Day 28 - Are we in Seattle?

December 11 - Puerto Varas, Chile

We flew from Punta Arenas to Puerto Montt on Sky airlines.  As we were about to board in Punta Arenas, my name was called over the intercom, and I was directed to go back to the check-in desk (out of the gate, through security, and back to the beginning).  I was a bit nervous, thinking about what could be in my bag or something?  I was pointed back behind the check-in desk to a small room down a narrow hallway, where a man set alongside an x-ray machine.  I introduced myself and he explained in Spanish that I had a gas canister in my backpack and it wasn't allowed.   Crap!  This was Evan's bag, which is packed in a way that makes sense only to Evan, with the cooking stuff jammed at the very bottom, sleeping bag shoved in the body of the bag.  I struggled to get the canister out and get the bag closed again, recognizing the plane was boarding and I still needed to get through security.  The security man helped me, holding everything in while I wiggled the zipper closed.  All was well and I rejoined Evan in the boarding line, just in time for another encounter.  Our carry on suitcase was too big for their "box".  They called it out to check the size, placed a cardboard box on top, and it didn't reach the ground therefore they said we had to pay.  A LOT!  Evan was not having it, and struggled through a peaceful protest in Spanish - it's a standard size carry-on, demonstrating on their picture why it is ok.  Meanwhile, another pair had also been called out and had forked over the dough without a peep.  This was principle.  Evan won.

We arrived in Puerto Montt and transferred to Puerto Varas in a 20 minute ride in a van.  We figured out later the buses were quite easy, so next time we'd recommend that.  We didn't have a reservation for a place to stay, but we had an idea of where we wanted to go.  Luckily, the place had space, and a room was ready.  Our room was large, with a desk, and a few of the mountain out a sky light - style window.   We already were digging the timber build and cleanliness.

We walked the town and stopped for lunch at a delicious vegetarian place, Indian influence, with a single menu offering of the day.  The meal for the day was a veggie soup, salad of lettuce and tomatoes with delicious cilantro dressing, with a bowl of curried lentils.

Back at the hostel, we cooked a delicious dinner of pasta with a lemon vinaigrette, full of veggies, cheese and sausage.  We enjoyed a Carménère wine and conversation with some of the other guests.  The sunset over the lake was beautiful, and I soaked it up, not yet recognizing that, like Seattle, this was the last time in the next four days we'd be able to see the mountains.



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