Chiloe Island, blog 5

Early morning view from the lodges balcony

Paul and I were up at 5:30 at Rafa’s suggestion to see if there were Pudu on the lawn or grounds of the lodge but to our disappointment, none of the short, chunky deer were to be seen. We walk some paths and roads in hopes of espying a Darwin fox, an endangered species due to habitat destruction and dogs. Another reason the thousands of acres that Patrisio and his family are conserving is so important, there are no dogs here either. We see fox scat and tracks that are fairly fresh so we know that the rare animal is near. Darwin fox are only found on Chiloe island and in one National Park on the mainland of Chile.

Two cabins that can be rented where you cook your own meals as seen from the balcony

We return to the lodge after eight o’clock for breakfast and then Patrisio drives us to the head of a hiking trail to save us some time although we will walk back to the lodge from this point. While driving the narrow, tree-lined road the three guys exclaim as a female pudu dashes across the road in front of the car. I missed the little doe since I was not looking out the front of the car. Oh well, you can’t win them all.

Part of the magical trail

Patrisio lets us out at the trail head and waves goodbye as he drives away. The three of us step off the dirt road into the forest and begin our last hike in this special place. Although the trail we hiked yesterday was terrific this trail feels and looks almost magical. Part of the reason is that the sunlight is filtering through the trees and the vegetation takes on an ethereal glow. The False Beech trees in particular are bathed in the stunning light and they are just breath-taking. I try my best to capture the essence of our surroundings in a photo but it proves to be impossible.

Rafa imitating the tree shape

False Beech trees. I couldn’t capture the beautiful light that was filtering over the trees

We have a close encounter with a Huit Huit which literally follows us down the trail at one point. Our companion puts on the same show as the one we saw yesterday. Scratching furiously in the loose forest litter while making sure he keeps us in his sight. Paul and I are chuckling over the comical bird when Rafa quietly gets our attention. We look down and nearly at Rafa’s feet is a Chacao peering curiously at these intruders into his domain. Wow, I can’t believe this. Two birds that are difficult to see and they show up on their own in plain sight. Hmm, maybe my description of this trail being almost magical should be revised and the almost taken out of that sentence.

More beech trees. I actually used the Huit Huit photos in the last blog.

We walk to the river, the waters brown with tannin, and a Ringed Kingfisher is perched on a dead branch on the river’s edge. As our encounter with the forest birds on the trail, the Kingfisher seems to have little concern that three humans are standing a few yards away. The bird is bathed in sunlight and it willingly poses for several photos. Returning to the open road and bright sunlight we find ourselves visited by the pesky horseflies but they can’t dampen our enthusiasm for the incredible hike we just experienced.

Beautiful Ringed Kingfisher

When we arrive at the lodge, Pedro has a box lunch prepared for us but since it is nearly lunch time we opt to eat on the terrace before we leave. The sandwiches are huge so Paul and I split one and place the other sandwich in our pack. Supper is taken care of tonight. Once we have eaten, we fetch our luggage and place it in the van with Rafa telling us to make sure we have everything. It isn’t like we can come back and retrieve a forgotten item very easily. Rafa drives the white van to the dock as Patricio is already at the boat.

Oh boy, we carry our luggage to the dock and waiting for us is the worst swarm of horseflies we have encountered. Once we have all our stuff loaded, Rafa laughs out loud and says that he has forgotten his birding scope. That is too funny. Rafa returns to the van and drives away. Holy Smokes, these insects are relentless so Paul and I zip up our coats and put our hoods up. There is a father and son, friends of Patrisio, on the dock dressed in t-shirts and shorts. I see the young boy nudge his dad, and incline his head at these weird tourists. I look at the cute kid and then start shooing the flies that are buzzing around us. The kid laughs in understanding and demonstrates how he uses the plastic bucket he is carrying to swing the pail at the flies that are bugging him.

Leaving Tepuhulico Lodge. The lake was so calm.

