Day 6 · Tuesday

Happy New Year’s Eve!

Woke up this morning with a fresh plan. With the glacier tour off the table, we had to pivot. It’s NYE, so that’s a factor—some things are bound to be closed. the spa lodge near Puyuhuapi was booked, but we decided to head to the town for the hot springs anyway. We packed up and started to head out. We need to make two quick stops. There’s a full size supermercado a few minutes away, and we buy diesel at the Copec every chance we get.

The supermercado was packed! Every line was full of people. We grabbed the basics and got in line. Of course, grocery lines are the same everywhere. The woman at the front had a carrito overflowing, paying in sections, and messing it up each time. While we waited in the next line, I listened to the familiar sounds of complaints—they’re the same in Spanish, lol. Finally we were stocked in water, snacks, and diesel and we headed out. Parque Nacional Río Simpson, where we wanted to hike, was closed. Instead, we enjoyed stunning roadside views, including La Cascada de la Virgen with a short but challenging hike to the base of the falls.

We drive on, back the way we came and then to X50 to head north. We have no service to check hotels in Puyuhuapi; we’re just hoping we’ll be able to get a room somewhere.

Just onto X50, we cross a bridge with a beautiful river below. We see a dirt “road” that leads down to the beach below. We hiked around the forest here for a while before settling onto the rocks next to the river for a bite. Back in the road heading north again, the landscape has changed since Río Tranquillo. I’m now looking for the sign that says “Welcome to Jurassic Park!” It’s been drizzling all day and the clouds are swirling around the mountains. With the misty air, giant ferns, green spaces everywhere, we are expecting a dinosaur around every turn. And the waterfalls. It’s ridiculous. Mike pulls off the road to let me see what’s invisible from the passenger seat. Looking up at the mountains there are ten or twelve view all at once. Today is waterfall day.

We finally arrive in Puyuhuapi around 18:00 and get a cell signal to check for accommodations. The first hostelería we try is closed, and at another, the dueña explains that many places have shut down for NYE so families can celebrate together—completely fair, but we still need a room. She recommends Hostelería Don Luis nearby, and thankfully, Margarita and Luis welcome us with a vacant room for the night. There’s a French couple already here who tell us about a beautiful hike in the nearby Parque Nacional Queulat. Maybe we’ll do that tomorrow. Right now we need dinner. Mike found a restaurant at the end of the block that is open and we should get over there before this town rolls up the sidewalks.

The restaurant is cute, great drinks, great food, and the one bartender/waiter/sous chef is fantastic. He does not speak English and the Spanish spoken in this town is much different than in Río Tranquillo. This is the Spanish I expected. There’s a singing quality to the accent. It’s much more difficult for me to understand.

Mike asks in broken Spanish with sound effects where the celebration and fireworks will be tonight. He tells us to go down to the port. We leave the restaurant around 22:00, grab our bottle of champagne we bought earlier, and walk the tiny town down to the port. There’s no one around. We find a couple of guys who tell us the town couldn’t get a permit for fireworks this year. We walk the shore some more and find a dock to look out over the lake. There’s still light in the sky and it’s now after 23:00. We finish our champagne and walk back to the truck for more drinks. We find several other travelers heading towards the port who invite us to join them. We meet several folks from Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and France. They’re all speaking French and announcing the time left in the year. We ring in the new year with hugs all around and cheers to 2025. Back in our hostel we find our hosts and visiting family members watching the Chilean NYE show. There’s a charasmatic band leader in sequins and lots of beautiful people dancing. Meanwhile Mike and Luis are discussing the business of the Hostelería in his home since 2012. They seem to enjoy having so many people around. Soon it’s one in the morning and we are off to bed. Happy New Year, everyone! Feliz año!