Puerto Montt

Chile is nicknamed "the shoestring country" for good reason; 24 times longer than its average width, and in no place wider than 150 miles, it stretches nearly 2,700 miles, a span of latitude that encompasses parched deserts, fertile coastal plains, dense rain forests and, finally, continental ice-caps, fiords and glaciers.  At Puerto Montt, chile's narrow coastal plain sinks into the Pacific, and the ice-carved west slopes of the Andes form the islands and fiords of Archipelagic Chile, a  remote region of appalling weather that stretches southward 1,000 miles to Cape Horn.  It's a city of 250,000, is the gateway not only to the Lake District, but to the island of Chiloe, to Archipelagic Chile, and to Argentina's Lake District, just across the Andes from Chile.  The city is not, however, merely a stopover on the way to more exotic places.  It is an interesting town with a charm characteristic of smaller Chilean seaports whose residents are among the friendliest people in South America.

We hired a taxi for 3 hours to take us on a tour.  Our driver's name was Sergio and he took us to a beautiful lake in Puerto Varas where we had lunch at a quaint restaurant the locals frequent.  They also have two volcanos.  The Osorno volcano last erupted in the late 1800's.  It is one of Chile's most famous volcanoes owing to its near perfect symmetry.  The snow-capped peak is frequently referred to as the "Fuji of South America." I had salmon (caught from that lake) that overlapped the plate and Gary had King Crab.  It was soooo good.  At the fish market there is a 2 story building where about 30 tiny seafood restaurants (about 3 or 4 tables) serve very inexpensive meals.  We have been there before but didn't make it back this time.  It's really something to see.  Do you get the impression we are eating our way through South America???