Today we left Highway 5 (the Panam) for an excursion East into a region of lakes and volcanos. The country side is now very temperate in appearance, rivers large and small, evergreen trees, lush pastures and spring flowers.

Our first stop was the town of Villarrica, on the shores of Lake Villarrica with a fine view of Volcan Villarrica - I know there is not a lot of imagination in the naming. The town is nice, not really a tourist town. The lake and view of the Volcano are simply superb. We spent some time parked on the lake front just absorbing the views and sun.

At the other (Eastern) end of the lake is the town of Pucon, described in the guide book as the Queenstown of Chile - a reference to the New Zealand South Island town that is a center for adrenalin sports. And a tourist town it is. The main street and many side streets are lined with tour operators, coffee/internet shops and the buildings and much of the merchandise is up market. The houses on the roads into and around the town look very expensive.

This really is a nice area and we had a very enjoyable day.