Chile Trip Log

Chile Trip Log 2006/2007

12/27/06 What a day! What a week! This is the first chance I have had to start a log for this trip. Holiday shopping and working in the shop for all the Holiday rush have left me with no time to even get packed and ready for this trip (I spent most of Christmas Day packing). To top it off I have the mother of all head colds. Ugh! Somehow I did manage a few tying sessions and slapped together some big dries and streamers for this trip. I have wanted to go to the Southern Andes since I read about the wonderful trout fishing in the early '70's. Over the years I talked with people who had fished the Patagonia and read everything I could get my hands on. I was even offered a job in the Baralloche region of Argentina but I reluctantly had to turn it down. Now I am on a LAN Airlines flight down there. My sinuses are really not dealing well with the changing air pressure but hopefully the Sudafed will kick in soon.

The sun was rising over the Andes as we made our approach into Santiago shedding a golden light over the snowy peaks. The area around Santiago reminds me of the San Joaquin valley with its neat patchwork of crop filled fields. We had to change planes in Lima, Peru and met up with Steve and Tami Rivers in the waiting area. Customs in Santiago were courteous and efficient but did insist on taking Palma's (my wife) Pistachio nuts, as they are very protective of their crops. We went through security for the flight to Puerto Mont and I was told I would have to check my rod case even though I had carried it on to two planes already I was now told it was a security risk. I ran back to the ticket counter and checked it in with much trepidation. We are now waiting to board the final hop (1.5 hours) to Puerto Mont and I am starting to feel a little better and am really starting to get excited and relax a little.

The short flight to Puerto Mont showed of the spectacular mountains and lakes of the region. Many snowcapped volcanoes with rivers and lakes aplenty were visible in the clear morning air. The area around Puerto Mont was shrouded in cloud but as we broke through the cloud cover we were directly over Lago LLanquehue, which is the third largest lake in South America. Really vast. As the plane circled into the airport I saw two large cruise ships in the harbor. This area is the jumping off point for cruises to the Antarctic and several people on our plane were on their way to catch a ride down to the end of the earth. Steve and Tami had already hooked up with our guide/ride Carlos and all the luggage came through without a problem and was soon loaded into the Land Rover for the 1.5 hr ride to Yankee Way Lodge. As we passed through the town of Puerto Varas I was reminded of a small European seaside resort and, in the town square there was even an oompah-pah band playing. A light rain fell and the wind whipped the surface of the lake into white caps, making it look more like the ocean than a lake. We crossed several really good-looking rivers which Carlos told us were heavily fished by the local anglers. We rolled through pastoral farmland and as we passed a large farm pond a fish rose boldly. An Omen?

Yankee Way Lodge was built thoughtfully on the shores of Lago LLanquehue with an incredible view, across the lake, of the great volcano Osorno. The snow capped resting giant dominates the horizon and makes for an incredible view from the lodge and restaurant although today it was intermittently obscured by low clouds that carried increasingly heavy showers across the wind whipped lake. After a simple check-in we retired to our rooms for a well-earned rest.

The Bungalows are nestled in a wooded area which gives of a feeling of serenity and quiet comfort. Scattered around the grounds of the lodge are carved wooden sculptures that are whimsical and unique. In front of the restaurant is a huge tree that has been extensively carved to depict the many facets of life at Yankee Way.

A three hour nap helped us to catch up on our rest and when we emerged from our room we found that Austin and Denise Rivers had arrived after a mostly uneventful trip. They did however have their fly boxes confiscated (they were given a receipt and were able to get them back on the way home) and were told that flies with poultry feathers attached could not be brought into the country. This was the first we had heard of this and I had way more flies than they did in my baggage and I had no problem. Artin Marootian had also made it in with his flies and we all headed to the restaurant for a cocktail and dinner.

