Siete Lagos 2 - Lago Villarica
Photos by Don and Lois Porter
2/18/2006
At 4:15 on Monday we drove on north from Lican Ray on Lago Calafquen to the town of Villarica, on the lake of the same name (we enjoyed our visit last year to Villarica). The friendly tourist info people directed us to “La Flor de Villarica”— we took a very nice room with private bath and breakfast for $30. We enjoyed chatting with Hilda, the hostess, and petting “Panchito”, a small enthusiastic dog. We looked around town and Lois bought ice cream. Lots of arts and crafts in town, including some very nice Mapuche weaving. We dropped our stuff at “La Flor” and drove to Pucon, arriving at 6:30 PM. We spent an hour or so in Pucon, looking around and doing a little shopping. We visited the same woman who sold us a wooden flower last year. Tuesday morning, after a hearty breakfast and a chat with Hilda, we stopped at the Villarica tourist office to check about roads. On their advice, we decided not to take the “secondary” ripio road. We looked in the Mapuche museum again (above the library) (20 cents each) to admire the Mapuche jewelry. Then we rounded the block and stopped in front of the municipal building where Mapuche women were just beginning their day at 9am, selling mantas. Lois bought a gorgeous red manta. Then we headed south via Lago Calafquen to Cońaripe.
