TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1 - Puerto Montt

After rolling around most of yesterday and last night we wake to clear skies and the sun rising over the fjords as we head in to Puerto Montt. It is a nice entry much like some of Alaska. The sun is shining on the first of the snow capped volcanic peaks we will see today. Not too much later Osomo Volcano makes its appearance. It is a perfect cone iced in snow.

We lost time yesterday and even more last night so everything is delayed today. We actually get to Puerto Mott close to the scheduled time of 9AM, but we have been given clearance to actually dock at the small pier...heavy on the small! The only problem is it is up a small estuary and the captain has to back into a very narrow opening. This process takes nearly an hour with the help of two tugs keeping us in the center of the narrow part...pucker time!

 

We don’t have to rush this morning because Carolyn wisely chose an afternoon, four hour tour to see Puerto Varas and Petrohue Falls. There are several all day tours that have had to wait in the theater over an hour while we docked and bale out as soon as we are cleared.

After a leisurely breakfast we check with the tourist agent on board, get a city map and head ashore. It is eight blocks to the main plaza and about one block in the other direction to the Angelmo Handicraft Market. We are told by the agent that there is a shuttle, but when we get to the taxis and buses are told there is no shuttle so we grab a $5 fixed price taxi and head to the plaza. The area's architecture has been heavily influenced by the Germans who settlred here in the 1850s at the invitation of the Chiliean government in an effort to get the area settled. The homes are all made of wood with a shingled exterior. There are beautiful roses everywhere even in the lowliest yard. The downtown area is modern and has a flare of Bavaria to it. The cathedral is built all of a local type of redwood and is very different from the Spanish cathedrals we have seen so far.

We walk around and take some pictures

then decide to walk the mile or so along the sea shore back to the ship and on to Angelmo. It is a pleasant walk and we check out a couple of small markets as we go.

Angelmo is a small fishing village just up the estuary from the ship. It is well know for its fish market and handicraft market. The fish market makes it presence known by the smell so we pass on a visit, but the craft market is great. It is a line of little house like stalls lining the main road.

Many of the ladies are knitting away on things they will sell. Sweaters and other winter wear and leather goods are locally made. We spend about an hour wandering and looking. The prices and quality are very good so Carolyn gets some things including a gift for our stewardess. She asks every time what it was like ashore..she hasn’t been off the ship since we left.

Back on the ship we head up to the La Veranda for some pizza then gather our stuff and meet our bus on the pier. The bus is comfortable and only about half full even though there are four buses on this tour. Maybe my complaining about the packed buses helped as none are full today. The only complaint we heard is that the buses have no A/C. It really isn’t too much of a problem as it is cool today. The country side is lush, green and colorful. We drive the Pan American highway to Puerto Varas and then drive around the beautiful Lake Laiaquinhue with the snow capped Osomo Volcano on the other side.

The Petrohue Falls are a rushing torment of emerald green water, not high, but running fast, falling over huge lava boulders.

It is a pretty area full of small lakeside resorts, but the road is completely torn up and being rebuilt all at once. It is a mess and takes a lot of time.

In fact, so much so that we have our touring and shopping time in Port Varas cut in half. Actually as pertty as it was earlier, now it is very windy and the clouds have flowed in and covered the Volcano so the village is not nearly as picturesque.

Even with the shortened visit, we still get back to the ship 35 minutes after all aboard. We are the first bus in our group. The Captain finally has all his chickens on board thirty minutes later and we sail about 45 minutes late.

First stop back on board is in the Horizon Lounge for a couple of drinks. A German couple sits down beside us at the bar and we get to talking about our tours and the fact that this is their third try to see Osomo Volcano and is the first time it wasn’t in the clouds! Seems as we have both had similar experiences trying to see the other well know mountain peaks...Mt. McKinley in Alaska and Mt. Cook in New Zealand.

Later at dinner we can hardy keep our eyes open, but have to wait to finally get to bed while the engineering department staff get the A/C working again in our room.