Searching for Chewbacca in Chacabuco

No aliens here.  Puerto Chacabuco is located in southern Chile, in Northern Patagonia territory.  It's also at the beginnings of the beautiful fjords located in this part of the world.  Some people compare it to the fjords of Norway - having seen some of those, I just might agree with that.  This area also reminds me of areas of Alaska, where cruise ships meander through the inside passage, and again up near Glacier Bay.

In 2016, I visited this same area and took a tour way outside of the little port up through the Simpson River Valley, viewing waterfalls and feeling small next to the incredible mountains towering on either side of our vehicle.

Today, I wanted to stick closer to "home" so opted for a forest walk nearby at a private nature reserve called Aiken del Sur.  It was a short 15 minute ride from where the tender boat dropped us.  The weather was threatening rain, but we were going to walk through a mostly covered forest area, so I wasn't too concerned about that.  Close to the end of the trail, is a beautiful little waterfall called Old Man's Beard.  We stopped for some pictures and then made our way out to the dirt road and walked a few minutes up a hill for lunch.  At the top of the hill was a beautiful lake and a lodge, where we were greeted with a choice of pisco sours, sparkling, red and white wines, and some non-alcoholic drinks.  We enjoyed a traditional lunch of barbecued lamb, empanadas, vegetables and potatoes.

View of the lake from the restaurant lodge

The lamb roasting on the traditional BBQ

The arrayan tree, one that I mentioned yesterday that we saw in Chiloe.  This tree also grows in abundance here.  This is the one that is very cold to the touch.

Some kind of insect.  Pretty, but I kept my distance.

Our guide, Camilla, holding a dead mushroom!  And this was just a part of one.

More arrayan trees.  Their bark and roots can turn river water a red color

Walkway through the preserve

My fellow trekker was experimenting with Portrait mode on my iPhone

This is a little bird called a Chucao.  It is small with a loud voice!  You can identify it by it's tail feathers that stand straight up and its red feathered chest.  They are very curious and will come out of the forest if they hear you calling them.  Camilla called to it by clicking two small stones together.

This is an arrayan tree that appeared to be dead, and so other trees came and set down their roots on top of it.  However, the tree wasn't really dead and it continues to grow, in harmony with the other trees.

Snort is VERY glad this is lamb being cooked behind him instead of pork........

Some ferns in the preserve.  So much greenery!!

Mushrooms taking hold on tree trunk

Old Man's Beard waterfall

A little hard to see, but this is one of those "dead" mushrooms you saw above, growing on the side of a tree trunk.

Love these trees!

Camilla standing next to these large pangue bushes.  They are also called Nalca.

See how there is a red tint to the water?  This is because of the arrayan trees

A view of me and the lake

View from ship after reboarding in the afternoon.  The weather was about to turn quite nasty.

Travel quote:  "Life is a great adventure or nothing"  Helen Keller

Stay tuned for more Pig Tales!!