Alberto's friends, Gabriel and Raimundo, who work as chefs at the Huilo Huilo lodge. Alberto gave us a Snickers bar to split as Gabriel started a fire in the fire pit to cook some (a lot!) of meat. It was the best Snickers bar I had ever eaten. 


Well, it turns out that the firewood was wet, so there was too much smoke to cook the meat. So instead of removing the firewood and putting in charcoal, Gabriel spent TWO HOURS fanning the burning wood with a piece of cardboard to try to dry it. When the wood finally burned out (and I was so hungry I was about to eat my hand), Gabriel put in the charcoal, bag and all! So then while we waited for the charcoal bag to smoke and burn out, Bailey and I shared the best pack of M&M's I've ever had. Did I mention it was freezing outside during all of this? And I was choking due to smoke from the wood and the chain smokers sitting next to me. So... the meat eventually got cooked, and by 12:30am, I was eating the most delicious sausages and steaks ever! Wow Chileans sure know how to cook meat! (Even if it takes three hours).


During our first full day at Huilo Huilo, Alberto showed us around the main lodge. Built of wood and full trees, the lodge has a wilderness and outdoor feel. There are large windows, lots of natural ligut, and log cabin architecture and decor. It was so awesome! The details in the building's structure and decorations were fascinating. There was a mountain with a waterfall down the side that housed rooms for guests. There were many bars, a big restaurant, a spa, tons of sitting areas, an outdoor lounge with hot tubs, an outdoor and indoor pool, and a lookout at the top of a honeycomb of hotel rooms. From the lookout, we had a beautiful and clear view of the snow-capped volcano complex- Volcan El Mocho (dormant) and Volcan Choshuenco (active, last erupted about 100 years ago).


We hitchhiked to and from the closest town of Neltume for food for the next few days, and then used the rest of this beautiful sunny day to do some hikes in the cool temperate rainforest along the Fuy River. The river was so clear with bright blue water and a series of short waterfalls, two or so meters high. There were also lots of jumping fish, and I couldn't help but think how much fun Ben and Dad would have here doing some fly-fishing. The more interesting part was that the banks of the river is made up of cooled  lava flow from the volcanoes! The dark black lava made an awesome contrast with the bright blue-green water. In fact, the whole rainforest has grown on top of this cooled lava. Since the first thing to grow on lava flow is moss, can you imagine how many hundreds of years it took for an entire rainforest to grow on top of it?!