Rafa returns, scope in hand, and we all settle into the boat. The lake surface hardly has a riffle on it, quite a difference from when we came yesterday. I am sad to leave here and if we ever return, I certainly would spend more time at this beautiful sanctuary. Once we reach the opposite shore, we thank Patrisio and tell him how much we enjoyed his wonderful place. Rafa goes to get the car and Patrisio waits just offshore until he sees his friend driving out into the road. He gives a final wave goodbye and motors back towards his beautiful home.

We meet several cars on the narrow, gravel road and all of them are taking more than their share of the road and driving too darn fast. One pickup begins to fishtail as the drivers is speeding down a hill towards us. Good grief. He gets the truck under control thank heavens.

We were stopped at road construction for about twenty minutes. I took photos to pass the time

The Landscape was lovely as we waited for the pilot car

We stop at Chonchi to look at another wooden church. This is a Jesuit church, which is more simple in its decor than the Franciscan church we visited in Castro. Personally, I prefer the simple Jesuit church. Chonchi is also famous for the unique shingles that are used on the sides of many of the houses here.

Wooden church in Chonchi . I cut all the vehicles out so couldn’t get the whole church

Wooden pillars and the ceiling painted to look like the sky

The side shingles that were seen on many houses in Chonchi

We arrive in Castro and go to our Palifito where we deposit our luggage in the same room, we had two nights ago. Paul also collects our laundry which cost ten dollars for the 2.5 kilo we left with the staff. I like that they charge by the kilo and not by the article of clothing.

I snapped this photo as we drove into Castro

We hustle back downstairs and meet Rafa who suggested we go visit the wooden boat builders. Rafa speaks to a young woman who goes to talk to her Grandfather, (I think), then returns and says that it is okay for us to look around. I trail Paul and Rafa down to where three boats are in various stages of production. There is a young man working on top of one boat and he graciously agrees to visit with us. Paul and Rafa ask him a variety of questions and we learn a lot about the family business which is in its fourth generation. The boats are made of Cyprus and they make boats for fishermen and also build ferry boats. There are four men who construct the boats and there are four boats in production at one time. It takes them around five months to complete a boat and the cost for a boat is 150,000 which includes the engine and everything else. Paul and I think the price very reasonable considering these boats are built the old-fashioned way. As we walk by the ferry-boat that looks as though it is nearing completion, we notice a man underneath the boat, laying on his back, and sanding the bottom of the boat with a small hand sander!

Paul and Rafa checking out the skeleton of a boat that is being built by the business

The young man who took time to answer our questions.

If you look reallyclose you can see the man who is wearing white coveralls, sanding the bottom of this boat.

We walk back to the Palifito and say goodnight to Rafa. Paul and I decide to buy a couple of beers from the Palifito stock to go with our half sandwich and apple. The beers are craft beers and pricy, four dollars each, and we don’t really like them as the beer is fizzy and bitter. Some of that pricey beer ends up being poured down the drain. We decide to walk a couple of blocks to a small grocery store the Palifito receptionists directs us to as we are craving an ice cream bar. With no dogs in sight we make it to the very simple market in time to see them unloading a quarter of beef from a truck and carry it into the store by hand. We peruse the ice cream treat offerings in the freezer and pay for our choices at the counter. The ice cream is just what we needed to kill the after taste of the bitter beer.

Kayakers and Black-Necked Swans

This evening as the sun is sinking toward the horizon, I go out to the deck to enjoy the scenery on our last night on the island. There are incredible colors reflected in the water and Black-necked Swans glide over the array of colors. It is a bit surreal and I feel as though I am looking at a painting. What a gorgeous ending to the day.

Beautiful colors reflected in the water with Black-necked Swans adding to the beauty of the scene

It looked like a moving painting.

There is no reason to get up early this morning as Rafa is taking us to a market here in Castro and it doesn’t open until nine o’clock. Paul and I had most of our stuff packed last night so there isn’t much to do after we eat breakfast. I do email Dr. Amy since I do not have an email from her updating me on Taz. I tell her that we will have email tonight and early tomorrow morning but after that we will be off the grid for the rest of our trip.

