And onwards to the Lake District: Chile's answer to Switzerland...

If you are looking for a little corner of Switzerland, complete with placid lakes, gushing waterfalls, greenery blooming everywhere you turn and snow-topped peaks, then look no further than El Chico Sur and the Lake District.  A place full of surprising scenery, magical places and the best German kuchen I've tasted outside Germany!

With Jessica, a Chilean friend from Concepción, I started the cold, exhausting journey from Conce bus station at 12.30am.  It took 4 hours to reach the city of Temuco where we had to wait in the bus station until our connecting bus passed at 5.30am.  I was surprised at how busy the station was at such an early hour.  I was even more surprised at how a little three year old boy was running up and down, up and down the station with such gusto while we were flaking despite copious amounts of coffee!  Oh to be young again!  The lack of sleep was definitely no problem though, as the buses are so comfortable, and all passengers are provided with a pillow and blanket so I had no trouble nodding off when we boarded the second bus and declined back into our "semi-beds".

By the time we arrived at our final destination, picturesque Pucón, the sun had risen and the birds were tweeting merrily.  I could tell the town was going to be quaint, as even the bus station resembled a cosy log cabin.  Ravaged with hunger, we entered the first place that looked likely to serve food, and tucked into a portion of Manjar pancakes; so nice, we ordered them twice!

Our hostel, La Bicicleta, especially noticeable as it was adorned with an old bike perched on the roof, was excellent value for money, providing a twin room for the price of an eight bed dorm in many other establishments.  The host, José, runs the business with his wife, and they also live in the building with their three adorable children.  Having met in Viña, the couple decided they wanted more than a 9 to 5 office job in their home town so they upped and left to start a small bike rental business in San Pedro de Atacama, renting  them from a popular cafe for tourists.  After the birth of their first baby, they decided to follow José's dream of running a hostal and moved to Pucón.  They currently rent the wooden construction, but desire to buy and expand it in the near future.  Every morning we woke up to a wonderful sight as our bedroom window looked onto the towering snow-topped Villarica volcano.  Sometimes the clouds were floating in just the right position to give the impression that it was blowing its top!

The presence of not only Volcán Villarica, but also four other volcanoes in this region alone, reminded me once more that I am currently residing in a country of extreme natural beauty but at times this nature can be devastating to the flora and fauna surrounding it.  There were evacuation signs throughout the town in case of eruption, and later in the trip we were informed that Villarica was one of the most active volcanoes in Chile.  Despite this, hundreds of tourists attempt to reach its summit each year, and it must be said that unfortunately not all succeed.  Needless to say Jessica and I did not take that risk, and instead opted for the enchanting experience provided by the Termas Geométricas.

See my next post to find out about our thermal spa and national park adventures...