Aneya & Lauren: Villarica.

Aneya: How cute is this?



Aneya: You can see the German influence here, with these strange triangle houses.
Aneya: This almost reminds me of Marseille, or Nice, even, with the cafe and cute little boardwalk next to the lake. There's even a beach down there, although the sand is volcanic (ie hot) and black.




Aneya: We decided to take a boat out on to the lake, which was way bigger than I imagined. I felt like I was in another world, people jet-skiing and swimming all around us, million dollar mansions with docks perched on every corner, beautiful people sunbathing. Where are we again? St. Tropez? Nope, that'd be Southern Chile!

Aneya: The little building in the distance is actually a 5 star hotel! Next time I'm in Villarica, I'm staying there!

Lauren: While in Temuco, Daniela told us about a small resort town that was closeby. It was a short bus ride from where we were staying, and it was on a clear blue lake near a smoking volcano. Sure. Why not? We had no idea how beautiful this place would be.

Aneya: This was a day after Lauren's trip to the hospital, so I wasn't so sure it was a good idea. We'd had a day of rest in Temuco, and then Daniela suggested Villarica. I had really wanted to see one of the famous volcanoes, and so did Lauren, so we decided to go ahead and do it.

Lauren: Driving down to Villarica was like visiting another country. So many rivers and lakes, tons of gorgeous trees, not to mention several black snow-covered volcanoes. These images were so similar to ones of Japan, Europe, and Hawaii.

Aneya: Ya, it was a beautiful, scenic drive, as is typical for the Lake District. We couldn't believe our eyes when the first snow covered volcano popped into view, monumental and enormous, following us around every corner. We were pretty giddy by this point.

Lauren: When we got to the small town, it was just gorgeous. Small wooden shops, A-frame houses, and an interesting blend of Germans and Mapuche. Unlike the Spanish, Germans did not marry or have children with Mapuche. How German of them. So alongside little German arsenal chocolate places, were indigenous shops with woodwork, bread made from squash. All these handmade, interesting foods and I could try nothing! Not on the doctor's diet. I couldn't even have Ginger Ale. Only flat mineral water and tea.

Aneya: I couldn't get over how quant and lovely this town was! It reminded me of this lake town in Austria I once visited, so beautiful and serene. The German influence was obvious, what with all the little wooden houses and cute bakeries. We were in heaven, basically.

Lauren: And if things were cheap(ish) in Santiago, a bit cheaper in Temuco, things were incredibly cheap in Villarica. It was both disheartening and exciting. Things that in the states would sell for $40-$50, sold for less than $10 here, often for a few dollars. Really skillfully made, beautiful woodwork sold for a pittance. I'll take two. To go.

Aneya: Everything was so inexpensive, and there was so much to buy! You turn a corner, there's an antique fair here, a Mapuche festival there, and handcrafted woodwork everywhere! And of course, earrings galore, of every shape and color. For less than 50 cents! It was hard not to buy everything in sight.

Lauren: We got to go to a Mapuche ruka that was in this Mapuche arts and crafts fair. There was an exhibit in the ruka, describing Mapuche culture. We also spent a lot of time around the lake which was indescribably beautiful.

Aneya: I just wanted to jump right into that lake! It was a deep, deep blue, and the lush green around it was just breathtaking. There were two other volcanoes in the distance, and the area reminded me of so many places I'd visited in the past. Hawaii, Western Europe, even Japan, in a way, one place I haven't been, but am dying to go.

Lauren: The water was so blue. There were so many trees. And the volcano was huge, clearly visible and smoking. Little puffs every few minutes. It was just amazing. (Aneya: Or, as Daniela's grandma would say "it was breathing")

Aneya: My favorite place by far in the South. Yay for Villarica!

-- Aneya & Lauren