Our host Pablo explained that the favorite drink in this part of the world was a Pisco Sour and as he highly recommended it, of course, we had to give it a try. It was wonderful and combined with the homemade kettle chips and dip made a great start to our first night in Chile. Dinner was superb. The chef at Yankee Way is internationally trained and did not disappoint. I had a Filet Mignon topped with two fried quail eggs and it was cooked to perfection. The fine Chilean wines complimented the meal and desert was an exquisite tasting work of art consisting of sliced papaya and fresh berries in a Crème Brule type sauce. Outstanding!

12/29/06 We were up early and had breakfast with everyone and soon after we headed for the private airport for our shuttle flight to Chaiten. Everyone was a little apprehensive about this flight because of the heavy clouds and rain, which was now a constant factor. The single engine Cessna Caravan piloted by Christian was a superb aircraft and despite heavy weather all the way to Chaiten we had a smooth comfortable ride. We broke out of the clouds over an incredible landscape of ocean bays, sheer cliffs, waterfalls and river deltas. Christian set the plane down as soft as a feather. We were greeted by Victor and Otter who would escort us the three and a half hours to El Patagon Lodge.

I am not sure what I expected to see down here but the beauty of the Andes is incredible. At every turn of the long gravel road new vistas were revealed. The white-capped peaks towered over verdant, forested valleys and pastures. Glacial feed rivers swollen by a longer than normal rainy season cut a path to the Pacific Ocean. We took a break for a tailgate lunch on the banks of the Rio Yelcho and marveled at the beauty that surrounded us. The road was in bad shape from rains but as we continued the sun fought it's way through the clouds and we kept craning our heads to try and digest the beauty of it all. Along the way we stopped at a farmhouse where Vic told us that the lady of the house made excellent cheeses and we purchased a couple to have at the lodge. The facility was primitive but very clean and the cheese was indeed wonderful. Next stop, La Junta the closest town to the lodge and an important fuel stop for people traveling the Cararatera Austral Highway, which accesses the southern Patagonia. We gassed up the Land Rover and started the final 20 KM up to the lodge.

El Patagon is nestled in a small lush pocket on the banks of the Rio Figueroa. The views of the surrounding peaks...Sorry! I'm going off on the views again. It's just so hard not to go on about it. The staff and the other guides welcomed us. Head guide, Chris introduced Barry and camp manager Pato who welcomed us with Pisco Sours in the gigantic yurt that serves as a gathering place and dining room. After a brief intro by Chris we were assigned guides for the following days fishing and headed to our cabins to settle in. Barry had offered a refresher fly-casting session for those who wanted to participate. Most of the group wanted to get a little practice in so Barry put on a clinic and helped those who needed it. I took the chance to explore a little and wandered down to the sauna/hot tub area and checked it out. I walked back to the pasture where everyone was gathered and helped Denise and Palma a little. I soon realized Artin was missing and remarked to Palma that he was probably fishing. Sure enough he was casting on the Rio Figueroa which runs right through camp and he had landed one just before I got there. He changed to a Chernobyl Gurgler and, after several casts, a fat 15/16" brown came somersaulting out of the water next to his fly. We both yelled in surprise at the aggressive strike. We were soon called away from the water for wine and cheese and to watch our dinner being cooked in large flat disc shaped pans over an open wood fire. In the dining room the long table was laid out in preparation for a memorable meal (one of many to come). The chef had BBQ'd pork, sausage, and lamb in one pan and chicken in the other. They poured white wine on them and reduced the liquid. We moved into the dining area where they had rice mixed with peas and carrots, baked potatoes, salsa, and green salads. Everything was sooooo good. They served another red wine and then a fruit plate for dessert. Tired but content we made our way to the cabin to prepare our gear and clothing for the next mornings adventure.

