Playing in Pucon

By Darius, Micayla, Mom, and a little Dad

The last morning in Chiloe we got to sleep in before the drive to Frutillar. As we drove, we planned on seeing the penguins, but it was raining. One woman said you had to take a small boat to see them up close or you can see them across the water from far away. As we started driving, we decided we didn’t want to be in a wet boat and that it was too misty to see them from land. So we headed straight to the ferry to get back to main land. We were glad that the line for the ferry was not very long and that we got across really fast.


On the way, my dad made us stop at a town called Puerto Varas to see a volcano. But there were too many clouds. So instead we got coffee and cake before driving the rest of the way to Frutillar. On the final part my dad took us on a country road. There were lots of farms. Mom and Dad stopped a few times to take pictures which made the trip longer.


When we got to Frutillar, we checked into our hotel. The hotel was nice and had a nice German feel. We even got an upstairs and downstairs part with a small kitchen. Frutillar was settled by Germans. In the year 1846, nine German families of craftsmen settled along Llanquihue Lake. These early settlers were merchants, farmers and craftsmen—most of which were carpenters, shoemakers and bakers.
Today many of the buildings look German and there are also lots of bakeries that make German cakes and yummy pastries. The specialty is called “kuchen.” The people who live here even eat it for breakfast. Our first morning in the hotel we were all surprised when they served four slices of cake for our breakfast.




In town, there is also a museum that shows all the tools the German farmers used and there are two preserved German houses. One was for the owners of the property and was pretty big. The other was for the blacksmith. There was a person demonstrating how to make things from iron and he made us a horseshoe with our names on it.



After we got settled in our hotel, we walked around town. The town is on the big lake Llanquihue and there is a fancy wooden pier that goes over the water. We found a really nice restaurant that looked at the water. Dad and I decided we would split a trout. When it came, it looked just like salmon because it was pink, but it tasted like trout. It was really tasty with salt and lemon.

The next day we went swimming in the lake. We saw a whole bunch of people going in like it was warm. I (Darius) thought it would be warm because it is near the volcano Osorno. But when we got in, it was freezing. By the time we were at the deep part, we could not feel our legs!

While in Frutillar, we were hoping to see the huge volcano Osorno. It is 8,500 feet high and comes right out of the edge of the lake. But it was cloudy and we could only see the bottom part. But then, when we were having dinner on the second day, blue sky started to come. As we ate, we watched the blue sky move across the lake and waited for it to reach the volcano. Just as the sun was going down, we got a glimpse of the top!

The next day, we headed to Pucon, which was further north. We thought it would take about two hours, but it was more like four! While in Pucon we stayed at a cool lodge called Ecole. Just what does “ecole” mean? We learned that the owners chose the name for its multiple associations. In Spanish, it’s pronounced “eh-coh-lay” and it means “That’s it!” In French, it means “school” and relates to their mission of spreading the word about Chile’s abundant nature and the need to care for it. Finally, it reminds everyone of the “eco” in “ecology” and the ole’ for fiesta. The Ecole Lodge had a great restaurant, a fun bar, a cozy sitting area with a fireplace, and a great view of the mountains.

Pucon is on a lake and is surrounded by mountains and one giant volcano called Villarica—it is 9,100 feet high and is still active. While we were there we could see it puffing smoke. The town had a three light system that kept everyone posted on the volcano’s status. Luckily it was “green” for our visit. There was also a siren that would sound everyday at noon as a drill. Our rafting guide told us that if the volcano erupts, the siren just keeps sounding nonstop as a signal for everyone to evacuate. Pucon also has great ice cream! My mom decided that it was the best ice cream of the trip so far. She had a coconut caramel scoop on top of chocolate.

On one day, we went rafting on one of the rivers. We had to wear wet suits, booties, shorts, a wind jacket, a life vest, and a helmet. We felt funny in the outfits, but they kept us warm – well most of us. When we got in the raft, Micayla was a little scared so the guide made her go in the front because it was the safest spot. It was safe, but it was also the wettest spot. We went over three class 3 rapids, which were really fun, but really wet. As we went down the river, we passed by big mountains, lots of rapids, birds hunting for fish, and several views of the volcano. When we got to the end, Micayla opened her jacket and water poured out! Rafting was really wet, but fun.



On another day, we went for a ten mile hike through a monkey tree forest in the Cani Reserve. It is a 1,200 acre private nature reserve. Although Argentina has many protected lands, Chile is just beginning to protect its forests. The Cani Reserve was established in 1992 and is Chile’s first private park and the site of Chile’s forest education project. It is important because many of Chile’s forests are at risk due to heavy logging. (You can learn more at www.ancientforests.org) The first 2 miles were very steep. It was not so fun, but when we got up to the flatter section, we could see lots of mountains, lakes, and the big volcano, Villarica. We then walked by two small lakes. One had cows feeding in it, the other was very clear and had lizards running along the rocks on its edge.





The forest was also really cool. There was a plant that looked like bamboo called “coigue” and these really cool tall trees that had very spiky branches. These were the “araucaria” trees that are also called “monkey puzzle trees.”






Some also had a very hairy moss growing on their trunks. They looked liked Dr. Seuss trees. We had lunch at the clear lake and then climbed to the very top called the “mirador” which means “lookout point.” It was 5,000 feet above sea level. When we got there, we wanted to go back down because it had very steep drop offs and we were tired. But our parents made us stay to see the views. From the top we could see four volcanoes: Quetrupillia, Llaima, Villarica, and Lanin Ray. We could also see the mountains in Argentina! The Cani Nature Sancutary receives its name from Cerro Cani, a peak within its southwest corner, and means “Transforming Vision” in the language of the indigenous Mapuche. After making the difficult climb and standing at the top of the “mirador” you could undertand how it got its name. It really did give you a different perspective (say mom and dad).

Views from Top:



On our third day, we drove to a lake higher up in the mountains that was warm because it was fed partly by a volcanic spring . We went on a giant blow-up couch that was dragged across the lake by a jet ski. We went full speed and our hair was blowing all over the place and we could barely swallow. It was lots of fun. Mom liked this lake because the water was very clear and warm. She even went in the water! On the way home, we went miniature golfing as a reward for doing the hike.



We really loved every part of Pucon. There were so many things to do. My dad says that he wants to bring us back when we are bigger so that we can do all the things there are to do here.