Hot Time in the Termas

I rented a car for two days to give myself the chance to go exploring around the Lakes Region of Chile. The setting is pretty ideal. The Andes in the background are in their usual dramatic form, but a bit tamer than what I saw in other parts of South America...at least, at first blush. The scenery reminds me of southern Germany or Switzerland. There's the mountains rising up in the background. However, in the foreground, there are lush green fields, covering gently rolling landscape, looking almost like fairways to golf courses. The signs are even reminiscent of Germany: "Kuchen" "Cabanas" "Gasthaus" "Onces Alemanas."

I explored a little around a nearby lake called Caburgua. After that, what's a hard-working (?) traveler like me to do to relax a little bit? I went to one of the numerous hot springs ("termas")found in the valleys around here. Let's hear it for volcanic activity! At least one nice thing about all this hot stuff under the earth is that it makes for wonderful hot springs! The one I chose to go to (Termas de Huife) was on a paved road not too far from Pucan. It has 3 exterior pools of good size. Because this is the "shoulder season" there were only about a dozen people there. Half were German, the other half were chilenos, and me. Talk about civilized: only steps from the pools was a wonderful restaurant.

The Lakes Region does remind me a little bit of Plumas County. It's the start of fall here. The leaves on some deciduous trees are just beginning to turn color. People are "getting their wood in." There are billboards advertising Husqvarna and Stihl chainsaws. I've been super-lucky with the weather. It's been almost hot here during the day (80 degrees maybe?). It'll cool down considerably at night (in the 50's?). But yesterday was the first day I think in my entire trip that I was able to walk around in a t-shirt. Wonderful!

The second day, today, I went a little more off the beaten path. For the knowledgeable: from Villarrica, I went south to Lican Ray, on the shore of Lago Calafquen; from there over to Panguipulli. This little town struck me as great. It's hard enough to remember a name like that; fortunately, the lake it's on has the same name. Pangawhatsits strikes me as Pucon but nicer. Nicer for me because it's smaller with the same nice wooden architecture; the same beautiful flowers planted in the center islands of the streets; smaller stores with the same junk; just not the heavy-handed tourist destination which is Pucon. Pucon can seat thousands of people for a meal in dozens of restaurants all at once. No so Pangawhosits. Pucon does boast a casino, and and lots of bars and discos that go all night long. So, the choice is easy, depending on your lifestyle. You can guess what mine is. If I were to return to the Lake District, I would spend some time in Panguipulli; there, I got it right.

From there I took country roads; some paved, some not. I came across pigs and cows in the road and best of all, yoked oxen pulling carts. Boy, are they huge! and impressive!

I ended up at the bottom of a dirt road that looked like something you'd find in the Plumas National Forest. You wouldn't think there'd be anything on this pot-holed road. Instead, there was the Conarife hot springs and hotel, looking like the first class accomodation that it is. The outdoor pools were great and the restaurant was every bit as good as the place I went to yesterday...as always, linen tablecloths, waiters in uniforms, the works. The difference today was that there were about 50 people there. One explanation is that today is Saturday and a lot of people may have had the day off. Second, from my observation, everyone there was chileno except me. The price is a bit cheaper than Huife, and it's sufficiently off the beaten path that that may be its attraction. Bottom line: it was great!!