12/30/06 We awoke at dawn to an amazing chorus of birds each trying to outdo the other in welcoming the new day. After a full breakfast of bacon, eggs, fresh fruit and homemade sausage we climbed into our waders and raingear and headed out with Vic and the jetboat to Lago Rosselot. The past month's rains have raised the rivers and the guides feel our best shot for fish is the lakes. We launched the boat on the Rio Rosselot where it leaves the lake and motored up into the lake and into a huge bay on the west side. The forest comes right down to the edges of the lake and fallen Coihue trees litter the bottom of the lake. This species of trees has very dense wood and the fallen trees sink to the bottom and provide excellent cover for trout. Vic picked out an area and raised the motor and got on the oars to row us parallel to the shore. After a few casts I was fast to a fat 16" brown and the misting rain began to ease up. Palma followed up with a strong 18-19" brown, silvery with a few spots. So the day went. Alternating rain and mist but the trout were willing and strong. They spiraled out from below the logs and hammered the fly with authority. The shore lunch was a delicious hot tomato bisque soup with croutons and some kind of delicious pate and homemade kettle chips. Desert was a chocolate custard between two wafers. Water, wine, beer, sodas or whatever you wished to wash it down with. After lunch we continued up the lake and fished at the base of several beautiful waterfalls casting through the wind and rain into the white water and catching fish as we went. We took a run up the Rio Figueroa using the Jet boat to power through the rapids and fished our way back down plucking feisty healthy trout in the 15-19" range from under the bushes. We fished until about 5pm and then headed back to the take out for the 20 minute ride to El Patagon. Vic radioed ahead and Marlis had Pisco Sours waiting as we got out of the truck. Dinner was once again and amazing spread and we discussed our day with our fishing companions. Artin had had the most success with Chris as his guide he managed to land brookies, rainbows and browns his largest a fine 22-23" brown from Lago Jumpo. For those of you who may be interested the following is a description of dinner from Palma's journal. She does a much better job than I of describing food.

"We rested a bit and then headed down for a great dinner, which began with lamb kabobs, salmon with orange sauce, with roasted potatoes & vegetables, 2 kinds of wines, coconut cake with ice cream and watermelon slices cut into hearts."

12/31/06 We had a full breakfast of bacon, eggs, hash browns and fruit along with coffee and OJ. Waders and rain jackets were once again the clothing of choice and we jumped into the Land Rover with Barry for a 1.5hr trip up to the Rio Pico, which is close to the Argentine border. We drove through the small town of Lago Verde and then onto a two-track road and finally a no-track road that led us to the banks of the Rio Pico. It reminded me of the Madison River in Montana in both size and character. Barry and Ronnie (our driver) slid the Super Puma raft down the steep bank into the river and we were soon on our way. Almost immediately I had a wrenching strike from a big brown. He came unbuttoned but we had steady action all day from 15-18" browns and rainbows. We stopped for a brief walk and wade near a cable that was strung across the river. An orange and white boat was tied up nearby and Barry explained that until the bridge was built this was the way the residents could cross the river. Barry and Palma went upstream and I worked my way quartering a streamer downstream without any luck. I heard a commotion coming from downstream and out of the streamside brush rode a cowboy on a white horse leading another saddled horse. He urged the horse into the river and casually swam the horse across. I heard a dog whining and suddenly, right next to me a brown hound jumped into the water and followed his master across. Behind me another guy with 4 dogs walked over to the tethered boat, climbed in followed by the dogs and, with a cheery wave began to pull himself and the very excited dogs across the river. The dogs stood in the bow of the boat, tails wagging furiously, and as they reached the other side they all bailed out. They cowboy mounted up on the second horse and, with a wave they disappeared into the forest. Surreal! We continued downstream to a small beach were we had lunch and found a bleached horse skull amid a pile of driftwood. Below us stretched a narrow canyon with steep rock walls and as we rested on the beach Barry pointed out a pair of large bird circling over a high ridge. Andean Condors lazily riding the air currents as they have since pre-historic times. Lunch completed we headed on down the river casting to flooded bushes and catching 14-15" trout from the pockets on both sides. The high water made for tough fishing conditions but the made the white water sections a lot more exciting. Palma really enjoyed standing in the front of the raft as the Super Puma bucked through the rapids. What a wild and beautiful place. The float ended way to soon and, because of the high water, the take-out was up into the lower branches of a Coihue tree. A pretty exciting exit that involved Barry straining on the oars to power us into the bank where Ronnie waited to grab us and hook up a stout rope to drag the raft out. On the way back to the lodge we were caught in a traffic jam. twelve cows and a very large bull leisurely wandered down the gravel road not even caring that we had a hot shower and Pisco Sours waiting for us. Dinner was once again outstanding and I'll use another excerpt from Palma's journal to give you the details.

