You are also invited to visit his blog at: http://awadosa.blogspot.com. You'll find more pictures and stories there.
Showing posts with label Lake district. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lake district. Show all posts
Friday, 14 May 2010
Guest Picture Album
Ohad has some great photos from the Chilean lake district of us, the Villarica and the waterfall reppeling from Pucon.
You are also invited to visit his blog at: http://awadosa.blogspot.com. You'll find more pictures and stories there.
You are also invited to visit his blog at: http://awadosa.blogspot.com. You'll find more pictures and stories there.
Friday, 30 April 2010
Chilean Lake District
There is only a 5 hour ride by bus from Bariloche (Argentina) to Osorno (Chile), but what a difference! Life on the western side of the Andes looks simpler. Throughout our trip across the Chilean lake district we mostly slept in very simple Hospedajes, on the upper floor of crumbling houses made of wood and tin. Nothing fancy like Bariloche. No chocolate as well...
For us, Osorno was the first real city we saw for a long time. Not a small village or touristic shiny city, but a regular town with regular people leaving their regular lives. Most of the tourists won´t stay here for more than the few hours they need to wait for the bus to Pucon. Maybe that is the reason we liked it. There are so few tourists in Osorno that we had to look for hours around the city center until we found the only car rental company in town. If you do pass through Osorno, don't miss the cathedral near the main Plaza. It is definitely the most beautiful cathedral we saw in South America. It is a modern building made of exposed concrete and wood. The interior is stunning and the natural lighting coming from the upper windows creates endless games of light and shadows. Despite its size and the exposed concrete, the feeling is cosy and warm.
The hospedaje we slept in that night was cold, noisy, with no good hot water and uncomfortable beds. We liked it very much! The owners of the hospedaje were the nicest father and son which had 3 dogs! It is amazing how the Chileans will not give up on having a dog (or two, or three, or ten) even if they haven´t got enough money for themselves. Two of the dos were a sheep like small mother and daughter and the third was the a handsome Afgan Borzoi named Simon (as can be seen in the picture).
The next day in the afternoon we drove to Puerto Varas, passing on the way the amazing view of a full rainbow above lake Llanquihue in Frutillar. Puerto Varas was the most touristic stop on our trip to the lake district. There are some important signs for touristic towns, such as the large tourist information booth and fancy restaurants. But the most important sign is the number of trekking gear shops, and the expensive "North Face" store.
The Chilean lake district has a long German history and it can be seen in the buildings and especially in the food. Fruit pies (kuchens) can be found everywhere. The hostel we slept in (a huge labyrinth of bedrooms, toilets and stairs) had a lot of "Willkommen" signs, as well as a "real German breakfast" that turned out to be the regular bread and butter.
The landscape of the Chilean lake district is much greener than that of the Argentinian which is in the rain shadow of the Andes. There are a lot of volcanoes on the Chilean side and you can see at least one of them from practically everywhere, if there is a clear weather. On the day we left Puerto Varas, unfortunately, the weather was not clear at all, so we couldn't see the Osorno volcano (which is actually quite far from the city bearing its name), even from the road that climbs it. We drove on this road and entered a thick fog, until we almost couldn't see the road and then gave up. We decided to spend the night at Ensenada, on the shores of lake Llanquihue, right bellow the Osorno and wait for the next day. We spent the night at a small hospedaje, with an old landlady. Sleeping in those small houses is like staying at a different type of grandparents everyday. For a single night, they are your family away from home.
It was a good thing that we stayed another day because the next day was clear and we could see that the town is surrounded by no less than 3 volcanoes. Imagine leaving in such a place...
We drove to Lago Todos los Santos (the lake of all saints), stopping on the way at the amazing Petrohue waterfalls. These powerful, turquoise waterfalls cut through the black volcanic stone, while the Osorno volcano with it's snowy top looks from above. Near Lago Todos los Santos we did a few hours hike, on the black shores of the lake. We climbed again (by car) the Osorno in the afternoon only to discover that despite its size, the Osorno is actually a very shy mountain. As soon as we started driving on the ascending road, a cloud came from nowhere and covered its peak. It stayed there exactly until we got down and then left.
On the next day, we drove between lakes (Rupanco, Puyehue and Ranco) and small villages, passing across 3 more volcanoes. As we already said in the previous post, the beauty of a lake depends strongly on the weather and the lighting. In our case, the grey clouds and the lack of sunshine made this day a bit less impressive. However, we drove through rural areas so beautiful that we actually considered buying ourselves a small farm with few cows and sheep in the area. When the sun did come out, the view of the Puntiagudo volcano above the fields and Rupanco lake was spectacular. While driving we stumbled upon a river (a big one) crossing the road in the middle. The only way to cross it was a by a small ferry, fitted to no more than 2 cars, that crossed the river whenever a car needed a ride.
