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FARFRUMWURKEN
Puerto Montt, Chile
We avoided the rough seas last night - waves were to be as high as 5 meters or 16 feet, but we thankfully pulled into Relconvavi Sound early because of increased speed by the captain. We are on time as usual and get set for the tender into town. Today looks like yet another overcast and rainy day. We are apparently the first cruise ship of the season.
Puerto Montt is a port city and commune in southern Chile, located at the northern end of the Reloncavi Sound in the Llanquihue Province, Los Logos region, 1,055 km to the south of the country capital, Santiago The area spans an area of 646 sq mi and has a population of just over 235,000 inhabitants.
Puerto Montt has gained renown and grown significantly due to the rise of Chile as the second largest salmon producer of the world during the 1990s and 2000s.
Puerto Montt has a wet oceanic climatewith heavy rainfall (1.8 meters/6 feet per year) throughout the year and only a very minor drying trend in the summer (January/February). Although temperatures are consistently cool, frosts/snow are very rare and occur only a couple of times during the winter months.
The city itself was founded on February 12, 1853, after government-sponsored immigration from Germany and Switzerland to assist with growth in this remote region of Chile. Average wages in Chile is about $1,200US per month with only 4% unemployment. This is due largely to the exceptional literacy rate of 99%.
Chile is a definite winner. This is a country that's in excess of 2500 miles in length but only about 150 miles wide. It’s amazingly green, the roads and highways are great. People’s homes are well kept and the lawns are well manicured. It’s like people actually care about where they live.
Our tour with Mathias of GV Tours ($80US p.p. – 7 hour tour) takes us for a quick run through Puerto Montt on our 28-passenger bus - and then we head to the Bavarian styled village of Fruitillar which overlooks Chile’s largest lake – Lake Llanquihue (lan-kee-way). From there we head to a smaller town Puerto Varas (known as the City of Roses)
After lunch, we headed for the Vincente Perez Rosales National Park and the Petrohue Falls & Rapids. It was such a photo opportunity here at the falls, apparently this being the spring here in Chile, the volume of the water was very high due to the spring melt off the Andes. We ended up spending so much time there that we had to catch the LAST tender back to the ship or we would have had to head to the airport. We all got on and sailing tomorrow for Puerto Chacabuco, Chile. One final note – Deb has recovered well and is feeling much better !
We avoided the rough seas last night - waves were to be as high as 5 meters or 16 feet, but we thankfully pulled into Relconvavi Sound early because of increased speed by the captain. We are on time as usual and get set for the tender into town. Today looks like yet another overcast and rainy day. We are apparently the first cruise ship of the season.
Puerto Montt is a port city and commune in southern Chile, located at the northern end of the Reloncavi Sound in the Llanquihue Province, Los Logos region, 1,055 km to the south of the country capital, Santiago The area spans an area of 646 sq mi and has a population of just over 235,000 inhabitants.
Puerto Montt has gained renown and grown significantly due to the rise of Chile as the second largest salmon producer of the world during the 1990s and 2000s.
Puerto Montt has a wet oceanic climatewith heavy rainfall (1.8 meters/6 feet per year) throughout the year and only a very minor drying trend in the summer (January/February). Although temperatures are consistently cool, frosts/snow are very rare and occur only a couple of times during the winter months.
The city itself was founded on February 12, 1853, after government-sponsored immigration from Germany and Switzerland to assist with growth in this remote region of Chile. Average wages in Chile is about $1,200US per month with only 4% unemployment. This is due largely to the exceptional literacy rate of 99%.
Chile is a definite winner. This is a country that's in excess of 2500 miles in length but only about 150 miles wide. It’s amazingly green, the roads and highways are great. People’s homes are well kept and the lawns are well manicured. It’s like people actually care about where they live.
Our tour with Mathias of GV Tours ($80US p.p. – 7 hour tour) takes us for a quick run through Puerto Montt on our 28-passenger bus - and then we head to the Bavarian styled village of Fruitillar which overlooks Chile’s largest lake – Lake Llanquihue (lan-kee-way). From there we head to a smaller town Puerto Varas (known as the City of Roses)
After lunch, we headed for the Vincente Perez Rosales National Park and the Petrohue Falls & Rapids. It was such a photo opportunity here at the falls, apparently this being the spring here in Chile, the volume of the water was very high due to the spring melt off the Andes. We ended up spending so much time there that we had to catch the LAST tender back to the ship or we would have had to head to the airport. We all got on and sailing tomorrow for Puerto Chacabuco, Chile. One final note – Deb has recovered well and is feeling much better !
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