Los Ojos de Caburgua (10/8)

So we actually went to Temuco on the bus. We rented a car and drove the rest of the way to Pucón. Ironically, though we were supposed to rent an economic Yaris, there were none in house when we arrived to pick up the car. So they gave us a free upgrade -- a honking truck!!! (I was going to protest because it would cost more for the fuel, but then decided to enjoy it. We were actually very fortunate to have had it because not all roads we took were so user-friendly.) So we drove to Pucón, checked into our bed & breakfast and went to find some of the beauty southern Chile is known for.

With many recommendations, we decided to go to Los Ojos de Caburgua where waterfalls can be found within close proximity and very little hiking. The funny thing is that we found several entrances to see the Ojos and other waterfalls and they all seemed to be on private property. When visitors arrived, someone would come out of the house and collect the entrance fee. Many times we thought how amazing it must be to live in an area like that with two very impressive forces of nature in your backyard: an active volcano looming over the river of rushing falls. The little paths we walked were rustic, root-covered and difficult; they took you right to the water and nearly into the falls themselves. We were seeing nature in such a virgin state - something you'll never find in the US because there are always paved walkways or iron railings to keep people from falling in the water. "Amazing," "impressive" and "beautiful" just don't really cover it. I can safely say that our camera worked twice as hard as Deb and I put together on our hike. I was in picture-taking paradise!

We wandered around Pucón in the evening, relaxing, shopping, and finding good things to eat.

(Disclaimer: Chris wants me to let you know that the words in bold and italics are from me, Deb.)