Canyoning

This morning, my poor parents had to wake up at 6:45 and go to Villarrica to do paper work for our new Mazda.  I, thankfully, woke up at 8:00 and had breakfast with Consu and Elly.  After breakfast, Consu and I went canyoning with a small group of local teenagers.  With tired eyes from the early wake up (though I really can’t complain, my parents had it a lot worse), we hopped in the car and left the B&B.   The majority of my day was spent exploring beautiful canyons and learning some interesting Spanish from Elly.

Consu, Elly, and I arrived at a small building downtown where the canyoning company is based.  There, Consu and I met the rest of the group.  Our peers were local, Chilean teenagers, all very nice and affable.  After putting on our gear and meeting the guide, we started the long and bumpy ride leading to the river.  The canyoning began in a lush green jungle.  We trudged through a steep and narrow stream with the sun on our backs.  After awhile, we came to the first rappel site.  

Thus started the real experience of beautiful canyoning.  I had already rappelled in Nepal, so I was familiar with the technique.  One of our guides, Alex, was British and translated the important information to me.  We rappelled down one at a time and played in the water while waiting for the rest of the clients to arrive at the bottom.  At the second waterfall, we rappelled into a deep, cold, sunless canyon with a rushing stream slowly carving out the narrow walls.  It was cold, but beautiful in the canyon.  Dripping plants made mysterious noises on the hard canyon floor.  We squeezed through chokes, jumped over small waterfalls, and carefully balanced on small slippery rocks.  It was cold, though, and we were all happy to leave the canyon afterwards.  Our walk to the take out was interrupted by an icy cold lake. We all wanted to jump in the clear glacial water, but panicked at the side of the pond like a group of scared and scattered fishes.  Soon we arrived at a large parking lot where the van picked us up and we headed back into town.  We were not allowed to take cameras in the canyon, so I have no footage of the adventure.

When I got back from Canyoning, I had to do a Spanish lesson with Ellie.  We thought it would be easier for me to take private instructions from Elly at the house rather than at the language school with my parents.  It was easier for me to have one on one instruction with someone familiar to me.   

Today I had a blast.  I loved the beauty of the canyon and hope to go back.   My parents came home with the car keys but not the car.  We will finally get the car once it is done with its repairs tomorrow.  We will leave Pucon Friday after the paperwork is processed.   I wonder where fate will bring me tomorrow....Ah tis a mystery.

Elly's and Consu's Backyard

Consu

Thank you for reading Rohan geographic!