Welcome to Puerto Varas, in Chile’s Lakes District of Northern Patagonia. This sleepy lakefront town is my last stop in Chile, and my first stop on the solo portion of my trip.
I got in late last night after a flight from Punta Arenas up to Puerto Montt. More language confusion, as I got to practice my still very rudimentary Spanish with my airplane seatmate and with the driver of the van from the airport. When I got to the hostel, the owner greeted me in French. Turns out that not only is this hostel French-owned, it’s also next door to a chocolaterie. I think I’m in heaven.
Puerto Varas is very picturesque and is a popular base for lots of activities and trips in the region. Instead of going on one, however, I opted to take the day off today. I wandered around the town a bit, took a book down to the lakefront and read and people-watched for a while. I discovered that the supermarket sells bottles of pisco for about 5 bucks, so I bought one as a souvenir. I browsed in the shops selling jewellery and handicrafts. And I caught up on some long-overdue blogging.
Tomorrow I’m heading across the Andes into Argentina. To wrap up the Chile portion of my trip, I really have to say that this is an incredible country. The people are reserved but so very friendly. The scenery is amazing and, given the geography, so diverse. Yes, it’s an expensive country, and no, I don’t speak much Spanish, but it feels like it would be an extremely liveable country. I feel like I have barely scratched the surface of all there is to see and do here, and I would definitely love to return.
Ciao, Chile! More tomorrow from Argentina.