Down to Pucón

It was quite awe-inspiring on the first morning — after coming straight down from 5 months in PEB (Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador) — but I must admit, after 2 days in Santiago, I've had about enough of it. So last night, I said farewell to Sammy's, and to the big city, and hopped on a bus down to Pucón. I tried out a full bus cama (lit: "bed bus") for the first time: it was pretty nice, although not as big a step up from semi cama as I was expecting (maybe I just chose a cheap company?). And now I'm in the Lake District, Chile's (and, on the other side of the mountains, Argentina's) tourism and recreational heartland. Looks divine down here.

Pucón's a funny little town, if ever I saw one. Although the town itself is at quite a low altitude, and doesn't have snow — even in the middle of winter — it's all varnished slate wood and rich timber signs, like an alpine ski village. Pucón is probably the biggest tourist town in Chile, and as such it's jam-packed with hotels, restaurants, and tour agencies. And, naturally, everything's way overpriced. A bit like San Pedro de Atacama, the tourist capital of the desert-dry north of Chile. Except that San Pedro ain't sitting next to a gorgeous lake, and it isn't looked over by a smoking, snow-capped volcano.

The very upmarket main street of Pucón.

Volcán Villarrica looks over the whole town.