Why???? Because I want to.

I just got back from the toughest hike that I have ever done in my entire life. It will probably be one of the toughest hikes I will ever do. Why do I choose to torture myself? Because I love the feeling of accomplishment. I love to look down from a mountain and say "I hiked all that?" I love to see beauty from a different angle. Any I love to tell stories.

As you might already know I am alive. I survived one of the hardest and scariest hikes that I have ever done. It started off with the idea of climbing a volcano. How hard can it be right? Wrong!!!!  Volcano Villarrica is one of the many active volcanoes in the Pucon region. Its 2847m (that's 9340 feet) we climbed starting at 1400meters (that's a total of 4747 feet of elevation gain) in 5hours over 3.1 miles and that's just one way. 

It started last night when we tried on mountaineering boots that were impermeable to the snow and fitted with crampons that could be attached when needed. We all packed our lunches and went to bed early.

We woke at 6:00am to be ready to go by 7:00am. Unfortunately it started out with some bad news, it was a bit too windy and it could be dangerous to attempt the climb. I was a bit bummed. We waited around checking the weather with groups that were already at the mountain. We were given the all clear and we pack into a van that would take us to the base of the volcano.\

At the base we pack up our packs with food, gear, water, and small plastic sleds. We were all expecting to take the lift that would save us an hour off our hike and 1000ft of climbing. Unfortunately  due to wind the lift was closed. Our group of five tourists and two guides headed up the trail. At first it started out very clear dry and warm. We were wearing no more than thermals and our hiking boots. I had seen on a blog that the first part without the lift was the hardest part and a waste of energy. Everyone recommend the lift. It was true that is was hard but it was definitely not the hardest. 


At first we waked on gravel made from volcanic rock. Every step we took sunk into the gravel making it very strenuous to gain elevation. We stopped a couple times to take pictures and snack but our guide was very pushy and never let us rest long. In the first part of the hike three of the five fell out leaving only two of us. 

Then we hit snow after 2hours of climbing. We strapped on our crampons, gators, and helemet and got a quick lesson of how to use the pick-ax and what to do if you start to fall. Remember that at this time of year the snow is more like ice and there is nothing stopping you from rolling down the side of the mountain other than rocks, so it is important to know how to use your gear properly. On top of that two weeks ago two people had died because they slipped and fell. 

We began to walk. Every step was painful. The mountaineering boots were much heaver than hiking boots and the metal crampons just added the the weight. Each foot was carrying close to 5lbs. The guide and the two of us hiked in a zig-zag line up the snow. We spent two hours hiking carefully up the glaciers, using guide lines to cross a couple of ravines.

Finally we crossed the glaciers and happened on more volcanic rock and hardened lava. We took off our crampons and began to climb on the volcanic rock. This was very hard because many of the rocks  were lose and when they were dislodged we all had to scream "ROCK" so that people would be aware of it below. The volcanic rock was also very rough and it would scratch your hands when you went to grab onto it for balance. 

We hiked for an hour up the rocks before finally reaching the crater. It was amazing. Huge. It was lined with red, orange and green rocks and smoked constantly. At one point I was able to see some red lava spew up and then hardened on the surface. It was awesome, definitely worth the hike.

The guide showing us how to slow down while sliding. 

It was time to head down. The fumes at the top can be noxious and there were clouds gathering around the volcano, decreasing our visibility. The quickest way to descend is to slide. We put on protective bottoms and gloves. Got on our butts and slid down these slides formed by the snow. This was the scariest thing I have ever done. We slid so fast using our pick-ax to one side to slow down. We had to be careful to keep our legs bent and together so that we did not break our legs if we hit ice or a rock. We slid so fast and it was hard to slow down until you reached the bottom. We slid down full speed, crossing the entire glacier in 30mins. 

We then descended the rest of the way on foot. It took us a total of 2 hours to descend. It was great getting down. It felt so good to look up at the mountain, surrounded by clouds, that I just climbed. I am very tired but if feels good that I worked hard to accomplish something amazing.

On the Road Again

House of Pablo Neruds, Valparaiso

Pablo Neruda's house in Valparaiso, La Sebastiana, is beautiful. Neruda loved the sea, but since he did not know how to swim he brought the ocean to his home. 

Ojos del Caburga

I was also able to visit the house that my mom grew up in. It was turned into a hostal for students and remodeled. The lady who owned the place took us on a tour. She was very friendly and loved to talk. She said that the house was haunted by our families ancestors and that there have been many sightings of ghosts in the house. It was really awesome to see the house that my mother grew up in.
On Friday night I boarded a bus to Pucon. It was a 10 hour trip to Pucon a city at the base of Volcano Villarrica (2847m). Pucon is a small town in the Lake District in Chile. Yesterday I went on a tour of the surrounding area. The first visit was Lago Caburgua. This lake is smaller than lake Villarrica which the town of Pucon is located. 
After I visited the Ojos del Caburga. The Ojos del Caburga are deep blue pools of water that have been created by underground streams through volcanic rock. 

Hot Springs

Our guide was very quiet but he drove very fast through the country roads. fAt times I felt like the whole van was in the air. After the tour a group of us from the hostal headed to a local club to dance. Dancing lasted until 4am. 
At the end we were able to jump out of the boat during the rapid to practice going down in the correct position. In all it was a blast and I would definitely do it again. 
As soon as we got out of the river it began to rain, which was perfect timing. 

I enjoyed Vina del Mar and Valparaiso, I hope to go back sometime soon. The last days in Vina I visited Pablo Neruda's house, ate marisco emanadas, explored more of the city, and hung out with friends and family. 

