A Year of Travel — Chile & Argentina: Up a Volcano, Through the Lakes, Toward the New Year

Alex Guion
Aug 28, 2017 · 5 min read
The view from our tiny wooden capsule room. Volcan Villarrica was beautiful to watch over the course of three days, changing as quickly as the sun and clouds would, and letting out steam whenever she cared to. She is one of the most active volcanos in Chile, and the day after we took this photo, we hiked to the top.

Pucón, Chile

Valdivia treated us to a Christmas dinner and German-Californian family. It’s time to leave again and cross the Andes for the second time. We hop on a bus to Pucón, a mountain town on the Chilean side of the range. It’s pretty, neat — maybe too neat — just like Tahoe or the Swiss Alps, with the obligatory chocolate shop at every corner. Villarrica, one of the world’s most active volcanos, paints the perfect picture overlooking town — the most volcano-looking volcano, with a superb cone shape, its top tier covered in snow, and a thin line of smoke slowly climbing up.

Around the mountain town of Pucón, Chile.
Slow and steady wins the race. After over 4 hours hiking uphill, our treat was to slide down almost 2.5km of snow in snow pants and with a small plastic disc.
Summer sun on the lake in San Martín de los Andes.

San Martín de los Andes, Argentina

With little else to offer on a small budget, we leave Pucón and embark on a ride to San Martín de los Andes, a quaint town on the Argentinian side of the Andes. The dramatic scenery keeps us awake for the few hours of the ride. Tall trees only seen in this region (of which we’ll never know the name) make up the large forest, completely uninhabited. Another border crossing, this one ending on a dirt road of kilometers and long fields of bare trees. We arrive in San Martín de los Andes, with ice cream for lunch at a local chocolate shop. Our dinner at a parrilla brings us back to Argentina, to misplaced ‘shhs’ and perfect beef.

Bariloche, Argentina

In the morning we make our way to Bariloche, finding a new hostel where Tonya awaits us. Another dear friend, Adrian, joins us there and suddenly we’re in good company for New Year’s Eve, happy to exchange travel stories and gossip with them. Tonya’s friend invites us to a small refuge nestled against a lake, with mesmerizing views of the region.

Grateful to have spent the holiday in such a warm place, and in the company of friends, old and new.
Happy to celebrate the New Year with friends who will meet you on this side of the world, even on a whim.
Incredible views atop Cerro Campanario, Bariloche, Argentina.

Alex and Madie

We are Alex & Madie, a French-American couple from San Francisco, on a year-long travel around the world. For more info visit alexandmadie.com and instagram.com/alexandmadie.

)

Alex Guion

Written by

On a year travel with @madelenefarin. Follow us at www.alexandmadie.com or instagr.am/alexandmadie

Alex and Madie

We are Alex & Madie, a French-American couple from San Francisco, on a year-long travel around the world. For more info visit alexandmadie.com and instagram.com/alexandmadie.

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade