Leaving Patagonia for Entre Lagos, Chile
Puyehue National Parque and Aguas Calientes
The three remaining expedition members left Patagonia after spending nine days there to head back to the mainland on a blustery, sunny day. The takeoff on our jet from Puerto Natales was one to remember. Several hard banks to get above the tropical depression force winds bracing down continuously onto the steppe from the mountains and entanglement of seas, straights, and channels. I remember thinking that this magnificent land at the bottom of the continent is not for the faint of heart. The weather, always driven by an upcoming wind, was fierce. The clouds moved so fast. The peaks and glaciers remained a constant backdrop to the eye, yet they were so far away to grasp and when arriving before them, to comprehend, especially through the eyes of a camera. In the patagonian steppe, lots of agriculture and grazing lands have taken the place of smaller forests that once sheltered against the wind before settlers and explorers from europe and latin america began to need room. Looking back, I feel privileged and thankful to have trekked in it. Its beautiful wildlife including flamingos, ostriches, huanacos, and condors flourish amidst harsh conditions. I hope the region survives the flow of tourism that allowed us to see it.
Leaving Patagonia
Back in the mainland we arrived in Puerto Montt, a transportaion hub-city at the bottom of the PanAmerican Highway. Yes, the one that theoretically goes all the way to Vancouver, Canada. Geographically, it is at the bottom of the Chilean mainland, and travel further south from this point requires a boat or plane. But we were headed north into the lakes district. The trees and calm breezes were welcoming. Our next step that afternoon was to take a couple buses to Entre Lagos, a town near Parque Nacional Puyehue. The Puerto Montt bus station was chaotic and busy, to say the least. Almost all of the buses were headed north towards Santiago, yet with five different bus companies, three different classes of buses, and buses leaving in 10 or 15 minute intervals, it was an interesting experience of shouting and pointing with the assistant bus operators to try and find the exact one printed on our receipts. Mild culture shock set in after the barren miles of Patagonia. We made it to Osorno, another smaller city, by 9pm to catch our last local bus (more like a small bus with a driver and one assistant in charge of telling the Americans when it was time to get off). We got lucky and made it onto the last one headed for Entre Lagos, a 45 minute ride in the dark. Kind of adventurous since we had no reservations upon arrival. We got lucky and spent that night in the first "cabina" sign we saw in Entre Lagos and had a two room cabin complete with kitchen all to ourselves.
The next day was spent in nearby Puyehue Nacional Parque, a mass of evergreen forests surrounding Volcan Puyehue where we hiked and enjoyed the agua calientes. I compared it to the northwestern United States where ancient volcanoes rise up out of the thick forests. Some old growth was apparent. Seasonally, this was their drier summer, much like in Oregon. Expedition member Crume sure was happy. Secretly, I was too. This was a nice retreat. Well earned. We met some vacationing Chileans and one Argentinean and discussed the economic slowdown in Chile. We stayed in the cabina one more night and then headed out early the next morning for Pucon.
Puyehue Nacional Parque and Agua Calientes
