Rocky Roads to Paradise

The internet connection in Chile has been sporadic at best, or at least in the places I've been, which is frustrating when I so want so badly to share this amazing opportunity with everyone. With every new fancy hotel (and not-so fancy hostel) I keep trying but with no luck. Lets hope this entry makes it to daylight.

Okay, so before retracing all my steps, how about you check out this short visual montage of the sights and sounds enjoyed on my first day in Chile.



Right after posting my last blog on Sunday, I rested my head at the spanking new Hotel Cumbres in beautiful Peurto Varas. This spacious (just opened up in July this summer) serves up one complimentary Pisco Sour cocktail during your first nights stay. Pisco Sour seems to be the nations beverage of choice, sometimes even a nice primer before a glass of Chilean red wine. I like it.

Rest was needed and lots of it so I soaked up in the pool and sauna and then fell vast asleep.

Early Monday morning, a bus pulled up and whisked us off to was explore volcanoes, hot springs, lakes and fjords in the Patagonia Green region. We did all this via bus, ferry and foot.

There is only one road, a winding dirt path with creaky one-lane bridges and loose rock, to take you from the closest airport (Puerto Montt) straight into the heart of this remote destination. When other on-coming buses in the other lane needed to pass us, our driver would swing off to the shoulder and wait his turn. That's how small a space some turns and rickety old bridges afforded us. A disconcerting ride unless you do what I do - fall asleep.

No, unfortunately, paving bumpy roads wouldn't be worth it (or at least hasn't been worth it in the past) because heavy rainfall washes away most of the efforts. But a huge investment in tourism has cleared the way for better road maintenance and a better quality of reconstruction. Hence, you'll see bulldozers and forklifts and piles of stones ready for action along the ride south to Hornopiren.

No surprise, there is less than 1 person per square mile in these magnificent parts. It's just not easy to build roads here. Those that do live here, in amall wooden homes, cling precariously to footing that can also be easily washed away during heavy spring rains. It's a risk they take living so close to a visual paradise.