Along with the Ojos we visited the three saltas waterfalls. It was a bit of a hike to reach the 2nd and 3rd but they were beautiful and well worth the effort. I just think of it as practice for climbing the volcano that I am going to to in the next couple of days. 


After visiting many different natural wonders our group headed to the thermals to warm up. Here you can lounge in natural pools ranging from 27C to 40C. It was really nice to warm up in the pools. By the time we worked our way up to the 40C pool I had a headache from all the heat. To take away the headache you rinse off in cold water. 

Today I white water rafted down the Trancura River which is Class IV+. We suited up in warn down semi-wet suits, jackets that were suppose to keep us dry, life jackets, and helmets. We loaded up into rafts got a 5min tutorial on white water rafting before heading into some gnarly rapids. During one of the first rapids we almost lost a girl but thanks to a speedy shipmate we were able to pull her back in before she fell all the way out of the boat. 

At  one point we had to walk because the rapids were class VI. Then we had to jump from a cliff back into the water to swim to the boats. The water was very cold and the waterpoof jacket didn't help at all. 

Tomorrow the weather will be bad so I might either go zip-lining or horseback riding, since the volcano will be unclimbable and the water in the canyons will be too high to go canyoning. Those I will save for Tuesday and Wednesday which will have better weather. 

Following My Mom's Footsteps

Santiago is immense, much bigger that any city I have ever seen. It continues for miles in all directions with close to 5.5 million people. There is so much to do in Santiago. While I was there I was able to visit the house of Pablo Neruda, a famous Chilean poet, and the Memory Museum, which covered the happening of the military coup on Sept 11th 1973 and the Pinochet dictatorship. I also went on a walking tour of downtown Santiago where I was able to see La Moneda, the presidents office, Santiago's Plaza de Armas and Cerro Santa Lucia. At the bus station I was lucky enough to see a performance of the Cueca, the national dance of Chile, I hope to learn the dance before I leave. I also tried mote con huesillos, a traditional Chilean drink. Santiago was absolutely wonderful and I hope to visit again some day.

Simon and me at Neruda's house

On Friday I headed to Vina del Mar, an hour and a half ride in bus from Santiago to Vina del Mar and Valparaiso are right next to each other, but they are totally different. Vina del Mar is a nice quiet city with skyscrapers and fancy hotels. Valparaiso is a bohemian town with cerros filled with colorful houses. I am staying with my Tia Coty in Vina del Mar, blocks from the center.

Today I visited Valparaiso only minutes from Vina del Mar. I passed by the house my mother grew up in and picked up some fish on the way to Valparaiso. The port of Valparaiso is filled with tiny fishing boats, yachts, military vessels and huge cruise ships. The city of Valparaiso is built onto rolling hills called cerros. To get to the top you can either hike up the never ending staircases or like me take a acensor, which is kinda like an elevator but at an angle.

Acensor in Valparaiso

The narrow winding streets and passageways and colorful houses built one-on-top of the other give Valparaiso its character. After exploring Valparaiso I headed to my mom's childhood friend, Nancy, house in Quilpue, a city inland from Vina del Mar to have lunch. At Nancy's home I was able to call my mom through my computer so they could talk for the first time in over 30 years. Nancy got so emotional when hearing my moms voice that she could barley talk.

It was great to hang out with my mom's best friend growing up and it was even more enjoyable to hear them talk again after so many year. I hope one day I can also reunite with my childhood friends.

Nancy's son Guillermo took me out into the town to show me around. Quilpue is a small pueblo with a zoo, many stray dogs, a small mall, and a couple cerros. Nancy's family was very welcoming. It was great to meet her two sons and her grand kids. I hope to see them again sometime soon.

Chile!!!!

So after many hours (21) on a bus from Lima I finally arrived in Tacna the southern-most city in Peru on Friday. On the bus I was lucky to sit next to a Peruvian woman who was also on her way to Chile. We became friends and decided to do the border crossing together. 

The border crossing was very straight forward. We had to go through Peruvian customs and Chilean customs. To save money I took a bus across. These are a little slower and much more risky than the taxi's but they are much cheaper because they don't charge you per bag like the taxi's do. It took about an hour to cross the border and get dropped off in Arica. Arica is the northern most town in Chile and its known for beaches and surfing.

The next bus ticket to Santiago was not until Sunday so I decided to explore Arica and the surrounding region. I took a day trip to Parque Nacional Lauca which is at 5,000 meters of elevation (16,000ft). At the park we got to see lamas, alpacas, vicunas and a volcano. I also met Simon who is a native of Santiago. 

The elevation gain gave me a headache but other than that I felt fine. To help with altitude sickness I drank coca tea, made from soaking coca leaves. We arrived late into Arica. 

The next day I visited a museum with the oldest mummies in the world. They are 8,000 years old thousands of years older than the Egyptian mummies. It was really cool to read about the Chinchorro culture. 

I then headed down to Santiago on a 31 hour bus ride. For over a day we drove through desert with little vegetation. I was happy to arrive in Santiago and see trees and rivers. I have spent the last couple of days exploring Santiago and recovering.

Today I climbed Cerro San Cristobal on the tram. From the top I hiked with my friends around the cerro and back down to our hostel. It was quite a hike. From the top (la cumbre) you can see most of Santiago. It looks like it goes on forever, that's why I say "most". It is very sunny and hot in Santiago. The city is surrounded by the Andes mountains. 

Tonight I am heading to a BBQ where I am promised some veggies and salmon. Very excited.