Lost, not deserted!

So much has happened since I last wrote. Unfortunately, we didn’t have internet for the rest of the trip, so I couldn’t update all of you. But, here goes.

I was so miserable the final day I spent with everyone. We had formed a mismatched inconvenient sort of family – the kind that irks the **** out of you but you still cant get enough of! A couple of people left before we did, and I was fine until then. But when my two companions and I were leaving, I was just so sad. Don’t get me wrong.. Im really not the crying type! But I wished so hard that we could have stayed just one more day with everyone else and then gone to Viña again with them.

We were so busy saying a million goodbyes to about 10 people that we almost missed our bus to Pucón, which was to be our new hometown for the next week. Like all rockstar travellers though, we made it… just as the bus was about to pull out!

An all night bus drive later, I opened my eyes to the small, charismatic town of Pucón. Early in the morning, the streets were deserted and there was a chilly wind blowing. Not the ideal settings for a fantastic week, we all thought. We made it to our hostel and started to settle in for the day after a hiccup with the booking (made for the days after we were to check out!).

Ravenous and cranky, we set out in search for breakfast. And boy, did we hit jackpot! One street ahead of us, in a little hostel called Ecolé, we had the most delicious all American breakfast of eggs, toast and sautéed potatoes! But my favorite bit was – IT WAS A VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT! No longer was I to die hungry for lack of choices!

By the time we left the restaurant, we were satiated and feeling exploratory, so we walked to the town center. More people had started to come out by 10am, and we could see what a quaint little tourist area this was. In the distance, Vulcan Villarica rose majestically with a snow capped plateau showing in the clear cloudless sky. The lake was yet to be seen, but a short distance away, with the promise of warmer waters than the Antarctic currents elsewhere and warm, black volcanic sand.

We started off strong – horseback riding the first day! A first for the other two, and it was hilarious to see them start off timid and nervous, but after a beautiful two hour hike getting bolder by the minute. We stopped at a point where the guide said was a short trek to a gorgeous waterfall. Lies! This was no short trek! Up and down the side of a rocky mountain we seemed to scale! Holding branches, rocks, and each other for dear life – this was our true test of friendship, which we passed with flying colors. Thankfully, I can safely say that the waterfall turned out to be worth the trip after all!

More about our adventures to be continued…