"Dinner began with BBQ chicken and pisco sours. Then we had paper thin sliced medallions of beef trimmed with artichoke hearts and topped with a tiny green salad followed by a risotto with chicken and mushrooms. The dessert was a poppy seed crepe topped with ice cream, local berries (only found in this region and harvested in April), berry sauce, and whipped cream. We had 2 types of wine as always. After dinner, we talked, Pato got Barry's guitar for Ken to play, and we had a lot of laughs. Artin found more chips in the kitchen and a Santana CD. We danced and laughed some more."

Since it was New Years Eve we stayed up late to ring in the new year and some of us got a little out of hand. But as the saying goes "what happens in Patagonia stays in Patagonia".

1/1/07 Awoke to heavy rain and it continued through breakfast. Vic was our guide again today and we went with Sergio just a short distance from camp to Lago Jumpo. The rain did not let up and as we made our way through the reed in the Super Puma the wind began to blow. Conditions were less than ideal. Way less. Casting was tough as the heavy gusts of wind made hitting a target almost impossible and the cold rain was blowing sideways into our faces. The fish did not cooperate and we had managed only a few halfhearted grabs by the time we stopped for lunch. Sergio came back and picked up Palma who had been invited to a traditional New Years Day BBQ at Chris' in-laws home in La Junta. They were treated to a traditional assado which is lamb roasted over an open fire served with potatoes and several different salads grown by the family.

Vic and I went back out on the lake. The wind had finally calmed somewhat and I cast a streamer up against a rocky bank and was rewarded by a large brown that leaped completely over the fly and, as I continued to strip it, charged back and slammed it with gusto. Finally! From then on it was a fish every few casts. Mostly brookies that were in the 14-16" range and as Vic rowed into a promising cove he said, "all we need is a rainbow to complete the Grand Slam. Two casts later I hooked the biggest fish of the day: A 22" female rainbow that ferociously attacked the "Zoo Cougar" and jumped three times before coming to hand. All this as the rain poured, the wind blew and the fish jumped. What a way to begin the New Year.

The hot shower at the lodge felt so good and was followed by a glass of Pinot Noir and some delicious snacks. I'll let Palma describe the food once again "We had little beef empanadas with salsa for our appetizer. Vic downloaded all of our pictures from today and showed them to us in another slideshow. Then we began our dinner with the first course, smoked salmon with salad, sour cream, and honey sauce. Then we had beef with a baked potato topped with a sour cream sauce and a tomato stuffed with spinach and cheese. Dessert was amazing. It was an almond layered torte with a light mousse topped with a sculpture of caramelized sugar and a spot of whipped cream. There were splashes of berry sauce and a brush of chocolate on the plate. We enjoyed a chardonnay and a merlot tonight. Then we spent a long time just talking, laughing, and having fun. The sky was a little clearer tonight as we walked to our bungalow, but we still haven't seen the stars at night. Ken got the fire going again and our room was warm and cozy once again.