The biggest advantage in having a car is the possibility to go off trek and sleep in small towns like Paillaco, where we slept that night. Paillaco proved again that these small towns have a magic of their own. We looked for quite a lot of time until we found the only place we could sleep in (except the Hotel). The house (as can be seen at the pictures) belonged to a very nice grandfather, who also was a violin teacher. We also ate a great (and very cheap) beef stew at a local place he recommended ("El Rapido").
We completed our tour through the Chilean lakes on the next day, driving through smaller and bumpier roads near the lakes Panguipulli, Calafquen and some smaller lakes. On the road to Puerto Fuy, we passed through the Hulla Hulla waterfalls, which really worth the long drive. The whole forest is a private park, so there is also a luxury hotel deep in the woods. Some lucky (and no doubt a fan of the "Lord Of The Rings" movie) architect got a free hand in designing this hotel. The results is a fairy kingdom made of wood, with hanged bridges leading to it. It was too dark to take good pictures, so you can try imagining it by yourself.
We had another half a day to spend until we had to return the car, so we visited Valdivia. According to the Lonely Planet, this is a nice studential city with a good wind from the sea. Once again the Lonley Planet proved to be inefficient and to miss the real issue. On the boardwalk, near the main square there is a fish market. The sellers clean the fish and throw the leftovers to river behind the counters. This simple act attracts countless birds to the place and several sea lions. They all stand less than a meter away from you. The birds (including seagulls,cormorans and large eagle size predator birds) are flying back and forth all the time trying to grab a piece of food. This place is a heaven for photographers and animal lovers. The locals seems to like this place, but the girls in the tourist information nearby didn't even mention it, so we almost lost the greatest attraction in Valdivia.
We returned the car that day and took the the bus to the next stop in our journey - The lovely town of Pucon, which will be the center of the next post.
Tip 1: If you anywhere near Lago Todos los Santos, you must visit the magnificent Petrohue falls, and if you are planning on staying in the area, you should stay in the "Escala II" hospedaje in Ensenada.
Tip 2: The Copec (the national gas stations company) map of Chile is a must for anyone travelling in this country. 3$ will buy you all of Chile.
Tip 3: Some of the roads in the Chilean lake district are much worse even from the ones in Carretera Austral. So you should drive accordingly, and take into the account the capability of your vehicle. We rented a good but very small car (for 3 adults), and there were places that it couldn´t pass so we didn´t even try.
Tip 4: Don't miss the fish market in Valdivia, and not only because of the fish, (read above, if you hadn't already). And while you are there, you can enjoy one of the many wonderful fish and sea food restaurants across the street.
For us, Osorno was the first real city we saw for a long time. Not a small village or touristic shiny city, but a regular town with regular people leaving their regular lives. Most of the tourists won´t stay here for more than the few hours they need to wait for the bus to Pucon. Maybe that is the reason we liked it. There are so few tourists in Osorno that we had to look for hours around the city center until we found the only car rental company in town. If you do pass through Osorno, don't miss the cathedral near the main Plaza. It is definitely the most beautiful cathedral we saw in South America. It is a modern building made of exposed concrete and wood. The interior is stunning and the natural lighting coming from the upper windows creates endless games of light and shadows. Despite its size and the exposed concrete, the feeling is cosy and warm.
The hospedaje we slept in that night was cold, noisy, with no good hot water and uncomfortable beds. We liked it very much! The owners of the hospedaje were the nicest father and son which had 3 dogs! It is amazing how the Chileans will not give up on having a dog (or two, or three, or ten) even if they haven´t got enough money for themselves. Two of the dos were a sheep like small mother and daughter and the third was the a handsome Afgan Borzoi named Simon (as can be seen in the picture).
The next day in the afternoon we drove to Puerto Varas, passing on the way the amazing view of a full rainbow above lake Llanquihue in Frutillar. Puerto Varas was the most touristic stop on our trip to the lake district. There are some important signs for touristic towns, such as the large tourist information booth and fancy restaurants. But the most important sign is the number of trekking gear shops, and the expensive "North Face" store.
The Chilean lake district has a long German history and it can be seen in the buildings and especially in the food. Fruit pies (kuchens) can be found everywhere. The hostel we slept in (a huge labyrinth of bedrooms, toilets and stairs) had a lot of "Willkommen" signs, as well as a "real German breakfast" that turned out to be the regular bread and butter.