Castro market

Lovely flowers

Rafa educating Paul

We bought our blueberries here

Fish for sale

We are at the market shortly after nine and a lot of the booths aren’t even open yet. Rafa tells us that in Chile people stay up late and are in no hurry to get started in the morning. Everything from vegetables, fruits, homemade liquor or cider, handcrafts, flowers and fish are being sold here. There is plenty of photo ops, that is for sure. When we walk to the part where the fish is being sold there are a few dogs wandering around. One dog is licking some fish that are sitting in a big tray on the floor in front of a stall. Yikes. The fish have ice on them so I think the dog is after the moisture. The woman who is arranging fish in this booth, comes out and shoos the dog away then drags the big pan of fish into the cubicle. Oh well, that fish is going to be cooked right? Paul decides to buy some blueberries from one vendor as we are leaving the colorful market. We return to the Palifito to get our luggage, load up and leave Castro and our Palifito behind. We really enjoyed staying here.

Another Unesco wooden church in Dalcahue

The simple interior

We make a stop on our way to the ferry which is in the fishing village of Dalcahue. There is another Jesuit church here that is on the UNESCO World Heritage list. We take a quick look inside and see the familiar sky painted on the ceiling and the impressive wooden pillars. Rafa is staying with the car and luggage, while Paul and I go to walk along the water front. It is just a beautiful day and the wooden boats that ply the water make for a very picturesque scene. There are Kelp gulls standing around on some of the boats plus we see a family of Flightless Steamer ducks paddling around some of the anchored boats. Tourists including us are strolling along the board walk just enjoying the atmosphere.

Love the boats

Paul looking over the water

Paul and I return to Rafa and the car and we continue on our way. Rafa informs us that he is taking us to a farm where the couple has been doing Agri tourism for twenty-two years. That is darned innovative. The Maldano’s cook a meal for large groups known as curanto which involves layering different kinds of meats and seafood on top of coals in a pit then covering the food with rhubarb leaves and letting the concoction cook for hours. Unfortunately, three people don’t constitute a large group but we are still served a scrumptious meal. We were served baked chicken and carrots, huge lima beans, bread, potatoes, and salad with rhubarb for dessert. Maria Luisa, her daughter and daughter-in-law have prepared our meal in an old-fashioned wood stove. Hardy, Maria Luisa’s husband, is recovering from health problems and was napping so we didn’t get to meet him. Maria Luisa was a vivacious and animated woman and we enjoyed our short visit here. Of course, Rafa had to translate for us.

Farm where we ate lunch

Lunch is served

Rafa sharing photos of his daughters with his friends

We arrive at the ferry station and are soon parked behind a big semi on the ferry. We go up to the top for the ride back to the mainland. The sea lions are still piled on the red buoys, there are gulls and cormorants too. A flock of stately Peruvian Pelicans fly close to the ferry as we are pulling away from Chiloe Island. I loved our time on this enchanting island and would seriously consider returning someday. Nancy

Chiloe Island receding in the distance

Snow capped mountains

Our vehicle is behind the flatbed semi closest to the rail

Chiloe, blog 3

Paul and I are up early this morning and since breakfast isn’t until eight, we decide to take a stroll despite the overcast sky. When I walk out of the bathroom, Paul hands me the Kindle and says there is bad news from Dr. Amy about Taz. I immediately begin to cry as I assume that bad news means my cat has died. That isn’t the case but the fact is she is in very bad shape. For some reason her glucose readings were very low and this makes no sense because she was eating and getting her shots. Taz didn’t respond to the initial care from the boarding people nor to the veterinarian’s emergency work on my sick cat when they opened their clinic which is next door to the boarding place. Dr. Amy decided to take Taz back to her clinic in Wamego and see what she could do for her. I email back and say that I know she will do what is right for Taz and give her my permission to use her own judgement on what needs to be done.

