Last port! Boo Hoo! Today we have a tour with some of our new friends, and we all meet at the Java Cafe at 8:00 to try to grab a tender. They are a little more strict today with the tender lines and we can’t get down to level 3 until they are ready – but we all manage to get on the first tender (it was a little tense there for a while!) and head off to find GV Tours for our all day tour of the Puerto Montt area.
Veronica and Gail Stein (yes, Stein) are waiting for us right where they said, outside the port gates. After a little confusion about who was riding with whom, we all trooped down the street to our waiting van with Annie, Veronica and Gail’s daughter. There are 12 of us stuffed into a fairly rickettedy van (complete with cracked windshield and jump seats that reclined when they really probably weren’t supposed to) and after the police inspect the van, ask for the papers and to see the tire iron, we’re off to see the sights.
Annie is an absolute delight, giving us the history, the politics and the environmental background on Puerto Montt and Chile. This is the lake district of Chile and we’re going to the largest lake in country, Lake Llanquihue. Lake Llanquihue is surrounded by quaint little towns – a few German villages (from when the Germans settled in the area in the 1800s) - and incredible volcanoes (some of which are still active). As we drive up the Pan American highway, the skies, which were overcast with quite chilly temperatures, begin to clear and the temps start to rise.
We arrive in Frutillar after about 40 minutes and get out to explore the little German enclave. We have coffee and an absolute awesome square of mint chocolate at a little German cafe (where we all successfully resisted the sinfully delicious looking kuchen displayed on the counter) and use the facilities. Then we all wander down to the lake to gaze across the water and take in all the great Germanic type architecture. It’s a cute little town – and a nice little pit stop on our tour.
Back in the van, which loading it with all of us is an adventure in itself, we head out to Puerto Varas, a larger German style village on the lake. Here, we wander around for 1/2 an hour, trying to avoid the hordes of cruise tour people that are here from their tours. It’s a beautiful day, and we can see the volcano pretty clearly now (which Annie said is quite unusual). We look through some arts and crafts stalls, and watch a guy paint tiles with just his fingers (and they are gorgeous) then head back to the van for the drive to lunch.
Along the way, we take pictures out the windows of the Volcanoes like crazy. Annie takes us to a spot where we can get out and take pictures – and where there is a little zip line we can try. What a blast! I so want to do a real zip line – now even more. It was great just flying down this little clothesline type zip line. Too fun. There were also llamas here, grazing all over the fields and cottages you could rent overnight. It was a pretty fun little place.
Next stop is the restaurant for lunch, Don Salmon. It’s an adorable open air kind of place, overlooking the lake and the Calbuco Volcano. The lunch is fine, a choice of lamb or Salmon, plus salad and dessert. Ed and I both got the lamb, which saw was being grilled outside on a wood fired grilled as we arrived. Everything was very tasty, including the wine and the beer! And it was great sitting inside, with the sun shining through the huge plate glass windows looking out at the volcano.
Our next and final stop are the Petrohue waterfalls. It’s about a 500 metre walk through the forest to get to these spectacular falls – and worth the effort. The water is the bluest of blues (from the copper sediments in the water) and the way the water rushes over the lava rocks is incredible – made more picturesque by the fact that they are framed by the Osorno and Calbuco Volcanoes. Not quite as grand as Iguazu, but nonetheless spectacular with their intrinsic beauty and force of rushing white water.
It’s time to return back to the ship. An hour long ride gives us all time to gaze at the scenery and nap a bit before diving into the hustle and bustle of downtown Puerto Montt. We get the the dock about 4:45 – and all decide not to shop at the market. Probably a wise decision since the line for the tenders is horrific. Ed and I wander a bit looking for beer and wine. Annie has reminded us that Sunday is National Election day, and nothing (emphasis on the “nothing”) will be open that day. It is illegal to be open during voting. So – we’re taking precautionary measures and stock up on an extra 6 pack and litre of wine for our hotel room.
After our successful shopping excursion, we hit the tender line, where after 1/2 hour, we board our final tender back to the ship. Only 1 sea day remains – can’t believe it’s gone by so quickly! We’re looking forward to Chile, Vina del Mar and the vineyard tour, but we’re sad to leave our little NCL Sun home for the last 14 days.
No comments:
Post a Comment