17-18.07.2015.
Pucón and surroundings
After a 4 hour bus ride I arrived to Pucón, a sleepy smalltown 90 km away from Vulcan Villarrica. There is nothing special in it just the location. From one side it is covered by mountains, from the other the forever active vulcan and from the third a nice lake. During the whole ride and upon arrival the rain was not falling but pouring. During the one street walk from the bus station to the hostel I got wet until my underwear. The hostel is owned by a family from Sudetenland, Germany. The key-locker of the hostel's main entrance is 1933. I didn't want to ask what is it for... In the living room there is a huge map of the Sudetenland from 1938.
The main street of Pucón is full of restaurants, tourist agencies and souvenir shops. I visited several before choosing a tour to an open-air volcanic thermal bath: Termales Geometricas. I thought, when it's raining what else could I do, and anyway, never tried something similar before.
Of course I woke up next morning on a bright sunny day. The ride to the bath was 2 hours, and it was very exciting to see how the flora changes when the minibus rises higher and higher in back of the vulcan. When we finally arrived to "winterland", with snow and cold, I realised that the cabins of the thermal was open air as well... As cold as the air (7-8 C). However the half-natural pools next to a small river were 35-45 C. It was amazing how the snow from the trees were melting and falling into the pools, because of the heat of the thermals. And it was a huge challenge to change and dry oneself in open air. It was very unique, very interesting, beautiful and very cold. :-)
