Weekend Getaway

Friday evening, while sitting in a Pizza Hut in Temuco for a post-shopping once, I was told that we would be traveling on Saturday. Not much more than I needed to pack a bag with a swimsuit, pajamas and an extra outfit and warm clothing. Mind you, it has been consistently 35-40 degrees Fahrenheit here so the need for a swimsuit had me intrigued. I did as I was instructed and Saturday morning we loaded the 17 passanger minibus with just the 4 of us and the back filled with trees and other flora. I later learned that part of the reason for our trip was to deliver these to a farm on the way. 

The scenic drive was beautiful. My breath is still taken away at the views of the mountains. We were heading further south so the beautiful green landscapes, rivers and lakes are increasingly more and more abundant.  The drive was about 4 hours to our destination including various stops along the way in Villarica and other small towns (I have come to learn that no matter how small the villages are here, Coca-cola, homemade bread and fresh fruit are plentiful). 

We arrived at the Termas capsite in the Los Lagos region. After Juan and Tatiana scoped out about 4 cabins we settled into one at the Puntulaf site. It was late afternoon so we had late lunch and set up camp in our quaint, rustic Cabana #16. Shortly after, we changed into swimsuits and parkas to dodge freezing raindrops to the Terma piscina. It was out of this world. The two pools are filled with volcanic heated waters filled with minerals. After 2 hours in the pool, my skin felt better than the day at the Pfister Spa (which I did not think was possible, Casey). The site we went to is one of the only natural termas in the area. There are others but they are artificially heated.  The combination of the steamy water and the freezing rain was medicinal (despite the fact that I know have a bit of a cold). Vale la pena.

Sunday morning we slept until we woke up (something they do a lot of here, greatly appreciated). We enjoyed coffee and breakfast in the cabin and then suited up for a walk. The walk turned into quite the hike and one of the best experiences thus far. I saw a cascade in the middle of a mountain from afar. The pictures do not accurately capture the grandeur. We continued to walk along the muddy trail, over slippery rocks and past adorable stray dogs. Finally seemingly out of nowhere is the beautiful collection of rocks overlooking the river and rapids. In the summer I was told you can catch HUGE salmon and thought of all the fishermen in my family and how much they would love it. We took some great pictures and collected some beautiful red driftwood (I kept a small one shaped like a heart). 

After our walk we decided to spend a few more hours in the pool. With the sun shining and warmer temperature it was not quite a contradiction but just as enjoyable. After lunch we packed up and began the trek back after stopping at a beautiful wood artisan. This man has made his living making stunning things out of the local trees. He gave us a tour of his entire operation (four buildings of varying steps of the operation) and I made a few purchases. The sun sets early so I absorbed the view through Villarica once again before the sun set and we were back in Galvarino before 9pm. 

Enjoy the photos, Ciao for now!