Taz, like all cats loves sitting in boxes

Paul asks if I still want to take our walk and I nod my head that I do. I don’t take my camera as it is fairly dark and it appears that we could encounter some rain. It is low tide and in places the gulls and whimbrels are feasting on what was left stranded after the water receded. There also is a turkey vulture hopping around looking for food with the traditional sea birds. I found this a bit odd esp. since it is so early in the morning and vultures normally aren’t active until mid-morning.

At one point we notice a few segments of a splintered sea wall, left over from the tsunami that destroyed a large part of Ancud in 1960 (I think). The tsunami was the result of a strong earthquake that originated near Santiago. There is a plaque acknowledging the United States for their assistance in building the new sea wall that is in place now. It makes you look at the peaceful ocean today and know that it can turn deadly almost without warning.

Breakfast is the usual fare of cereal, breads, fruits, and the offer of eggs. I eat some toast and fruit but I don’t have much of an appetite. Rafa arrives shortly after eight so we gather our luggage and say goodbye to the owners of the hotel. I tell Paul to ride in the front today as with the low light this morning the photo ops won’t be good. Besides, I don’t feel much like conversing and Paul will be able to hear Rafa better if he is sitting beside him.

One photo I took on the way to the Chepu River of a herd of dairy cows.

Our destination this morning is the Chepu River to search for the endangered Southern River Otter or “Hullin” as it is called here. We arrive at the river where there is a very small parking area right next to the dock. There is a man standing there and he motions to the spot that Rafa should park. It is beginning to rain a little and it is chilly so Paul and I put on our rain pants before we climb aboard the boat. Fernando who is the owner of the boat is a cheerful fellow who smiles and hands us our life jackets. The rain begins to fall more steadily so I wrap my camera in the rain cover I brought and place it under the bench seat. Rafa told us yesterday that the weather we experienced was not normal and we shouldn’t get used to it. Looks like he gave us good advice. Chiloe on average receives 60 inches of rain so overcast skies are more the norm then sunshine.

As we cruise down or maybe up the river, Rafa sees a Ringed Kingfisher which is similar to our Belted Kingfisher. After watching the bird for a bit, we continue on at a good clip down the river. We come to a place where the river narrows and the vegetation thickens and our search for the endangered Otter begins as this is where Fernando last saw an otter. The river otters need shoreline that has heavy vegetation and boy does this fit the bill. Paul and Rafa are looking off the left side of the boat and I am searching the water’s edge to the right. Suddenly I hear Rafa excitedly say “that was a Bittern”. I quickly turn to look but it is too late as the secretive bird has flown into the cover of the trees and bushes. Paul saw the Bittern standing on a dead tree just before it took flight. To tell you how rare it is to see a Bittern, later as I look at the list of birds for the Lake area to check the Bittern off (even though I didn’t see it), I don’t see the water bird listed. Rafa tells me that they don’t bother to put the Bittern on the list because no one ever sees it. Oh great, I can’t believe that I missed this elusive bird!

Paul and Rafa looking for the southern river otter

We continue down the river which in places is very narrow but there is no sign of an otter. We break into a wider part of the river where Rafa plays the call of the Many-colored Rush-Tyrant that lives in the thick patches of reeds growing here. Luckily for us a couple of the beautiful but tiny birds come to check out the stranger that is singing to them from our boat. It is impossible to get a photo of the vibrantly colored birds but we certainly enjoy watching them.

Imagine finding a mostly submerged otter in this cover

It is time to head back, the good news is the rain which has been getting lighter has now stopped falling entirely. Again, we all peer under the trees and bushes that grow in the water on along the edge of the water. At one point I hear a large splash but Rafa sees the Spectacled duck flying away that is responsible for making the noise. I missed that bird too! We take time to admire the flowers, grass and plants that are growing on top of the many dead logs and stumps that are submerged in the river. I am not sure a human could have created a prettier garden if they tried.

