Rain Rain Go Away

Saturday, Jan 24

The day began with the sunrise as we were driving Linc and Ruthie to their ferry boat through the lakes of the Andes to Bariloche, Argentina. After a quick breakfast we hit the road again for Petrohue, a town over by the base of the Volcan Osorno. Unfortunately the entire morning was a washout which put a damper on our plans to see the waterfalls in the rivers of Petrohue. After miles of unpaved roads in a small Toyota Yaris we finally made it to the waterfalls. We braved the elements and hiked up to the lookout over the river. Normally the river is a bright glacial blue color, but due to the runoff from the rain the water was a frothy brown color. Despite the color change the waterfalls and rapids were quite impressive. Rising above the river were sleep cliffs immersed in lush green vegetation. With clouds and streames of fog crawling along the cliffs, the scenery looked eerily like Jurassic Park, and I think were we all waiting for a Veloca Raptor to spring out of the rain-soaked brush.

The rain made the rocks extremely slippery and I of course made an ass of myself as I tried to pass someone on the trail and took a digger into a huge puddle. So much for trying to impress…It was really embarrassing and made the rest of the hike and drive uncomfortable with wet jeans and saturated hiking shoes. I might as well have taken a dip in the brown river.

We continued on to the end of the road where the ferry was docked and loading up for the 10 hour trip through the glacial lakes of the Andes. We said our goodbyes and we were off for our own adventure ascending Osorno in a red Toyota Yaris.

The weather started to break and we could see pieces of blue sky as we began the long drive up the volcano. The temperature was about 70 degrees Fahrenheit at the base of the volcano and slowly dropped as we pushed the Yaris to its limits summiting the snow-capped volcano. When we made it the road’s end, about 2/3 of the way up, we were greeted by the Volcan Osorno Ski Lodge. Exiting the car it began to snow as we were deep into the cloud cover. We made a brief stop to explore the small lodge before succumbing to the cold (we weren’t prepared for freezing temperatures).
For those of you who know my driving technique in a stick shirt car, you know that the ride down the volcano was a dream come true. Miles of coasting! It couldn’t be beat, and as we emerged from the cloud veil draped over the summit of Osorno we were greeted by rays of sunshine burning off the morning rain.

On our way back to Puerto Varas we stopped at the Yankee Way Lodge to explore the famous resort known for housing a number of celebrities on Chilean holiday. We sat down for a bite to eat at the Latitude 42 restaurant. Interestingly enough we are at the same latitude in the southern hemisphere as Duxbury, MA in the northern Hemisphere. Lunch was a delicious splurge on sea food with salmon locks and a king crab stew. The restaurant had the feel of a New England lodge with a giant volcanic rock fire place. We began with drinks by the fire and moved to the dining room for our meal. It was quite the experience and at a price of 10,000 pesos for lunch we couldn’t believe the affordability.

We returned home from our morning excursion for a quick nap before heading south to Puerto Montt to take stock our apartment with groceries and small furniture. The afternoon of shopping was a success as we found just about everything we were looking for…even a small grill for our outdoor patio. Unfortunately, we forgot the lighter fluid so we still have yet to use the grill.

We arrived home and cooked our first homemade meal of chicken cutlets, broccoli, fried zucchini, and salad. What a meal, and it got the ball rolling for more home cooked meals to come. Both Lily and I are excited to experiment and fend for ourselves in the kitchen. So far, the first meal was a hands down success.