What a great day was had by our tourists as their ship docked today in Puerto Montt. Their organised tour was not scheduled until the afternoon however these two again, went off by themselves to explore the port city in the morning. Mr and Ms X were beginning to discover that the Sth Americans love putting a religious symbol on a hill.
Puerto Montt is not your touristy town which was fine by these two. It’s a port where fresh seafood from the neighboring islands arrive daily to be sold at the local market or prepared for export. It’s also the gateway to Patagonia. The stroll through the town was leisurely and enjoyable.
In the afternoon, a visit to nearby Puerto Varas was a highlight. Set around a gorgeous lake and surrounded by the Andes mountains provided picturesque moments. Two snow capped volcanoes sit behind the rim of the lake, one having erupted only in 2015! The clouds were very accommodating for the retirees as they were able to get clear views across the lake. The sun shone and the roses bloomed in the ‘city of roses. Interesting to note that this town was established through many many Germans accepting an invitation from Chile to emigrate here in the mid 1800s. With bonuses of land and a cow, who could refuse? The Catholic Church is of the Black Forest architecture and many of the houses in the town are wooden and even have shingle roofs.
A ‘boffee’ stop in the Chilean sun was a little memorable. The photo below is the scene of the ‘raspberry cake incident’. Make sure to ask Ms X to show you the additional photos. 
Mr and Ms X both remarked that they easily could have stayed a few days in Puerto Varas and that if they were to relocate to Chile, then this place would be the spot you would find them- especially when the sun was shining.
So back to the ship for these two, 
and time to complete this entry whilst there was good wifi! 
backpackingwithwheels 