Into the Lake Region

I am not sure if summer camps were inspired by Pucon or Pucon was inspired by a summer camp, but everything about this charming town brings me nostalgia of going away during the summer to camp. The town is surrounded by three volcanoes and a giant lake. All the buildings of this small town are made of wood there is a distinct smell of a camp fire everywhere you go. It is the low season so the town is not packed, but everyone you see is geared up to do some type of adventure, its like a commercial for North Face or Colombia. The hostel I stayed at is named Ecole. It is extremely comfortable and the beds have feather down blankets. The living room is scattered with books and there is a wood burning stove. They have their own restaurant, which I have treated myself to every night, which features a vegetarian, all local, home made menu. Every meal I have eaten there has been amazing and the best food of my entire 7 weeks so far. The town offers any adventure you can think of from horseback riding to hidrospeed, which is basically rafting down the river without a raft... 

the common architecture of Pucon

The first day I arrived I decided to check out the town by renting a bicycle. I biked throughout the city and along the woods and river that surrounds the city. Mounting biking is hard, especially if you think that you are going to go for a leisurely ride and end of getting lost and confused and biking 40km. But I did see amazing scenery and got some great exercise.

sights along my bike ride. 

The next day I decided to hike Volcano Villarrica. The volcano is 2.847 meters high (which is 9, 400 ft)and is covered in ice and snow. I always assume I'm in good shape until I do something extremely challenging like this. I really thought I was not going to make it. It was a constant incline and my group marched on like it was flat ground and they did this every day. We had to use ice picks and those spikes you put on your boots. I was hurting every single step.. but when we did arrive at the top it was incredible. The view was absolutely breathtaking, you could see the other two volcanoes and the lakes. We were right on where the sulfur was coming out of the top of the volcano. It was amazing. To get down the volcano, they had created "slides" which were basically paths where we sat on our butts and slid down. It was exhilarating, freezing, and overall great.

My last day in Pucon was a rainy one so I took the local bus to the town over, Villarrica. It's a cute town and has a strong Mapuche influence. I walked around the town for a couple of hours, and returned to Pucon and finished my stay there with a great vegetarian dinner and an early night under quilts and feathered down blankets.

Villarrica

River Region here I come.