Pucón

We planned our remaining 12 days in the Lake District, northern Patagonia, in Chile around the recommendations of a very helpful American, Scott, who ran the hostel in Santiago where we stayed. First stop was the picturesque tourist town of Pucón where we stayed for a couple of days, by a lake and overlooked by a snow-capped volcano. It was really quiet because it is low season – post summer and pre skiing, which is due to start in a month or so. We stayed with a lovely lady and her family in a wooden house. We had a comfy room with a balcony overlooking the volcano and as there was nobody else around we had the whole comfy, cosy house to ourselves, cooking each evening and relaxing by a wood burning stove.Studying an old copy of OK, left by previous tourists. How intellectual.

We considered climbing the volcano but remembered the awfulness of our Bolivian mountain effort and thought better of it. We heard reports that at the summit it was difficult to breathe for sulphurous gases. We opted instead for an amble around another beautiful lake in the region, a visit to impressive waterfalls and a dip in thermal baths. Beautiful autumn trees on route to the thermal baths.Wooden thermal tubs heated by a stove. We think this is a good idea. We want one in Derby.

Pucon is so lovely, that our very own queen came. She stayed here, so we were told.