During my travels with Chris over the Christmas 2004-2005 break we ran into Andy, a young guy that had headed out to Ecuador to teach English for a year. It was a break between things back home in the States, and we met him in Pucon, Chile of all places.
It is always interesting when you are travelling, to find out more about the people who cross your paths. Sometimes people stick for a while, but mostly they come and go as fast as the next bus you have booked a seat on. Andy is a sticker. We are not best-of-buddies, but we keep in touch.
He is now back home studying law, and tells me it is nothing like his experiences in Ecuador, teaching in a school in a small town somewhere in the mountains. School was on break when he ventured down to Chile to get a better look around South America.
We met at the hostel that we all ended up staying at. I cannot speak for Andy here, because I never did get around to asking him, but when Chris and I arrived at the bus terminal there was one guy there waiting for us who kindly invited us to his hostel which he hastened to add was not very far out of town. We eventually decided that even though we had not looked around yet, we may as well check out his place. By the time we headed off in his direction, two other guys had also come to try and seduce us for our money but we had been worn out by the first.
Taking a photo while still riding is not too easy. Chris riding.
So landing at this hostel which was considerably further from town than first claimed, we decided to stay there, and that was when we met Andy. For the next day, while our main goal of climbing the namesake snow covered volcano was thwarted, we hung out together riding mountain bikes and exploring the small township.
Andy was with a few others, and eventually they had to move on after waiting for the clouds to release their grip on the local volcano for several days. I cannot remember if they ever got to climb it in the end. It would have been close if not.
This was the main reason we were all here anyway, most of us guided by the enthusiastic descriptions in our traveller’s guide books. Chris and I eventually made it up there and can vouch that it was certainly worth the wait, with the return down sliding on your bottom all the way being one of the highlights. Well, ok, there was looking down the mouth of it at the molten lava, and the view from the top, and a few other cool parts too.
Thanks Andy for your recent email and for these two photos which serve as good reminders of the fun and adventures that we all had while down in Pucon, Chile last December.
It was only a few days back that I was sweltering in my house. There seemed to be no hiding from the intense heat as it climbed into the high 30’s, touching on the 40’s. Windows open, doors open, even a breeze could not bring reprieve. With these sorts of temperatures the excessive humidity only served to intensify the heat, exacerbating what was already an almost impossible situation.
Today it is cold. The house is shut up tight and I can feel any tiny breeze as it comes in through any tiny hole it can find. Jeans and my trusty polar-fleece from last night keep me warm enough if I don’t venture outside. My faithful flip-flops have been traded for some decent socks tucked inside warm hiking boots. Tereré is not an option today. Instead we all return to mate served with its customary near-boiling water. We appreciate all the warmth we can get.
There has been a distinct pattern starting to emerge now with every rain. It seems that just before rain comes there is a continual increasing in temperature. This climb in temperature is accompanied by an equal climb in the humidity until the two combined produce an exhausting heat. While the rain still has not arrived, this level of heat can hang around for several days or more.