1/2/07 Palma and I headed up to Lago Muerto with Chris and Sergio. It was raining again and the area where we launched the raft had a spring bubbling right out of the ground. The lake was formed by a landslide blocking the river and is full of long dead trees that poke up in various parts of the lake. It is surrounded by steep cliffs reaching to snowcapped peaks and dense, temperate rainforest. There is a lot of cover for the trout to hide in but on this day they did not want to come out to play. We fished all morning and had only a few halfhearted follows. We took a break for lunch and Palma and I wandered into the forest looking at all the unusual ferns, mosses and lichens that grew on every conceivable surface. It was a serenely beautiful place and there was a quiet peace that enveloped us. What a beautiful country this is. We were soon back out on the water casting but still no fish. Chris felt that the unseasonably cold weather and large amounts of cold water entering the lake were to blame. Dry flies, streamers and nymphs were tried and ignored by the resident trout. Palma was really discouraged although she had more interest in her flies than I had. Chris was scratching his head and looking through his fly boxes and mine for something that might trigger a strike. He handed me really excellent Dragonfly nymph imitation with short rubber legs and heavily dubbed body of his own design. Still no takes. Chris decided to make a long row up the lake against the wind to try a small weedy cove where a little stream slid almost unnoticed into the lake. The first cast with the nymph had a good strong pull and on the third cast, FINALLY, fish on. It turned out to be the skinniest, ugliest brookie of the trip but it was a welcome break. It did not, however, open up the floodgates and we continued to draw a blank as we eased along the shoreline. The wind came up again and Chris was having a tough time holding us steady but he kept at it. Working hard to keep us in casting range of the shoreline cover. Finally he radioed the lodge to pick us up in about a half hour. As we started to work our way back to the take out area Chris kept working on the oars. We slid over more downed trees in about six feet of water and Chris nodded toward a big log twenty feet out from the bank. Beyond it was a quiet pool of water with a red flower floating in the center of it. "Hit that flower Ken." I dropped the nymph about six inches from the flower and was instantly hooked up to a nice brown in the 20" range. I looked over my shoulder at Chris and he shrugged. " Sometimes you just get a sign that you can't ignore" he smiled. We landed the beautiful brown, took a few pictures and released it just as the Land Rover and trailer went by on the way to the take out. It was a really tough day of fishing for us but I was filled with a deep appreciation for the beauty of the area and even though only 2 fish were caught it was a grand day of fishing. We got back to the lodge to find that they had had sunshine all day. Hmm. Tami and Steve, Denise and Austin all had good success and it was happy group who awaited the chef's next gourmet treat. From Palma's journal again "Dinner was amazing once again. We started with little breaded seafood appetizers with a cream sauce that had cilantro in it. Then we had a seafood platter of shrimp, oysters, crab, and scallops topped with a thousand island -type dressing and served with a lovely salsa verde. The main course was a creamed crab dish trimmed with long homemade potato chips that looked like flames coming out of the edges of the bowl. Dessert was intoxicating. It was a chestnut parfait topped with a biscuit that was a lot like a pirouette cookie. It was served with a lemon curd sauce and a chocolate sauce, orange slices and sweet, cooked chestnuts. There was also a tiny dot of cream.

After dinner, Marlis took me into the kitchen to meet the chefs. Manuel and Yvonne showed me the room that they create their magic in. They had bakers' racks of ingredients, racks of small appliances and tools, and a big stainless steel island to work on. The 6-burner stove included a griddle and there was a separate grill for grilling meats. There was a big oven and a small microwave. Their mixer was a hand mixer. They had a juicer, a blender, and 2 silpats. Marlis arranged for me to cook with them tomorrow afternoon."

1/3/07 Palma decided to go with Denise, Tami and Vic as a guide to see a glacier and visit a hand made rug operation. I was paired up with Artin and Otter as the guide for a float on the Rio Figueroa on a beautiful sunny day. We put in about a 5 minute ride from the lodge and immediately Artin was hooked up to a nice brown and then a rainbow. Soon another rainbow and I hadn't had a touch. I was mentally devising ways to throw him overboard when I had a halfhearted pull on my streamer. Artin landed another nice brown. Damn! Finally I landed a small rainbow (14") and then Artin went cold and I began to land fish. The morning flew by as we caught fish after fish and we found ourselves at El Patagon were we stopped for lunch. The sun was starting to dry things out and we enjoyed a leisurely lunch before heading down the river toward Lago Rosselot. The fishing was hot! Fish eagerly charged our flies and we started to take fish on dry flies. The highlight of the afternoon began with Artin spotting a nice rainbow lying next to a submerged log. He cast to it and immediately it was on and raced out into the current. I cast to the inside of the same log and a nice brown crushed the fly. A double! (One of four doubles on the afternoon) The day ended with over 60 fish between us. We had fish straighten streamer hooks and wrap us in the heavy cover. These fish are really wild and strong and they display an amazing variety of color phases that I have not seen elsewhere. Browns range from dark, dark brown with a few red spots to buttery yellow bellied to a dull silver with just a few black spots near the head. The rainbows can be bright silver with a gunmetal grey back like a fresh run steelhead to a dark green backed beauty with typical red lateral stripe. What a great day. Austin and Steve also had a great day on the Rio Pico with Barry and the ladies enjoyed their side trip to the glacier.

