The Lakes District

Above Patagonia, in Chile and Argentina is the beautiful Lakes district where the landscape is all mountains, lakes and volcanoes. Our first stop here was Bariloche, which is technically at the top of Patagonia. This town was full of St. Bernard's and chocolate shops. They were even building the worlds largest chocolate egg during our stay (to be finished by Easter).

 

From here we took a bus ride acrosss the border to Valdivia. On our day stop in this town we went on a tour of a submarine which was all in Spanish, so we didn't understand much, watched some sealions lounging at the back of the fish market waiting for a fish head and took a bus to the local Kunstmann brewery to sample some German inspired, Chilean beer.

Next stop was Pucon, an adventure town set on a lake with a volcano. We got off the bus here with nowhere to stay and happened to bump into a couple of Americans and New Zealand guy with a bag of meat who invited us back to their hostel for a room and a BBQ. We took up the offer and enjoyed our say in a very laid back hostel that was more like stayIng at a mates place.

Black sand beach on the lake

Climbing the volcano is the number one attraction for tourists in Pucon, so we signed ourselves up. Unfortunately we got some pretty ordinary guides for our trip, they didn't allow me (Tara) and another girl go to the top basically because we were too slow. They said it was dangerous because we didn't have the energy to move for falling rocks, but sitting at the spot where we turned back, I saw girls in worse condition than me go on :( Anyway, we girls had a bit of a bitch and a laugh about it at the base and I decided I will try to see the top of a volcano again in Costa Rica.

James had a bit more luck with the climb, he made it to the top to see a magnificent view, get a mouth full of toxic fumes and slide down the snow to speed up the descent. Dressed in a ridiculous outfit which included an 'arse protecter', the slide down is also aided by a plastic paddle which you sit on. This has two main benefits; it further protects your arse from the snow/ice/rocks and it also makes you slide down extremely quickly!

The top of the volcano

The arse paddle

James in sliding gear

 

James also did a hydrospeed excursion which is a cross between white water rafting and boogie boarding down a river. Decked out in a full wetsuit, helmet and flippers you float down the near freezing crystal clear water through the rapids making sure not to get caught by a trout fisherman standing on the banks. It was a lot of fun and hopefully we will get the chance to do it again.