Cerro Castillo

I came to the conlusion that it was necessary to stay the night in Cerro Castillo and continue to the beautiful lake General Carrera, the largest in Chile the following day. But plans don´t usually turn out as planned, and I have come to realize that more often than not, it actually turns out better than planned.

Dog at our campsite, with was the home
to more dogs, cats, and chickens! :)

I arrived in the late afternoon to the small village, took refuge inside this bus from the strong and chilly winds to relax and let a warm cup of coffee warm up my cold bones. When I was again rejuvenated and the darkness started to settle, I left to set up my tent in one of the two camp sites. The following morning when I was getting ready, I was however convinced to stay and instead join a horseback tour of the area, which just from the road looks very impressive.

So, not according to plans, I was on the back of a horse instead of in the seat of my bike. I don´t necessarily have much experience with horse riding, but I am over my head with confidence and excitement. Hence not surprisingly, I immediately started to get comfortable in the saddle, and get to know my steed Sombra (Shadow in English) better. We were two of a kind in this group, a little impatient and very free spirited, so I tried hard to keep my place behind our guide Leo, whom I talked to a lot throughout the day.

Shadow and I 

After a fair time in the saddle, we all began to feel a bit sore and the need for a rest. At this point, we tied the horses to some tress at the edge of the tree limit, and hiked the last bit up to the crest on foot. The view of the valley below was the cause to much interruption of the hike, for photo shoots and admiration. 

But at last we reached the crest, and were stunned by the majestic rise of Cerro Castillo with its sharp spires, sheer size, and the glacier feeding the tall waterfalls. We rested on the side of the lake, with a warm mate being passed around, and some cookies being shared brotherly between ourselves. The magnificent view never grew old, and the more you awed at this natural wonder, the more details you observed, which enhanced the experience and feeling of spiritual contentment even more. We were all very satisfied with the day so far!

On the way back, I had been promised to be allowed to gallop some with Sombra, and so we were. It was at first a bit tricky when we were still in the woods, but when we reached an open field, we took off with the wind...completely unaware of the havoc that we caused behind us. - The horses are used to follow one another, so when one horse takes off, ... the others follow. Everyone was not as excited for more action I learned. 

Upon our return, the Germans in our group were very eager to see the soccer game between Germany and Chile, which Germany won although the game was tight. I was later invited to have dinner with the Germans, which is always a treat when you travel alone and are accustomed to cook by yourself. The next day, I returned to the bus to drink another coffee and chat with the youngsters I had got to know there before departing. - I will be back! ;)

The Crew with our guide Leo