Product field-test notes: John Sherman our sage representative asked me to take a 691-4 Z Axis with me to see how it performed in the field. So here is my impression of this new rod. The rod is very light in the hand and very responsive without being stiff or loggy. The guides here were excited to cast these rods and were impressed by the power produced with so little effort. Because of the high water conditions we spent a lot of time casting large streamers and big wind resistant flies and this rod handled all without any difficulty. Part of the time I cast a 250 grain Streamer Express fast sinking integrated shooting head and it was a no brainer. If all the rods in this series perform at this level I think that Sage has another winner on its hands. The biggest problem with this rod is that I don't own it.

1/4/07 Last Day

After talking with Chris we decided that we would fish two boats on each river (Pico & Fig) which were starting to drop and clear. Palma and I were once again in Vic's capable hands on the Rio Figueroa and Tami and Steve were going on the Figueroa with Otter. Denise and Austin were scheduled to drift the Pico with Barry and Chris was taking Artin on that same river. Normally there are more stretches of river to spread out the guests on and but since everyone in our group got along so well we could share the same stretch of river. This was to be the only time during our six days of fishing that we would see other anglers on these waters. It was another wonderful day on the water as the weather cooperated again and we had short sleeve weather for a fun trip down this beautiful river. We drifted from the put in with fish in the 15-16' range chasing our flies all morning and before we knew it we were at El Patagon for lunch and a potty break. Then back on the Fig as we leap-frogged our way downstream in glorious sunshine. As we neared Lago Rosselot the river slowed and Vic said that we were almost done. A jackstraw tangle of logs offered an inviting target and I cast to the back of the small cove and began a fast, erratic retrieve. A silvery blur intercepted the fly and exploded into open water upon feeling the hook. The brown charged downstream tearing line off the reel in a frantic effort to shake the hook. The fish jumped twice and finally came to the net. A fine 18" heavily spotted that, while not the biggest fish of the trip, certainly was one of the most exacting specimens. What a fitting end to a wonderful week in the Patagonia.

We waited on a shallow gravel bar for Otter , Tami and Steve to catch up and then lashed the two 16' rafts together and motored back across the lake to the take out on the Rio Rosselot. The clear skies revealed the majestic vistas of the Andes in all their snowcapped beauty and I wished I had another week to spend in this paradise. The kitchen staff outdid themselves this evening with a traditional Assado and all the fixin's. Assado is usually a goat or lamb butterflied and slow cooked over an open wood fire. The wine flowed and we ate till it hurt. As dinner wound down we asked Pato to invite the kitchen staff into the dining room and we gave them a standing ovation for all the great dishes that they had prepared over the week. We shared some of the memories from the week and busted out the guitar for a singalong. Palma had written a funny song that chronicled our week and included everyone at the lodge. We did our best to sing it and everyone joined in on the chorus. Then we passed the guitar around and Sergio surprised everyone by singing a Chilean folk song in a clear sweet voice and he was joined on the chorus by the entire staff. It was a magical evening. Then Barry sang a sad song heart-wrenching song and so it went late into the evening. What a place! What a week! It will be hard to leave this place.

