Where we did stay "Villarica"
We had a breakfast of bread, jam and a homemade curd cheese. Hot water was provided in a flask on our table, with a tin of coffee powder. Several young local men were tucking into huge meat sandwiches.
We left Villa Cerro Castillo and immediately the road was paved! On the map, but not in either the Rough Guide or the Lonely Planet, were marked some waterfalls, so we took a detour to Puerto Ingeniero Ibanez, where we could have caught the ferry to yesterday. Again the road was paved.
We had a breakfast of bread, jam and a homemade curd cheese. Hot water was provided in a flask on our table, with a tin of coffee powder. Several young local men were tucking into huge meat sandwiches.
We left Villa Cerro Castillo and immediately the road was paved! On the map, but not in either the Rough Guide or the Lonely Planet, were marked some waterfalls, so we took a detour to Puerto Ingeniero Ibanez, where we could have caught the ferry to yesterday. Again the road was paved.
On the way we came across Cerro Pyramide.
Turning up a rough gravel road towards Levantin, we came across these magnificent waterfalls, which came gushing down, raising clouds of spray. We were the only people there.
We then turned around, retraced our steps and headed to the regional capital, Coyhaique. Initially the road led through the mountains where it was snowing a little.
The countryside then opened out into green pastureland, until we eventually reached the city.
the streets were bustling with people doing Christmas shopping. Pavement sellers sold yapping wind up dogs, plastic horses that trotted in circles, Wild West paraphernalia.....
We booked into the Hotel Luis Loyola on Avenida Prat, which was above the shops in the mainstreet. The posher hotels tend to be on the outskirts of town, but we anted to be amongst the bustle.
Often when you park in towns in Chile and Argentina, someone sells you a half hour ticket. We explained to the lady selling the tickets that we were staying in the hotel and she said she would bring all the necessary tickets to the hotel later.
The rooms in the hotel are a bit passed their best, but brightly decorated. Sofas line the hallway, and we have a chocolate coloured bathroom suite. After speaking to the receptionist in our awful Spanish for quite a while, he realised we were english when we filled out our registration cards. He then spoke to us in an impeccably aristocratic English accent. Weird.
We went for a wander around the town, which really is not that big. There was a craft market in the Plaza des Armes, where we bought earrings with guanacos on them for a friend who collects earrings back home.
We ate in Cafe Ricer overlooking the Plaza. The main veggie option was cheese, mushroom or maize empanadas, but they had run out of mushrooms and maize. They had also run out of palta (avocado) which was unbelievable as there was a chap selling them from a wheelbarrow just outside. Kevin had as an accompaniament "papa duchuesa", which were golfball sized balls of mash potato with cheese in the middle, deep fried in breadcrumbs. Healthy!
The rooms in the hotel are a bit passed their best, but brightly decorated. Sofas line the hallway, and we have a chocolate coloured bathroom suite. After speaking to the receptionist in our awful Spanish for quite a while, he realised we were english when we filled out our registration cards. He then spoke to us in an impeccably aristocratic English accent. Weird.
We went for a wander around the town, which really is not that big. There was a craft market in the Plaza des Armes, where we bought earrings with guanacos on them for a friend who collects earrings back home.
We ate in Cafe Ricer overlooking the Plaza. The main veggie option was cheese, mushroom or maize empanadas, but they had run out of mushrooms and maize. They had also run out of palta (avocado) which was unbelievable as there was a chap selling them from a wheelbarrow just outside. Kevin had as an accompaniament "papa duchuesa", which were golfball sized balls of mash potato with cheese in the middle, deep fried in breadcrumbs. Healthy!
Around six we went back to the hotel for a rest before dinner. We had ten parking tickets awaiting us.
Intending to go back out for dinner, we had a lie down. Twelve hours later, Kevin was still asleep.
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