20th February 2012 Talca, Chile

We had been surprised to find out that there were hardly any trains in Chile but we could get a train to Talca. We got on train and it was a little difficult to get the cases onto the train. It was a pleasant journey from Santiago to Talca and we looked at the scenery as well as having some dozes.

We walked around Plaza de Armas which also had a church. We then walked all around one street looking for a restaurant recommended in the lonely planet. After walking up and down the street we finally saw that it looked like it was being done up. We found out later on that Talca had an earthquake so that's why a lot of building were being done up or there was a lot of rumble on empty plots. The manager of the Cabanas recommended a tour guide for tomorrow. When he rang up the tour guide, we were asked could we wait for half an hour. Frank (the tour guide) turned up at the cabanas and we talked through what we should do tomorrow. Frank is German but married to a Chilean and has his own tour company in Talca. Frank said we wouldn't find the siete tasos worthwhile as they would be so busy with it being the Chilean holiday season. Instead he suggested the rainbow waterfall. We then booked the hotel in Pucon and I tried to book the bus online. Unfortunately as we had an English passport, credit card and phone number I couldn't book the tickets online.

21st February 2012 Day trip from Talca with Frank and Christian, Chile

Frank picked us up at 8am and the day began by driving to Casa Chuega (accommodation that we thought about booking). There we picked up Christian who was Austrian. Our first stop was at the bakery where we picked up the recommended amount of water for the day while Frank shopped for our lunch. He recommended 2 litres each- a massive amount of water. Our 2nd stop was seeing Lago Colbun and having a little stretch of the legs. There was hardly anyone there. Our 3rd stop was Tribue a private reserve with a small museum there. Frank said the dog may walk with us but I didn't expect the goats to follow us. We then went in the small museum shed which surprising enough had a UK map in for no apparent reason. There was also a feather duster which Frank found useful for pointing things out on the poster. Frank was a little concerned that the goats may get into the museum as they were ramming the door. We were all watching these stupid goats as they played on a tree truck nosying in at us in the shed. They kept ending up pushing each other off the tree truck. There were 3 or 4 of them. I couldn't really concentrate too much on what Frank was saying or what posters were saying as these stupid goats were amusing me. We then began a walk up along the trees which were named and Frank explained what they were. We saw trees with interesting reddish coloured bark-the bark peels off if it is attacked by anything. We tasted a leaf which was used for medicinal purposes.

Our 4th stop was a walk around a lagoon. The surroundings looked almost desert like. Our 5th stop was the top part of the waterfall. It was called Rainbow waterfall but that was just a name devised by Frank as it hasn't go a name. We stopped near the top and first me, Christian and Frank had a swim in a pool at the top of the waterfall. It was closed off from the main drop of the waterfall so I wasn't going to go over the edge. It was quite a chilly pool though. I then had a go on the natural slide into the pool. I was a little worried about hurting myself with scratches from the rock but it all went fine. Frank's English was very good but sometimes his pronunciation was a little odd saying walleys (valleys) and wileys. Mum got a little panicked when I got anywhere near the edge even though I knew what I was doing. She was like don't wear that towel near the edge as its blowing out like a cape. I've got my mum to look after me again. We then went for a walk and got so many photos as we went nearer and nearer to see falls. Mum began to get a bit tired towards the end as she was scrabbling around rocks but she fully enjoyed the day. We slept quite a bit of the time on way back even though Frank was driving fast. He dropped us off at the bus station so I could sort out tickets to Pucon for tomorrow. We went to another restaurant and mum had a fillet medallion and I had a steak. I know mum's appetite better than her- when we had some of each other's steak-mum complained that she had given me a bigger piece of steak than I had given her back. I gave her more and then later in the meal she passed it back to me.

22nd February 2012 Travelling to Pucon, Chile

The bus station was heaving with loads of long distance buses going in and out plus local buses. Mum waited with our luggage while I tried to find out where the bus would come in. Outside one of the shops we were approached by a beggar. I first went to the bus company booking office and I struggled with that as lady wasn't happy in her job but also fired rapid Spanish at me. I was walking up and down the lines asking people. It was made harder by I didn't know what the bus looked like. Another conductor did explain what bus I was looking for. A lady came up to me and told me I was in the wrong bus terminal. I was sure she was wrong and I wouldn't have gone over to the bus terminal across the road. I was relieved though that just as she was walking me towards the direction of other bus terminal, our bus arrived. It was late only by about 15 minutes (12pm instead of 11:45pm). As the bus travelled there were changes of scenery from vineyards and crops, to some horses and cattle to forest and to the volcano and the lake.