Miniature gardens planted by Mother Nature. Lovely

As we are nearing the wider part of the river Fernando, who is a master at navigating this river by the way, begins to throttle the engine up since we are leaving prime otter territory. Ahead of us In the distance I see a ripple and a small shape poking above the surface of the water. I half stand and point while saying “what is that”? Rafa looks in the direction I am pointing and declares, “it’s an otter”. The otter is swimming in our direction so Fernando slows down to see what the creature will do. In the mean time Rafa who is smiling widely high fives me and Paul who really wanted to see an otter says “way to go Nancy”.

Southern River Otter. Hurray!

What happens next is unusual according to our guide. The inquisitive otter swims to our now idle boat and begins a game of hide and seek. Fernando begins to “talk” to the otter and the sound he makes is similar to the grunt of a pig. The otter will surface, take a look at us, submerge, swim under or along the boat before coming up to take another look at these odd things staring at him. It is very hard to get a photo of the otter as he can disappear in an instant but that doesn’t stop me from trying.  Rafa is videoing the rare otter with his phone and we all, (well not Fernando), are walking from side to side and end to end to try to keep tabs with our sleek visitor.  At one point the cheeky fellow stands halfway up out of the water but I didn’t get the photo of that either darn it. The otter is grunting himself part of the time and Fernando’s imitation of the otters’ voice is really good.

Often when I would click the shutter this was the result

The otter swimming by the side of our boat

I’m not sure how long our curious visitor stays, several minutes for sure, but eventually he retreats to the other side of the river. The otter swims behind a bush and comes almost completely out of the water as he peers through the branches at us. We get a final look at the little fellow as he begins swimming down the river. We all have wide grins on our faces as Fernando fires the boat up and we speed back to the dock. Rafa has told us that the best estimate is that only two or three thousand of the river otters are left. Hunting, habitat destruction and the American mink are some of the reason these personable creatures are disappearing. How did the American mink get here? People brought them in of course and the mink thrived, competing for the same food the otters eat.

The otter after he left us behind

Once we dock, we thank Fernando for the great time we had and clamber up to the walkway. As we approach the tiny parking lot, (there is room for about eight cars), we are astonished to find that our vehicle is blocked in by another row of cars. Rafa goes to see if he can find the “parking attendant” in hopes that he has the keys for the car parked behind us. Nope, he doesn’t have them and evidently isn’t very concerned that we are stuck. There are some people walking down the road to the dock and we hope that they are the owners of the car but they aren’t. A boat docks a little while later but they aren’t the car owners either. Rafa and Paul speak with another man and they look at the raised walkway that borders the small parking lot. Paul walks off the width of the walkway and compares it to the width of our vehicle. The three men huddle together and they agree that it might be possible to drive forward onto the wooden walkway far enough and then to maneuver our car to the walkway that is parallel to the car blocking us.

I retreat across the road with several other people who are beginning to take an interest in what is transpiring here. I left my camera in the car darn it but half the time I can’t bear to watch as Rafa drives the car forward, (did I mention that the walkway is elevated from the parking lot by a foot or so?), then cranks it to the left and maneuvers the two left tires onto the parallel walkway. Paul and the other man help direct Rafa in this amazing escape plan while the spectators, including me, are laughing and shaking their heads. At least one person is filming the spectacle with his phone. There is probably a YouTube video out there somewhere. Much to my amazement, Rafa, extricates the car from what looked like an impossible situation. Paul and I climb in the car laughing and shaking our heads at our capable and determined guide. We are due at Fernando’s family restaurant and that is one reason Rafa was so determined to get the car out. He also said that people often take a boat to a beach on the river so they could be gone all day.

Rafa outside Fernando’s family restaurant

Beautiful view of the Chepu River valley from the yard of the restaurant, the clouds are breaking up.

We have a wonderful meal at the restaurant, delicious chicken, potatoes and green salad but as usual there is more food than I can consume. The restaurant sits above the Chepu river valley and despite the heavy sky the view is stunning. We do a little bird watching from the yard of the restaurant after lunch and see three Chilean Flickers that are clinging to some dead trees in the distance. On our drive to Castro we see a flock of Slender-billed Parakeets flying in front of us. We have seen these parakeets before but the difference this time is that the noisy birds land in a grove of trees right next to the road. Rafa stops the car and we finally get a really good look at the colorful birds as they feast on the fruits of the trees they have landed in.