The landscape of the Chilean lake district is much greener than that of the Argentinian which is in the rain shadow of the Andes. There are a lot of volcanoes on the Chilean side and you can see at least one of them from practically everywhere, if there is a clear weather. On the day we left Puerto Varas, unfortunately, the weather was not clear at all, so we couldn't see the Osorno volcano (which is actually quite far from the city bearing its name), even from the road that climbs it. We drove on this road and entered a thick fog, until we almost couldn't see the road and then gave up. We decided to spend the night at Ensenada, on the shores of lake Llanquihue, right bellow the Osorno and wait for the next day. We spent the night at a small hospedaje, with an old landlady. Sleeping in those small houses is like staying at a different type of grandparents everyday. For a single night, they are your family away from home.
It was a good thing that we stayed another day because the next day was clear and we could see that the town is surrounded by no less than 3 volcanoes. Imagine leaving in such a place...
We drove to Lago Todos los Santos (the lake of all saints), stopping on the way at the amazing Petrohue waterfalls. These powerful, turquoise waterfalls cut through the black volcanic stone, while the Osorno volcano with it's snowy top looks from above. Near Lago Todos los Santos we did a few hours hike, on the black shores of the lake. We climbed again (by car) the Osorno in the afternoon only to discover that despite its size, the Osorno is actually a very shy mountain. As soon as we started driving on the ascending road, a cloud came from nowhere and covered its peak. It stayed there exactly until we got down and then left.
On the next day, we drove between lakes (Rupanco, Puyehue and Ranco) and small villages, passing across 3 more volcanoes. As we already said in the previous post, the beauty of a lake depends strongly on the weather and the lighting. In our case, the grey clouds and the lack of sunshine made this day a bit less impressive. However, we drove through rural areas so beautiful that we actually considered buying ourselves a small farm with few cows and sheep in the area. When the sun did come out, the view of the Puntiagudo volcano above the fields and Rupanco lake was spectacular. While driving we stumbled upon a river (a big one) crossing the road in the middle. The only way to cross it was a by a small ferry, fitted to no more than 2 cars, that crossed the river whenever a car needed a ride.
The biggest advantage in having a car is the possibility to go off trek and sleep in small towns like Paillaco, where we slept that night. Paillaco proved again that these small towns have a magic of their own. We looked for quite a lot of time until we found the only place we could sleep in (except the Hotel). The house (as can be seen at the pictures) belonged to a very nice grandfather, who also was a violin teacher. We also ate a great (and very cheap) beef stew at a local place he recommended ("El Rapido").
We completed our tour through the Chilean lakes on the next day, driving through smaller and bumpier roads near the lakes Panguipulli, Calafquen and some smaller lakes. On the road to Puerto Fuy, we passed through the Hulla Hulla waterfalls, which really worth the long drive. The whole forest is a private park, so there is also a luxury hotel deep in the woods. Some lucky (and no doubt a fan of the "Lord Of The Rings" movie) architect got a free hand in designing this hotel. The results is a fairy kingdom made of wood, with hanged bridges leading to it. It was too dark to take good pictures, so you can try imagining it by yourself.
We had another half a day to spend until we had to return the car, so we visited Valdivia. According to the Lonely Planet, this is a nice studential city with a good wind from the sea. Once again the Lonley Planet proved to be inefficient and to miss the real issue. On the boardwalk, near the main square there is a fish market. The sellers clean the fish and throw the leftovers to river behind the counters. This simple act attracts countless birds to the place and several sea lions. They all stand less than a meter away from you. The birds (including seagulls,cormorans and large eagle size predator birds) are flying back and forth all the time trying to grab a piece of food. This place is a heaven for photographers and animal lovers. The locals seems to like this place, but the girls in the tourist information nearby didn't even mention it, so we almost lost the greatest attraction in Valdivia.
We returned the car that day and took the the bus to the next stop in our journey - The lovely town of Pucon, which will be the center of the next post.
Tip 1: If you anywhere near Lago Todos los Santos, you must visit the magnificent Petrohue falls, and if you are planning on staying in the area, you should stay in the "Escala II" hospedaje in Ensenada.
Tip 2: The Copec (the national gas stations company) map of Chile is a must for anyone travelling in this country. 3$ will buy you all of Chile.
Tip 3: Some of the roads in the Chilean lake district are much worse even from the ones in Carretera Austral. So you should drive accordingly, and take into the account the capability of your vehicle. We rented a good but very small car (for 3 adults), and there were places that it couldn´t pass so we didn´t even try.
