Puerto Montt

Saturday 6th February

Walked down the hill to the seafront which is really very pleasant. There is a band practicing with a sound system intended to be heard all over the city.  Puerto Montt is a bit of an ugly town, by comparison with the rest, the modern shopping mall looks quite good,  but the town has a fantastic location in a bay with views across to distant snow capped mountains. Walked back along the route I had followed from the Navimag drop off point since I noticed a couple of tour companies on the way and some quaint little streets.

Puerto Montt

Is this the World's Ugliest Statue?
http://www.complex.com/style/NaN/Invalid%20date/the-absolutely-worst-statuses-in-the-world/two-lovers-statue

Main Square in Puerto Montt

Quaint Area

My plan was to book a tour to the Osorno volcano for tomorrow and a combined bus and boat trip to Bariloches for Monday. According to Percy several tour operators offer the latter. But neither of the two agencies in the small quaint area were offering either and they both looked rather hole in the wall places too so decided to try the bus station nearby. I have been quite impressed by Chilean and Argentine bus stations which mostly look as if they were designed by intelligent human beings. Here in Puerto Montt it is a long modern building next to the shore with offices and shops along one side and bus bays on the other. Most of the offices are for the bus companies but there are several for tour companies one of which has adverts for both Volcan Osorno and Trans Andean lakes and bus to Bariloche. Started with the Volcan Osorno excursion which includes rather more than I wanted but it is only 10 000 for the day which looks a good deal so I booked it. Leaves at the civilised hour of 1030 too. I asked about the Trans Andean lakes and bus and she was able to show me the route on the map but then explained that I would need to book with a different company Turistour. Final upshot after various enquiries and internet searches is that the bus and boat option isn’t realistic, so looks like it will be the direct bus. Back at the bus station booked seat on next available bus on Wednesday; it doesn’t run on Tuesdays and the Monday one is full.

Walking round the town found out that it was largely settled by German immigrants and there is a still a strong German influence. There is a Deutscher Verein and two of the fire engines in the Germania Fire Station have Feuerwehr emblazoned across  the front.  In the evening found Restaurant Erika, a German restaurant where I had Goulash mit Kartoffelsalat and an Austral Calafate cerveza. A menu in two languages, both of which I have only a smattering of, confused my brain even before the beer. On the TV screens in the restaurant was a documentary about diabetes, showing lots of Chile Chubbies; I have seen plenty around. Didn’t seem a good choice of programme for a restaurant. Looked around for any lively bars but didn’t find any so back to the hotel.

This is Bernardo O'Higgins.
Every town in Chile seems to have a street named after him 

German Influence

German Influence on the Fire Engine

Public Library turned into Liquor Store

There used to be a railway from Santiago to Puerto Montt.
Outside the city, the tracks are still there.

Sunday 7^th February

Plan was to drop my laundry into the Lavenderia which I had noticed near the hotel and have breakfast in one of the many cafes I saw yesterday, before going off on my excursion. Did the end of the world come last night and I missed it? Puerto Montt at 9.00 am on a Sunday morning is a ghost town! Nothing open, no people, no traffic. Back to the hotel for a slightly better than average Chilean breakfast. Chile is the only country I have visited where “coffee” is a thermos of hot water at the side and a stainless steel pot of powdered instant coffee on the table.

At the bus station our guide turned up promptly at 1030 and after several phone calls, while we waited at the side of the road outside, he managed to conjure up a bus. Again I got the seat next to the driver, whether because I am the guy with the whitest hair or the only one who doesn’t speak Spanish I don’t know. Should have mentioned that it is a beautiful, warm, sunny day. Drove north from Puerto Montt to the shore of Lake Llanquihue which looks more like the sea, with proper beaches, and from where we had our first glimpse of the symmetrical snow capped volcano,  and then to Lake La Poza where we had a half hour boat trip. The lake is quite small but absolutely beautiful surrounded by steep sides covered with luxuriant forest, it looks quite tropical.  From there we drove to a restaurant at the side of Lake Llanquihue for a buffet lunch which was surprisingly good, although it wasn’t cheap at 11,000 pesos. Good selection of salads with freshly barbecued meats and lots of deserts, although I found the last to be a bit bland. Currently reading Dispatches from the Sofa by Frank Skinner a comedian who is obviously pretty bright and comes over as having little time for anyone who isn’t, or who is overweight; “Let’s go back to Fatty Baiting”. Reason for mentioning this is that, looking at the considerable number of Chile chubbies loading up their plates, it isn’t difficult to see the link between food input and weight gain. Yes, I know it is a buffet and we are all tempted to over-indulge but no one forced them to pay for it; they could have relaxed on the beach outside with a fat free sugar free yoghurt. Good opportunity to take some photos of the volcano across the lake.

Osorno Volcano

Lake La Poza 

Boat Trip on Lake La Poza

After lunch we headed to another stunningly beautiful lake, Lake Todos los Santos, where we had another boat trip. From there to the Petrohué Cascades and after that to the volcano itself. We didn’t drive as far up the volcano as I was hoping, but apart from that, the day was brilliant, much better than I had expected, helped immensely, of course, by the equally  brilliant weather. Our last stop was in Puerto Varas a “sea-side” resort on Lake Llanquihue. Seems odd that the resort should be on the lake rather than the nearby sea; is the water warmer? Puerto Varas is totally different from Puerto Montt only 20 km away. It’s much prettier, with dozens of up-market lake-side hotels, cafes, tourist shops and a packed beach, everything you would expect in a resort. Finally headed back to Puerto Montt. In the evening all the bars and restaurants were closed so it was down to the convenience store in the petrol station for some nibbles.   

Boat Trip on Lake Todos los Santos

Perfect Weather on Lake Todos los Santos

Petrohué Cascades

Romance at the Petrohué Cascades

Osorno Volcano

Puerto Varas claims to be the City of Roses

Crowded Puerto Varas Beach