Orsano Volcano can be seen across the lake from Puerto Varas if it’s a clear day.  Fortunately, the 8,000-foot-tall volcano hasn’t erupted since 1869. There is another volcano that can also be seen from town, Calbuco, that erupted in 2015—the first time since 1972.  This morning, we got a peak at the volcanos in between the clouds that were forming and threatening to douse us with our first rain in eight days.  Fortunately, as it turned out, it didn’t rain until late in the day, when we were indoors, and it didn’t matter.

A rainy morning would have made for a messy and slippery hike—our first activity of the day.  It rains a lot over ten months of the year at  Petrohue Falls in Vicente Perez Rosales National Park , so we were lucky this wasn’t a wet day. 

The park is a popular tourist destination, so Andrea made sure to get us up and out early to beat the crowds.

Following our guided hike with Daniel, our local guide, we took a break for another “discovery” (we were getting good at the traditional toast by then), before having free time to explore the falls on our own.  The sun broke out from the clouds revealing a beautiful landscape and a snow-capped volcano.  Bruce and I spent almost all our time just watching the clouds pass by, listening to the water, and hoping for a better view of the volcano.  It was lovely!

(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)

Scenes from our hike:

After we returned to Puerto Varas, we had a few hours of free time to grab lunch and enjoy the town.  We quickly grew fond of empanadas when we were in Argentina, but the ones we picked up at Café Danes were the best!

Here are more scenes around Puerto Varas:

This is what the Chilean currency looks like. Their peso was valued a bit stronger than the Argentinean peso; however, they print larger denominations, making our wallets less bulky! Today’s exchange rate: $1 USD = 975 CLP. So, that green 1000 note is worth a little more than $1.

Later in the afternoon, we visited the Combas Music School, a wonderful school that is supported by Grand Circle Foundation.  This was the first performance for the new music students—so charming!

The evening was spent doing what Bruce and I look forward to each time we travel with Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT): a home hosted dinner.  It is always a great opportunity to visit with a family, enjoy the cuisine of their country, and have meaningful cultural interaction.

Our group of 16 was split in half to visit two different homes.  Bruce and I were assigned to Carolina and George, a warm and wonderful young couple.  As soon as we stepped into their home, I felt comfortable, and I loved much of the décor!  It felt almost too familiar; they were listening to American classic rock played by their local radio station!

Throughout Argentina and Chile, we had enjoyed Pisco Sour cocktails—a South American favorite—and learned how to make them at our hotel.  Carolina and George welcomed us with their version, which they make with whatever fruit they have available at the time.  Delicious!

Carolina taught us how to make empanadas, which we enjoyed with our cocktails.  We all took turns making our own and George fried them while we chatted in the kitchen.  They were eager to learn where we were all from and to tell them something about our state.  Carolina had a map marking where all the OAT travelers they had hosted were from, and she was eager to see if we were from any new states.

In between the laughs we all shared, we learned a lot about the two of them and their views about Chile.  Carolina is a former English teacher and now has her own business raising and selling plants.  George, also a business owner, is a landscape builder.

They explained that much like many countries throughout the world, including Argentina and the U.S.A., Chile is very politically divided.  Their current president, Gabriel Boric, is far left—opposite of Argentina’s far-right president.  Asked what their top concern is for their country, Carolina and George agreed that crime and safety worry them the most.  In October of 2019, there was a “spontaneous” (organized?) uprising in the city centers throughout the country.  Young people burned churches and city buildings causing major destruction.  They doubt it was spontaneous at all.  After all, ten metro stations in ten different cities burned at the same time.  Speculation is that it was connected to mafia.

As we learned about our hosts and their concerns for their country (which sounded all too familiar; they echoed concerns we have in the U.S.A.), we enjoyed delicious corn pie with chicken—a traditional Chilean dish, followed by a German dessert.  German?  Yes, many Germans settled in Puerto Varas and the region, just like they had in Bariloche.

The evening ended too soon, as it always does during a home hosted dinner.  It was so enjoyable; the time flew by!

Coming up next:  ARGENTINA & CHILE #9: CHARMING CHILOE ISLAND