We are in love with Pucón!!

I was able to get my phone fixed in the town of Villarrica, where we are currently housed.

Lakeside in Villarica, with the ever-present volcano by the same name in the background.

The volcano is very active. The last major eruption was in 2015

The town of Pucón is a mere 25 kilometers away. We had wanted to stay there, but there was no vacancy at all, and we can understand why. We both love, love, love Pucón and its surroundings. This is a gorgeous place, amid lakes, volcanoes, marvelous greenery, and birds of all types.

Local Mapuche Indians' woodcarvings are everywhere

Not the biggest in the world, but trees of all types grow to incredible size here.

Chileans, Brazilians, Argentinians and people from various European countries flock here in hordes, and who can blame them. This place has it all. There are restaurants, cafes, parks, beaches, and enough outdoor activities for every craving, such as hiking, river rafting, horseback riding, skiing on the high slopes, or simply people watching. We did a lot of that.

Yesterday we chilled in town most of the day. It was a most enjoyable day, with exceptionally wonderful weather.

Today, the weather was much the same, and we opted to go explore the nearby Huerquehue National Park.

Once there though, we were disappointed that the Park was closed. There have been several fires in the area, and the smoke had reached the park and laid a thick blanket of smoke upon the area. We made do checking out the surroundings, which were wonderful, and took hikes on our own, enjoying the weather and the serene, quiet area surrounding us.

The views were obfuscated by the smoke, which, in a sense, made it even more dramatic, but it proved to be a disaster for picture taking, making the majestic mountain backdrops all washed-out.

From the mountaintop, the valley view is completely obfuscated by the smoke

See what I mean about the photos?

This part of Chile has as much natural beauty as the North, albeit being seemingly a different country.

Salmon by the hundreds swim in local rivers fed by snow melt

Snowmelt forms rivers inside the mountains, which in turn flow into open-air waterways

Tomorrow, we continue our journey south. We intend to eventually reach Chilean Patagonia, but this is the busiest month of high season for locals, and they are traveling by the thousands, meaning that we’ll be at the mercy of finding availability on the various ferries we are requires to navigate in that insular part of the country. Of course we’ll keep you posted. Hasta Luego.