Tip 4: Don't miss the fish market in Valdivia, and not only because of the fish, (read above, if you hadn't already). And while you are there, you can enjoy one of the many wonderful fish and sea food restaurants across the street.
Monday, 26 April 2010
Bariloche and the lake district - The trasfiguration of Lilya
The new testament tells the story of the transfiguration of Jesus (Matthew 17:1-9). The story tells that Jesus and some of his followers climbed on a high mountain (the tradition claims this mountain was Mt. Tavor), where Jesus met Moses and Elijah, when a bright cloud appeared and a voice from the cloud said that Jesus is the son of god. Jesus face started glowing and he has changed in front of the men on the mountain. Lilya had a very similar experience here in Bariloche. As she went down the street she met the three grate ones: Don Alberto (steaks), RapaNui (Chocolate) and Jauja (Ice cream). In front of my eyes she has changed from the strict Spartan calorie keeper she was to a hedonist Roman emperor that enjoys all the goodness of life.
Oren on the other hand, became a bit concerned. After 7 years of having a small voice (Lilya) telling him when he had enough to eat, suddenly there is no such voice any longer, and had to decide for himself. He was really frightened by this amount of freedom given to him. He tried to put Lilya through some very difficult tests, for example offered to go get some chocolate/ice cream after a very very large dinner, but to his surprise, she failed them all.
The Steaks here are only the padding for the premium chocolate which is flushed by a quality (but quite cheep) wine. The afternoon is the icecream time, maybe after a good pasta or pizza. This is the Bariloche way of life.
After we were back from the Carretera, Oren had a nasty pain in his back so we decided to stay in Bariloche for a while. But we didn't spent all the time in the chocolate stores. While here, Lilya did a nice bicycle trip with Ohad, Gabi and Achia around few of the countless lakes around Bariloche (The "Circuito Chico"). On the next day we went together to the "17th km" - a nice lookout above the Nahuel Huapi (read as na-well wa-pee) lake.
After Oren got better, we rented a car (just the two of us this time) for 3 days and drove north on a road called "the 7 lakes road". The road crosses the Argentinian lake district and passes through 5-10 lakes (depending
Oren on the other hand, became a bit concerned. After 7 years of having a small voice (Lilya) telling him when he had enough to eat, suddenly there is no such voice any longer, and had to decide for himself. He was really frightened by this amount of freedom given to him. He tried to put Lilya through some very difficult tests, for example offered to go get some chocolate/ice cream after a very very large dinner, but to his surprise, she failed them all.
The Steaks here are only the padding for the premium chocolate which is flushed by a quality (but quite cheep) wine. The afternoon is the icecream time, maybe after a good pasta or pizza. This is the Bariloche way of life.
After we were back from the Carretera, Oren had a nasty pain in his back so we decided to stay in Bariloche for a while. But we didn't spent all the time in the chocolate stores. While here, Lilya did a nice bicycle trip with Ohad, Gabi and Achia around few of the countless lakes around Bariloche (The "Circuito Chico"). On the next day we went together to the "17th km" - a nice lookout above the Nahuel Huapi (read as na-well wa-pee) lake.
After Oren got better, we rented a car (just the two of us this time) for 3 days and drove north on a road called "the 7 lakes road". The road crosses the Argentinian lake district and passes through 5-10 lakes (depending
on your definition to how small can a lake should be and still be named a lake). We had a wonderful weather on the first day and the drive was fantastic. A full day is enough to see all the lakes even if someone (the name is not important right now) constantly asks for picture stops. We came to the conclusion that the beauty of a lake depends on the location of the sun in the sky and the absence of wind. That's why lake number 5 is our favorite. The sun was low and the light was warm, so the landscape was painted with wonderful colors. There was no wind at all, so the lake became a mirror and reflected the mountains behind it. On the way back, by the way, this lake wasn't that great with all the clouds blocking the sun.
On that day we slept in San Martin de los Andes. This is a small (and better) version of Bariloche. The chocolates are here and so are the good restaurants, but the town is smaller, cleaner and more stylish, and just like a Dolce and Gabbana purse, for style you have to pay more. That's why there are almost no cheep places for budget tourists like ourselves. We spent the night at (probably) the only hostel in town. We got a big room with TV, so we could watch "Old Christine" and "Friends" even before breakfast. But most of all, we will probably remember this day as the day we ate 5 different animals (none of which was a chicken): A pig, a boar, a cow, a deer and a lamb. Argentina can be so diverse!
