Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Just ignore the smoking volcano

... its perfectly safe!

The volcano isn't actually smoking today, though apparently its very common to see.

I've arrived in one piece in Pucon after 2 -ish days of traveling and I've met some really cool people along the way. I spent a night in Temuco in a reaaaly nice Hospedaje. The owner makes her own bread, jam and preserves which she serves for breakfast. Sooooo good. I may have pigged out just a little.

Temuco itself has not much to see. I went hunting for souvenirs at the mercado principal and came up empty. Most of the stuff appeared to be made in China and was really really taky. The regional museum which supposedly talks about Mapuche culture takes about 10 minutes to see in its entirety. That includes reading every sign in Spanish. As well the musem really only talked about some of the Dutch and German families that settled in the area around the time of the Boer War. Booo.

In Villarica I hung out in a family's house and connected with a Brazilian father and son. The son had just recieved news that he'd graduated at the top of his class in his music program. We went out and celebrated over wine and music. And I discovered that I still can't carry a tune.

They comepletly sold me on going on a trip to the north east of Brazil. Apparently, the ocean is as warm as bathwater and the comunities and country side are fantatically gorgeous. The best way to do the trip is to rent a dune buggy and work your way along the beach. Sounds good to me!

Anyways, I'm booked into an awesome little hostel that just opened up. The owner is keen to get business and he provide real coffee *gasp*. I may just have to stay here till the end of the trip. Pucon is a fantastically beatiful place and I plan to spend the next few days getting to know it better. As well Ginger is hanging around here somewhere, if she would sit still long enough for me to find here we'll meet up and swap stories.

That's all for now.

Hasta Luego!

Ryan

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Did someone say warm water? It couldnt get any warmer here in Joao Pessoa. The website below has several article s about peoples warm water experiences

Anyone travelling to the north east of Brasil particularly Joao Pessoa, capital of Paraiba, would do well to log on to
www.paraibaparadise.com
written and updated everyday by ex-pats living in Joao Pessoa.
It includes the best "whats on " page in the whole of Brasil hosting a range of activities and events for all ages.
It will give you a great insight into living in Brasil and what you will need to stay in Brasil. There is even more information for people who want to visit and settle in Joao Pessoa .Good luck and enjoy Brasil.

Unknown said...

Morning Ryan
Don't know how warm the ocean is here today (I assume really warm)but the air temp was 41C at 5am. Can't believe I am wishing for cold. Just so you can plan ahead for our
Christmas in Feb. celebration, I think we should just do stocking stuffers. Must be lots of things you can get during your travels that would fit our stockings!!! Your Dad and I are already planning. Think, wooden tulips to brighten your yard in the winter, just a replacement for plastic flowers. Take care. We are really enjoying your blog.
Mom