Moving day...

We hooked up the trailer and headed south to an area known as Siete Lagos (seven lakes).  This time our camp is on a lake (Lake Calaquen)

I got a photo of a Cara Cara today.....

This is a ox cart. ( Note the wooden wheels.). Rob says when he first started coming here in 2000, there were many carts pulled by oxen on the roads and in the fields.

Lago Calafguen where we are camped

We are headed east to a town, Liquine, up toward the Argentine border. We decided to keep going to see how close we could get to the border.  Maybe I could even get my passport stamped for fun.  And low and behold we come upon a Mapuche man with his oxen and cart.

I hadn't realized that the oxen walked on either side of the long cart tongue.

A saw mill along the road

The border is closed.  We spoke to the border guard on the Chilean side, but no one in attendance on the Argentinean side.

Turning around....welcome to Chile

Stopping in Liquine for a meal

We had a dish Rob has been talking about since I arrived....Pastel de Choclo...a baked, corn basted meal with a chicken leg, a hard boiled egg, and two olives inside. yumm !!!!!!!

We made a wrong turn along the way back and thus took an entirely different route back.

The neat town of Panguipulli on the lake with the same name. It's known for its roses.

What are these????

All shapes, sizes and in front of houses, along the roadsides, in the cities and in the country.

Yes, they are for trash and they are always 4-5 ft off the ground.  Why?? ....easy pickup? That was my first guess, but no.......it is to keep dogs from getting into the trash!!!!!  Dogs are everywhere wandering free, but not feral.  

China to Santa's summer home

First up today we headed east from Pucon to Salto de la China. (A salta is a waterfall.). Beautiful countryside and yes, more dirt roads.

A portable steam engine....Apparently there are quite a few around in different states of disrepair, as they were used as a source of power when there wasn't anything else.  They we're pulled to a site and are used to run a lumber mill, to run a generator, or a water pump.  The steam chimney was raised and there were leather belts on the wheels. 

La salta

A suspension bridge to a picnic area

Santa's summer home where he raises his reindeer.

More beautiful country 

Saturday in lake and volcano country

The first thing we did today was to drive up Volcan Villarrica as far as possible.  I think Rob loves dirt roads because we spend a lot of time on them.

Looking down on Lago Villarrica with Lago Colico in the distance.

We then came back down the mountain and drove (dirt again) to where a river comes right out of the ground.  This one is called Ojos de Caburgua.  (It is kind of like the beginning of the Metolius River in Oregon) 

Today I got a good shot of an Ibis.

Then more dirt road to Lago Caburgua and another view of Volcan Villarrica

Can't get enough of this mountain

I am glad we weren't pulling the trailer today....well, we couldn't have gone the places we did.

Back home for a late afternoon swim

I'm a happy camper!!!!!!

We went back into town for gas, to find wifi, and to pick up our laundry.....a great day all around!!  The weather forecast is for rain so we will see how that will effect the dirt roads we plan on driving tomorrow.

* an interesting side note I keep forgetting:  When we are near the coast where it can get foggy there are upside down 'V's on the road about 60 meters apart and if you can see only one on the road ahead of you the speed limit is 40 km, but if you can see 2 ahead the speed limit is 60 km.  How smart is that!!!!

Being in Chile has been very interesting....it feels very European....most of the people immigrated here from there many generations ago.  I have seen very few indigenous peoples, although Rob says we will see more as we go south.  And there is no evidence of ancient cultures around.  In Peru, at least where Suzanne and I were, we were surrounded by indigenous peoples and their cultures and the Incan ruins were everywhere.  The Incas did not get very far into Chile.  The Spanish colonized the northern part of Chile, but were stopped by the Mapuche people around the Bio Bio River near Concepcion.  The Mapuche people weren't builders like the Incas and so I haven't seen much evidence of their culture. In one area the signs were in Spanish and the language of the Mapuches, but so far that is it.  Rob says many Germans came here starting in the 1850's.  

Also, since we aren't using public transportation, we are more insulated.  Much of this trip is about being with my brother which has been wonderful.