At Los Angeles I tried to get food but the shops were either closed, had queues or were just kept unpacking drinks while I was waiting for them to serve. I gave up as I was panicking that I may miss the bus and mum was still on there. At Temuco I got off again for food and I got some snacks and then I could see somewhere serving food. I thought I will just get a sandwich and then they put it in microwave. I paid for it and got my change but then I had to run without the sandwich as I could see the bus reversing out. Mum realised that bus was going and alerted them so that person in front could explain that I wasn't on bus. We went through Villarica and on to Pucon. At Pucon we walked to hotel dragging cases behind us as I realised as we were coming into the bus station I saw the street the hotel was on.

23rd February 2012 Pucon, Chile

Not far from hotel the waiters from different restaurants were having races with a glass and bottle of wine. We walked to the plaza and took some photos there. We then had a walk around the Pucon hotel and saw the beach which was quiet at 11:30 in the morning. We walked along the lake as much as possible to an area where there were lots of boats. There I saw a red speedboat; similar size to our old speedboat and may even had been a regal. I was reminded of our boat with it anyway. We walked along the beach to a cafe where the waiter was a man in a banana who we think fancied himself as a pirate. When we walked back to hotel we could see them setting up market stalls and people on the way to the beach-it was definitely getting busier.

We then walked through the town to the monastery. The monastery was up at the top of a hill so we went slowly up there reading the Stations of the Cross along the way. We then walked along the road a bit and there I left my mum sitting in a cemetery while I walked up to the Christ Redeemer Statue. It was quite odd looking with two children (one either side of Christ). There I took some photos of surrounding area and when three people came up they offered to take photos of me in front of Christ the redeemer. I thought better not as I should always keep my camera with me. I then looked at what they were wearing on their feet-flip flops and I thought they are unlikely to try and run off with it wearing flip flops when I am wearing trainers.

On the way back we went to the tour office to try my equipment on for my volcano trip tomorrow. The first pair of boots I was given were too small and then I got some heavy boots that fitted but my mum and the hotel owner who was also in there sorted out so I could try some other boots on. I said I would take the other boots. I then persuaded my mum that we should go for a boat trip on the lake which was beautiful. We were surprised to see that the beach we had seen earlier was now packed with people. It looked like a different beach. On the way back to hotel we went in bakery to get food for tomorrow. Again always a little difficult to choose which ham etc to have when it's in Spanish. We then went back to hotel and we were surprised to see five police walking down the road. We wouldn't get that in England and then when we went back down to go to the restaurant-we saw another 2 police officers. Possibly the police station must be down the same road. We went out to a restaurant and I left my mum in the restaurant while I went to the supermarket to buy a couple more snacks for tomorrow. When I was in the queue at the supermarket-an alarm went off-the same noise as the old English air-raid siren. Not a good sound for us. I thought it was the volcano erupting but when no-one else moved or panicked-I realised it wasn't. I still don't know what it was. My mum had a similar experience hearing the siren in the restaurant.While eating in the restaurant I was watching what went by the window-a vehicle with a large TV screen on, a tourist tram and adventure buggies.

24th February 2012 Pucon, Chile

Well had a 5:30am wake up and then had breakfast at 6:00am. Bus was due to pick me up at 6:30 but was running slightly late. As I was on my own I did become a bit concerned that maybe they had forgotten about me. I wasn't sure whether it would be cancelled or not as the weather wasn't perfect. It was quite difficult at that time in the morning as man who served breakfast kept whispering Spanish in my ear. I was just thinking about walking around to the tour office when the bus arrived. We drove around all different blocks and over to the hotel Pucon before getting to the tour office so it would have been quicker for me to walk. When I arrived at the tour office there were no boots or bags for me. When we got to the office the guides explained that there was only a 50% chance of getting to the crater of Villarica volcano today so we could cancel and not go, go to national park and just pay a small amount for transfer but once we started the walk we had to pay the full amount.

Everyone got the transfer to National Park and I spent most of journey watching the weather trying to work out what it was going to do. It did begin to look a bit brighter at one time but I wasn't sure. Most people decided to give it a go to see whether we could get to top. As it was the only chance I had of going I decided to give it a go too. I knew if I decided to go down it would probably clear up.

I got on the cable car with the guide which had no barrier on it. I can't say I'm too keen on ski chair lifts when they don't have barriers on. Yesterday I was saying I didn't want to go on chair lift as it's supposed to be a walk but I decided that I would take the chair lift as it gave us a better chance of getting to the top before the weather turned. The guide I sat next to begin to say the weather was already turning so I was beginning to lose hope that we would make it. We first were walking on volcanic material and after that it turned into walking on the glacier. It wasn't pleasant weather-very misty. A lot of the other groups had crampons on but we didn't we had gaiters and what was supposedly windproof clothing plus hiking boots. We also had the pick axe for support but it was a bit short compared to a walking pole. As I was walking I began to get a bit of a headache and was feeling a bit sick but I didn't say anything as I didn't want to seem a fusspot or make the guides think I should turn around. I really wanted to make it to the top as I have never seen an active volcano before. One time it looked possibly like it was going to clear but then it misted over again.

