Monday February 16, 2015
Puerto Montt, Chile
Puerto Montt is your gateway to Chile's magnificent Lake District. Here,
snow-capped
volcanoes gaze down on alpine valleys nestled among low hills. Glaciers carved
out this
terrain, leaving the jewel-like lakes in their wake. The Lake District was a
magnet for
German immigrants, and their legacy can be seen today in the manicured rose
gardens of Puerto Varas, in Chile's "German Villages" like Frutillar and in
Puerto Montt's
gabled homes with elaborate balconies.
Despite a population of more than 130,000, Puerto Montt retains the feel of a
small town.
For a simple introduction to the city, walk along its waterfront road lined with
tempting
artisan's stalls and small cafés.
Lake Esmeralda
Click on a picture to view large
Just beyond Puerto Montt's city streets lies the
lush and verdant Lake District. Stretching out from the Pacific to the Andes
the area encompasses dozens of lakes, volcanoes, hot springs, and rivers.
We boarded a bus at the pier and meandered
through Puerto Montt and out into the picturesque countryside. With
the magnificent snow-capped Osorno volcano as a backdrop,
we went into the Vicente Perez Rosales National Park, Chile's oldest
national park. Covering over 619,900 acres it's home to Todos los Santos,
also known as Esmeralda Lake for its brilliant emerald color.
We boarded a catamaran
for a leisurely cruise out onto the lake. Surrounded by the snow-covered
peaks of the Andes the lake's vivid hues poses the question - is it really
green? It's believed that weather conditions and the cloud-covered sky
create this visually stunning optical illusion.
The next several
pictures show the beautiful background as seen from the
catamaran ride on Lake Esmeralda. Green hills, green water and
volcanoes, oh my!
After 45 minutes on the lake, we made our way back to the
dock, reboarded our bus and went to a local restaurant for a
delicious lunch of Chilean and German favorites. On the menu
were cheese empanadas, vegetable soup, grilled
fish and kuchen for dessert, a German cake that's made from a sweet dough
and topped with fruit and custard or a latticed crust.
Lou enjoyed the wine and the Pisco sour, which is
a traditional South American cocktail.
Petrohue River
Click on a picture to view large
Our next
destination was Petrohue Falls.
The photos below show the views
of the park. Isn't that water
beautiful? And check out that volcano! Lou and Carol
braved crowded and treacherous footpaths to bring the pictures of the rapids
to you.
Puerto Varas
Click on a picture to view large
Our next stop
was the charming town of Puerto Varas, which rests on
the shores of shimmering Lake Llanquihue. Founded by German immigrants over
150 years ago, the town is well known for its German traditions, food and
architecture. We spent about an hour wandering the beach,
the streets and park. We even had time for ice cream! Carol had a
mocha-caramel ice cream cone and Lou had an orange-ginger sorbet! And
as you can see, the weather couldn't have been more perfect. The
temperature was around 70 degrees F.