Finally the Slender-billed Parakeet lands in trees close enough for us to get a good look at them

The entrance to the Palifito where we stayed

Rafa drives to the hostel Palafito Waiwen our abode for tonight. It is really a cool place. There is a whole row of these houses on stilts which allows them to sit over the water when the tide comes in. These Palafitos were once fishermen’s’ houses making it very convenient for them to step out of their stilted houses right into their boats. The Palafitos are now hostels and hotels. We take our luggage to our room which is small but adequate. Rafa is waiting for us when we go downstairs and we proceed to walk to the town square which is probably a mile away.

Palifitos lining the edge of the fjord.

The brown double decker is where we stayed

Rafa looking at a work in progress as two artists are painting scenes over the graffiti.

Our main purpose is to visit the San Francisco church, another wooden church but this one is designated as a UNESCO world heritage sites. Once we near the square you can’t miss the brightly colored church as it towers over the lovely park. The town square is filled with people enjoying the sunshine and each other. Yes, the sun has come out and it is quite warm. The three of us go inside the church where Paul and I marvel at the intricate work that is all made of wood. The huge wooden pillars fascinate me and the multiple arches are beautiful. I sit down on a wooden pew later to just soak in the beauty around me. Paul and Rafa peruse the posters that are set up in rows that are explaining the history of the church, (there are English versions clipped to the side). I take several photos which is allowed as long as you don’t use a flash.

Beautiful San Francisco church in Castro

Incredible wooden pillars.

Lots of shapes in this photo

We take our leave of the beautiful church and Rafa points out a super market to us as we want to buy something for supper. Rafa then leaves and Paul and I go into the market to purchase some bread from the bakery, sliced cheese and water. At first the women at the cheese counter try to sell us a big chunk of cheese but after using hand gestures indicating we want something much smaller the friendly women hold up some sliced cheese. We vigorously shake our heads yes at them. This is exactly what we are looking for. We have fruit left from one of our boxed lunches so the apple and a sandwich is all we need for dinner. We enjoy our supper in the community kitchen/dining area. Afterwards I go out on the deck and take photos of the wonderful views and birds. I really like this place.

Shot from the deck of the Palifito

Brown-headed gulls perched on a picturesque boat

Partially built wooden boat just across the fjord from our Palifito

Whimbrel looking for food on a mud flat

There is an email from Dr. Amy tonight saying that Taz has slightly improved but now she is running a high temperature which doesn’t make sense to our vet. Dr. Amy is beginning to think that it isn’t the diabetes that is to blame for Taz’s illness but something else entirely. I write back and thank her for keeping me posted and again let her know I trust whatever decision she makes about my big black cat. I also let her know that we will be off the grid tomorrow and most of the next day. I have a flicker of hope for Taz but know her condition is still very bad.  Nancy

Chile, part 1

Since I have no photos for the first part of this blog I thought I would share the setting moon in December at Rock Hill Ranch

When we returned from Africa this summer our hopes of traveling to Egypt in 2019 with OAT were dashed as all their Egypt tours for 2019 were already full! In fact, we were lucky to get a spot in one of the OAT tours in 2020. When the Egypt trip for us and our good friend was confirmed the countdown to our departure date was over 600 days away. Well that did not set well with Paul who decided that we had to plan another trip to take in 2019. Have I ever mentioned that I married into a family that are travel addicts!

With Chile/Patagonia in mind, partly due to some incredible photos Paul had seen on Safari talk, Paul began researching for information about this area on the web. Paul, unlike me, can spend hours on the web and while doing research on Chile he stumbled upon a tour company called Swoop Patagonia that caught his attention. Paul liked what the English company offered for Patagonia and esp. that they would put together a private tour focusing on the things you were most interested in. Paul encouraged me to read about the wildlife and landscape found in Chile on Swoops’ website and I agreed that it was intriguing. I wasn’t real sure about the guaranteed windy conditions or the possibility of seeing every type of weather in one day in Torres del Paine, but the birds and wildlife possibilities won me over.

