Dec 21 DAY 33 Pucón

Chile has extraordinary geographic diversity and those who come to this land for adrenaline producing excitement can find it in Pucón. It’s a pretty town on Lake Villarrica, boasting black sand beaches and a snow capped volcano sharing the same name. Flocks come to climb the volcano with ice gear,engage in white water rafting, kayaking, trekking; many other activities are available too. Shops offering such excursions and brand-name gear line the streets. Restaurants are varied and a few offer fine cuisine.

After saying goodbye to the family from Idaho, I found a wonderful small inn, Sophia Hostal and settled in. It’s run by a very kind older couple who immediately made me feel at home. The next day, while walking around town, I met Gina, a Mapuche woman, one of Chile’s indigenous tribes. She works in an information agency and offered me extensive travel ideas. Gina had two dreams in her life: one to visit Israel, the other to visit Venice. Her time in Israel left her fluent in Hebrew and has since converted to Judaism. I noted her speaking to Israeli tourists with ease, but left forgetting to ask if she’s made it yet to Venice.

Pucón is a place many people love, but the touristy feel was not what I came to Chile for. No doubt, with more time and effort I might have found something closer to what I was looking for, but after considering my options and a long stroll, I decided to head on.

To get off the well trodden circuit I took a bus to Temuco.