1/5/07 We had a very early breakfast and said our goodbyes to the staff and guides. Barry and Otter were our drivers for the long drive back to Chaiten and our plane back to Puerto Montt. I dozed much of the way and we arrived with an hour to spare. We boarded an even smaller plane and headed up for the 50 minute flight to Puerto Montt. This time we could see the coastline all the way and we landed under clear sunny skies in the busy city by the bay. Isabel and a driver picked us up at the airport and, after we had dropped off Yvonne and Sergio (they had flown back with us), we went to a street market to shop for some souvenirs. The many stalls had all kinds of tourist trinkets and woolen (both sheep and alpaca) goods at very reasonable prices. There was a large fish market nearby and we went and had a fantastic lunch of fresh shellfish, potatoes, pork, chicken, sausage, and various other delicious stuff that I didn't recognize along with soup and beer for about $9 pert person including tip. Austin and Denise had to leave for their flight to Santiago and the rest of us shopped some more. Tami and Steve soon had to leave to catch their flight to Machu Pichu. Artin, Palma and I went on to Yankee Way Lodge where we checked in and relaxed before dinner.

1/6/07 We had decided to try some of the other activities that Yankee Way had to offer so after breakfast we were picked up by Ricardo for a short ride, about 15 Km, up the side of Osorno to Canopy Lodge. We were signed up, against my better judgment, to try zip-lining through the canopy of the Coihue tree forest. They took us out to a lawn area where they had set up a short demo line. It looked easy..... When we arrived at the actual start off point I had the urge to turn and run. I have a totally irrational fear of heights and here I was about to fly through the treetops suspended by a pulley on a wire. Crazy! In the end I was glad I did it but I would never do it again. I would love to describe the beautiful views of the forest that we saw but I had my eyes closed in terror most of the time. Artin and Palma thoroughly enjoyed themselves and whooped and hollered their way through the trees. Finally it was over. We headed back to the lodge for lunch and Artin headed into town to do some more shopping. Later in the afternoon we met Renee who was to be our driver for the afternoon. He picked us up and drove us the few kilometers to the rafting company and we were issued wetsuits, life jackets and helmets and given some rudimentary instructions on how to sit in the raft, use a paddle and what commands we would be hearing. We met some of the other people who would be sharing our raft. There was a couple from Sao Paulo, Brazil Monica and Chris, a young Chilean boy whose name I could not pronounce and a Martine from Quebec who was going to be spending the summer in Chile working for the rafting company. We were soon at the Rio Petrohue and it was a lot of fun to run the class 3 and 4 rapids along this beautiful river. The 2 hour ride was over too soon and we were soon back at the lodge for hot showers, Pisco Sours and another incredible dinner of roast duck with another fine red wine to compliment the meal. Tired but very relaxed we went to sleep early.

1/7/07 Ricardo picked us up at 8am for a leisurely day of sight seeing on the coast. We were going to a penguin preserve and had high hopes of seeing the little guys. After about an hour we drove onto a ferry, which took us to Chiloe Island, and we soon were driving along the beach to the sanctuary. Both Humboldt and Magellanic penguins nest in this area on three small islands, which are honeycombed with their nesting burrows. We boarded a small Avon type skiff and motored slowly around the islands and we soon saw dozens of the little guys. Some were swimming in the cold waters, others were rock hopping and others were just standing and braying like black and white feathered donkeys. It is the weirdest sound that I have ever heard a bird make. The short tour also lets you get close to sea lions (which dine on the penguins) and sea otters. We had lunch back on shore and then drove into Chiloe to do a little shopping and then back to the lodge for a final dinner with Artin who shared some of his shopping secrets with us.

1/8/07 Since we do not need to be at the airport until 5pm we wanted to spend our last day in Puerto Varas soaking in the local atmosphere and, of course, shopping. We enjoyed the day and had a nice lunch at a street café but soon we were on our way to the airport to catch our flight to Santiago and from there home. Suffice to say that the flight was long and boring and thankfully uneventful. This time we were on American Airlines and frankly their service was weak. Maybe I was just ticked off to be going home after such a great and relaxing trip.

If you have any questions regarding this trip please contact Fishermen's Spot

Click here for the Christmas Island Trip Log.