This sculpted snow was the result of high wind and snow we had in November

Paul contacted Swoop and the planning for a February trip began in earnest. We were told that it was very late to be booking for February (when we would be able to get away) as this was the high time for tourists in Chile. Most people book a year in advance esp. for the Patagonia area. So, we were asking this company that specializes in Patagonia to put a tour together in less than four months. Chloe took up the challenge of coming up with a tour following Paul’s suggestions of what we would enjoy. Chloe proved to be up to the task when a few weeks later she had put together what looked to be an incredible adventure. Chile here we come.

We are two days from winging our way to Chile and the weather looks as if it could be a problem as the day we leave the forecast is for freezing rain. The day before our flight Paul and I take our diabetic cat to a pet boarding place in Manhattan. We say goodbye to the loudly protesting Taz and go to run some last-minute errands. We arrive home before three and check the weather again. It hasn’t changed much for us but the forecast for KC is much worse. We waffle a bit wondering if we should leave this afternoon when an email from Paul’s cousin arrives in which he writes that if it was him he would leave now. The advice from the well-respected cousin helps us decide to do just that. We are already packed but we have a “things to do before we leave the house” list that we rush through and an hour and a half later we are motoring towards Kansas City.

Taz our diabetic cat who has to be boarded when we are gone because she needs insulin shots!

We get on the turnpike at Topeka and once we pass Lawrence there are flashing signs at intervals cautioning motorists to watch out for ice on overpasses and bridges. Upon reading this information we call Air Park Express, where we will be leaving our car, and ask the very helpful woman who answers the phone about hotels close to them and about road conditions. It turns out there are lots of hotels to choose from within a mile of the facility and she gives us the exit to take off of I29 to get to the hotels. She also says that the roads were okay when she came to work about an hour ago but the forecast is for worsening conditions. Yikes.

The road conditions seem fine until we turn off the turnpike onto I435 and cross into Missouri. We soon begin to encounter the “worsening conditions”. There is snow blowing across the highway for a short distance, then we drive through some freezing rain, then there is an area where snow has blanketed the fields but the road seems to be okay. It is getting dark when we turn off on exit twelve and we breathe a sigh of relief since we made it without incidence. We nix the first hotel we stop at after looking at the room but find a Comfort Inn a block away and say this will do. There is no restaurant but Paul finds a vending machine in the lobby and we have a package of crackers and cookies for supper.  I reluctantly agree to watch the KU vs KSU basketball game since there really is nothing else to do and I am stunned when my team, K-State beats Paul’s team Kansas. Sometimes miracles happen!

The next morning, we go down for breakfast and it appears that the bad weather that was forecasted for last night never materialized. Cars and trucks are zooming by on I29 and Paul walks outside and says there appears to be little in the way of ice. After we eat, Paul goes to exercise on the hotels treadmill and I walk the hallways and stairs of the hotel. After all we will be sitting for hours on a plane before long.  We shower and laze around since we don’t have to check out until noon. I happen to look out our window just past eleven and tell Paul things have changed. Ice is building up on the windshields of parked cars and patchy ice can be seen on the asphalt. Shoot.

We carry our luggage downstairs and check out. Paul goes to get the car but due to having to scrape the thick coat of ice off of our windshield it takes him awhile to arrive at the door to load our luggage. Paul drives slowly and safely to the car park and then gives our keys to the attendant. There are two other people waiting for the airport shuttle who were driving on the highway just now. Both of them witnessed accidents along the way including one where a jeep slid across the highway barely missing a school bus. We encourage our shuttle driver to take his time as we pass some vehicles that have slid into the ditch. Our driver delivers us to the American terminal and now we have to hope no flights will be canceled. Our flight isn’t until three-thirty so I nervously look at the departure board now and then and am so grateful every time I see, “on time” next to our flight number.