The large ice crack was amazing on the glacier and would have been even more stunning in sunlight. Half way up the guides decided we should turn around after stopping for some food. It was freezing up there though having food. They had heard from groups further up that it was raining further up. I was rather disappointed but in my opinion the clothing equipment wasn't good enough for wet weather anyway. I was shivering when I stopped for eating.

We then began sledging down-we had a plastic sledge or just to slide down on our bum with the protector/cover over our bum. Unfortunately my protector/cover was faulty as one of the straps had broken on it. This I think may have slowed me down a little sledging and it also wasn't as good as a protector. Most of the time I was too slow but one time I did feel rather out of control and was worried about the pick axe in my hand. A few times we would bump into each other down the sledge run. Some of the sledge runs were very narrow- I had trouble fitting through and getting moving on sledge. I definitely wouldn't like to be a big person on those sledge runs as the channels were very narrow. We had to walk the rest of the way down and I for one was relieved to be walking again as I found it a little bit sore sledging maybe as my protector/cover had to be tied up differently. It just began to rain a bit when we got in the bus but by the time we got back to Pucon the volcano looked quite clear and you could see the summit. I had a feeling that it may clear up when I got down and if we had waited a bit longer it would go. People were going up and I felt they may make it before the rain started again. I felt quite disappointed that didn't get up it. I am fed up of not completing walks in S America but I completed the main one the Inca trail- Cotopaxi volcano-had to come down for altitude sickness, La Campania-didn't think there was enough time to do it and Villarica volcano for bad weather. I do sometimes feel you should carry on in bad weather but it is high up and if guide says no-it's better to be safe.

25th February 2012 Travelling to Puerto Varas, Chile

The bus was due to leave at 12:00 but was late and didn't leave till 12:45. The bus station was nice to get the bus from as each bus company had its own terminal in Pucon so it was easier to see when the bus came in. It was also a short walk from the hotel. On the bus someone had a chucky hen laugh and my mum asked whether they were letting livestock on now. When I was listening to my ipod I had to say the word toll as the bus was just going through them. Apparently I said it rather loud. When we arrived it was rather windy just near the bus station.

We past two jugglers doing tricks on the road and one person doing the splits next to the road either when we were on the bus or walking in Puerto Varas. As there was no taxis we had to walk to the hotel which was downhill and then uphill.

26th February 2012 Petrohue, Chile

Unfortunately it was horrible day weather wise-raining so nothing was very clear. I decided that we should visit Ensenada and Petrohue as maybe on the bus the weather would clear, Frutillar was better for an afternoon visit so I thought we could do that in a couple of days time when we came back from Chiloe.We got a little mini-bus and as we went further and further along the road it got quieter and quieter. I thought they would be bigger settlements than they were.

Ensenada was mainly made up of campsites. We went on to the settlement of Petrohue passing the Saltos del Petrohue on the way (waterfalls). We weren't sure whether to get off at Saltos del Petrohue. We had a small walk along the beach of this lake which would be beautiful in the sunshine and was beautiful in rain still but it reminded me of the Lake District at home with bad weather. Everything seemed to have stopped working cause of rain. There was a boat trip but the company wasn't running it as he said he wouldn't get enough people for it. If he had cared more about his job I reckoned he would as quite a few people were going off in the little fishing boats and he only needed 10 people. We had a small walk along the beach and round the small settlement but nothing was really happening. I would have quite liked to have gone out in a boat but mum is a fair weather person. She was probably right though as we had a lovely boat trip in Pucon and we wouldn't have seen much through the mist. I don't like the way things stop for rain-most of time I like to carry on unless it's so awful with mud etc. We finally managed to get a mini-bus back which was supposed to go every half an hour but it was more when they turned up. It was nice for a day trip but I wouldn't want to stop there it was up a little dirt track-there did look to be a nice lodge there though.

We got the minibus back to Saltos del petrohue and there did two short walks- Sendero de saltos and sendero caminau. It would have been tonnes better in good weather but it was still pretty in bad weather. If it had been good weather we could probably have seen volcanos behind the waterfalls. We were lucky though as it stopped raining. We were lucky too when we left that we didn't have to wait long for a mini-bus and we didn't miss it despite me going to look in a gift shop.