The next day we drove to Junin de los Andes. Several km north of Junin there is the northern entrance to Lanin National Park. The road takes you to the northern viewpoint over Lanin volcano. The sky had no clouds and the view of the snowy conical peak of Lanin with the clear blue sky was classic. We climbed the steep road through the rain forest for an hour, and arrived to one of the nicest lookouts we've seen until now. If you are there don't miss it.
In Argentina, every second town is the capital of something. Junin, for example is the capital of traut fish. Even the signs of the street names have a fish on them. So, you must try a trout in Junin, and so we did. We got a recommendation in return for helping a local Indian, and had two delicious trouts for dinner. We slept in San Martin again, since we wanted to see the next episode of "Old Christine".
On the next day we drove back to Bariloche. The road back goes back through the marvelous lake Traful. Only after driving for some time we realized that we are almost out of fuel. The red light lit 50 km from the nearest town. We got to Villa Traful on the last fuel vapors, only to find out that the gas station is closed. We already prepared ourselves to hitchhike to the next town (60 km ahead) with an empty juice bottle, when we remembered the first rule of Argentina: Nothing is open on the Siesta! We acted like the locals and had a Siesta of our own in our car, in the gas station. Luckily, because of the delay we got a better weather for the rest of the road (for the pictures, of course). We celebrated our return to heaven (Bariloche) with a nice pair of steaks.
On the next morning we tried to climb Mt. Catedral, near Bariloche. The cable cars that should have taken us up the mountain didn't work (well, it was Sunday, and why would something so touristic will be open on Sundays?), so we had to climb it by ourselves. Pacha Mama was on vacation this day and her place was probably filled by her wicked brother Bob, so we were stopped on the way up by the snow that started to fall. Bob didn't think that we will like it very much but he was wrong. Being the Israelis that we are, we didn't experienced snow falling for a long long time and we were very excited and naturally, took a lot of pictures.
We left Bariloche the next day to Osorno (in Chile) to see the Chilean lake district.
On that day we slept in San Martin de los Andes. This is a small (and better) version of Bariloche. The chocolates are here and so are the good restaurants, but the town is smaller, cleaner and more stylish, and just like a Dolce and Gabbana purse, for style you have to pay more. That's why there are almost no cheep places for budget tourists like ourselves. We spent the night at (probably) the only hostel in town. We got a big room with TV, so we could watch "Old Christine" and "Friends" even before breakfast. But most of all, we will probably remember this day as the day we ate 5 different animals (none of which was a chicken): A pig, a boar, a cow, a deer and a lamb. Argentina can be so diverse!
The next day we drove to Junin de los Andes. Several km north of Junin there is the northern entrance to Lanin National Park. The road takes you to the northern viewpoint over Lanin volcano. The sky had no clouds and the view of the snowy conical peak of Lanin with the clear blue sky was classic. We climbed the steep road through the rain forest for an hour, and arrived to one of the nicest lookouts we've seen until now. If you are there don't miss it.
In Argentina, every second town is the capital of something. Junin, for example is the capital of traut fish. Even the signs of the street names have a fish on them. So, you must try a trout in Junin, and so we did. We got a recommendation in return for helping a local Indian, and had two delicious trouts for dinner. We slept in San Martin again, since we wanted to see the next episode of "Old Christine".
On the next day we drove back to Bariloche. The road back goes back through the marvelous lake Traful. Only after driving for some time we realized that we are almost out of fuel. The red light lit 50 km from the nearest town. We got to Villa Traful on the last fuel vapors, only to find out that the gas station is closed. We already prepared ourselves to hitchhike to the next town (60 km ahead) with an empty juice bottle, when we remembered the first rule of Argentina: Nothing is open on the Siesta! We acted like the locals and had a Siesta of our own in our car, in the gas station. Luckily, because of the delay we got a better weather for the rest of the road (for the pictures, of course). We celebrated our return to heaven (Bariloche) with a nice pair of steaks.
On the next morning we tried to climb Mt. Catedral, near Bariloche. The cable cars that should have taken us up the mountain didn't work (well, it was Sunday, and why would something so touristic will be open on Sundays?), so we had to climb it by ourselves. Pacha Mama was on vacation this day and her place was probably filled by her wicked brother Bob, so we were stopped on the way up by the snow that started to fall. Bob didn't think that we will like it very much but he was wrong. Being the Israelis that we are, we didn't experienced snow falling for a long long time and we were very excited and naturally, took a lot of pictures.
We left Bariloche the next day to Osorno (in Chile) to see the Chilean lake district.
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