Arriving on the boat from Puerto Natales to Puerto Montt (a city of something like 90% fishermen) we were lucky enough to get the first taxi to the bus terminal, a seething mass of confused tourists and vendors hawking tickets to everywhere you don´t want to go. This is where you make or break your plans; not finding a long distance ticket available, you settle for a nicer looking city half and hour away. In my case I made it to Puerto Varas, an intimate little german immigrant town of some 20,000 people, situated on a beautiful lake you could easily mistake for the ocean except for the two volcanoes looming on the far shore.
Having found the restaurants here quite pricey, we´re keen to celebrate (I´ve been hanging out with Brits and Aussies for the past 3 days, pardon my strange adjectives) with a nice picnic on the beach. You find fresh fruit for sale on every street corner here-- strawberries, cherries, nectarines-- and being New Year´s Eve the grocery store is a madhouse. The bread section was totally wiped out, and as soon as a fresh batch was put out there were grandmas fighting over it.
There will be fireworks over the lake tonight, and with some clear weather we should have a marvelous time. Hope you all do as well.
Doug
Not only was the weather great, we joined the locals dancing in the streets. The highlight for everyone was doing the ´train´ -- there was a tostada vendor with a train shaped cart that circled in the street blowing his whistle while we trailed behind him.
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3 comments:
Wow, that's quite a boat trip. Sounds like you're eating a lot of fruit and fish. Better find a steak soon!
Hey, I heard on the news this morning about the volcano in Conguillio National Park--looks to be a ways away from where you were on the 31st...
Yeah its strange, I was eating fish and mashed potatoes and all kinds of things I don´t normally eat on the boat. Then on New Years I got a photo of me eating some lettuce! Time for some ice cream I think...
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