More snow sculptures from the November storm

We arrive in Dallas a bit late but we have plenty of cushion time before our flight to Santiago. The jet is packed full with lots of people traveling with children but all is fairly tranquil for the duration of the flight. I manage to sleep four hours of the nine-hour flight but Paul only slept for a couple of hours. We arrive at Santiago a bit late but again we have plenty of time before we have to board our flight to Port Mont. Thank you Hillary for making sure we had adequate time between flights!

There is nothing that gives Paul and I more relief then walking out of the baggage claim area and seeing someone holding up a placard with the name Paul Miller written on it. The pretty young woman greets us with a smile and hug, then apologizes for not speaking much English. We apologize for not speaking any Spanish and follow her to the car. We are only 20 minutes from Puerto Varas where we are spending our first night in Chile. The young woman does point out the stunning trio of volcanoes, in which two of the cone-shaped mountains dominate the skyline. The most eye-catching volcano, Osorno, is the proverbial conical shape and snow-capped, while the middle volcano, Tronador, sitting far in the distance is also sporting a snow cap. The monstrous volcano Calbuco, on the left has no blanket of snow and we find out later that this volcano last erupted in 2015. Let us hope that this active mountain is not thinking about blowing its top any time soon.

Osorno on the left and Calbuco on the right.

Our driver parks the car and escorts us to the hotel, Mero Gaucho, where we are staying tonight. I already like this place because it has birds painted on the outside wall. The owners have turned this 1930’s house into a very attractive hotel. The floors are wood, (original floors I’m pretty sure), as are many of the walls, a beautiful staircase leads up to the small but adequate rooms, (our room has a wonderful terrace) and someone is a very good interior decorator as the lobby is very appealing.

A really poor photo of our hotel.

Mero Gaucho lobby

Breakfast area

After checking in with the friendly receptionist and depositing our bags in our room we decide to check out the small city of Puerto Varas. The receptionist has drawn suggestions of where to walk to see historical buildings, where some good eating places are, among other things of interest but we forgot to take the map along so we just wander. We first walk to Lake Llanquihue where the three volcanos serve as a backdrop. The view is just breathtaking with the deep blue water, the snow-capped volcano and the bright sunlight which accents the whole scene. The people we meet often look us in the eye and say “Ola” plus when we are crossing streets the drivers stop and politely motion us to cross. Wow, in every other South American and Central American country we have visited, crossing the street is a “run for your life” encounter as pedestrians get no respect.

Paul poses on our way to Lake Llanquihue

An interesting sculpture

Paul and I do find one of the restaurants our helpful receptionist suggested, The Daruma Tea House. We decide to share a barbecue pork sandwich and what a great choice we made. The meat is melt in your mouth tender and it is topped with a creamy coleslaw. A bit messy to eat but as good of a sandwich as I have ever had. Paul wants dessert and after agonizing over all the choices of delectable pastries on display, he settles on a piece of cake which the waiter explains is a special German recipe. I have a couple of bites and it is quite good.

Look at the size of these roses!

After our early supper we happen to walk by the office of Bird Chile which is the company that will be driving and guiding us for the next few days. We walk in and introduce ourselves to the young women that are in the office. We end up shoring up our plans for tomorrow and find out that the owner of Bird Chile is going to be our guide. Well all right!

A close up of one of the drummers.

As we are heading back to Mero Gaucho, the sound of drums catches our attention and we turn left instead of right to search for the drummers. There is a small park where a trio of men are putting on quite a show. I wished I had taken video because the performance of the drummers was just incredible. The men, well two men and a boy,  beat out a tempo on the drum carried on their backs while spinning in an ever-tightening circle. A strap attached to their shoes would crash cymbals together whenever they placed their heels on the pavement. I have no idea how they managed to walk a straight line when they finished with their pirouetting but they did. It made me dizzy just watching them. Naturally, they passed a hat around at the end of the show and Paul gladly put money into it.

The trio of drummers that put on a heck of a show

The youngest member could spin like a top

We walk back to the hotel and prepare for our departure tomorrow. We both shower and are asleep by nine o’clock.

Next blog, Chiloe Island.