Climbing Volcano Villarrica (+video!)

Standing 9,340 feet tall, it was as if I could see the entire world. I felt like Simba atop Pride Rock, looking upon an earth so vast that I had to turn my gaze left and right in order to capture the panoramic scene.


I hopped into the van at 7am. A dawn pinkish hovered over a cold blue earth while I waited for the sun. It was a bumpy ride up to our starting point. A 1,000-year-old tree stood unimpressed by my 23 years. I wasn't originally expecting to climb the volcano on my trip to Pucón. It was a spur of the moment desire after stopping into a tourism company the night before. I decided it was necessary. What percentage of people do you think ever get the opportunity to climb a volcano? I recently learned a Chilean saying that emphasizes taking advantage of opportunities: "Uno nunca sabe cuándo puede saltar la liebre" which means "One never knows when an opportunity will arise."

It was a five-hour hike from start to summit. Over 5,000 feet straight up one of the most active volcanoes in Chile. Weather-wise, it was a perfect day. No wind. No clouds to block the view. It felt to be around 70 degrees fahrenheit or so, but with the layers I was wearing my body was feeling about 80+ degrees. The steepness increased as we neared the top where a glacier topped with snow blankets the upper cone of the volcano. A guide is required in order to climb the volcano. Provided with equipment by the adventure tour company, I was geared up with spikes for the shoes, a pick-axe, and a helmet. Sweat was dripping down my face at a constant pace. My heart was racing for the finish line. We moved slow and steady. From our original group of 7 trekkers and 3 guides, it came down to me, Craig (a friend of a friend from Wisconsin), a lawyer from Brazil, and our guide, Ricardo. The others died along the way. No, just kidding. They found the hike too challenging and returned with the other guides. Ricardo summits the volcano over 70 times a year, más o menos.

Volcán Villarrica. Pucón, Chile

Reaching the top was quite an accomplishment. As I took my pack off and loosened the strap of my helmet, I lowered my sunglasses in awe of an incredible crater. I could feel the heat stinging my eyes as I looked into the belly of the beast. I could hear the volcanic eruptions of the magma, a sound resembling the ignition of a jet engine. I saw the bright blinding orange tossing and turning, being thrown against the walls of the crater.

It was most definitely an unforgettable experience. It has made my top 10!
Climbing that volcano taught me that sometimes you just have to escape your routine and go on an adventure. Spur of the moment decisions are fun and exciting. It also taught me to never give up because in the end it is worth the hard work.

Here is the link to the video. Enjoy!


Hope you are all well and healthy!

Video: Liceo Politécnico Los Nogales

Hola everybody!
Here is a video I made about my students at the high school where I teach.
Just wanted to give you an idea of what my students are like!
Enjoy!

Click HERE for the video.

Chau now.
Chileanueva

Los Fines de Semana - The Weekends

I don't work on Fridays, which is just the tops. It gives me a chance to unwind and do things that I want to do.

On my long weekends, I typically hang out with the other volunteers in town or with my host family. Sometimes some volunteers from nearby Temuco will come and visit and we'll go camping. There's a quarry about an hour hike outside of Angol called Cantera Deuco. It makes for a great getaway for some camping and cliff jumping into a cold, deep aquatic abyss.

The trek out to the quarry is a flat, semi-winding stroll on an old train path. The wooden planks and train tracks have been removed, leaving only a pebble-filled pass used by cattle herders. As we leave the town limits, pine tree mountains sit on both sides. We follow a small river that flows north. A field of quiet horses stirs a genuine ambiance of wilderness. The trail winds through the valley and over a rusting train bridge that was built by an old Pennsylvania company.

One Saturday, a handful of us adventured on our bikes to the edge of town. We found a Methodist agricultural school in an area called El Vergel. The buildings and houses were very American. I felt like I was on a farm in the southeastern US. We ventured further out, in search of the River Araucana. We cycled on a road that was straight as straight could be. Fields kept our left and rights company. We found the slow moving river, set down our bikes, and skipped rocks. After a while, the sun was growing tired so we hopped back on our metal steeds and headed home.

Often on weekends, there are family cookouts and shindigs with lots of boxed wine. I have grandparents and 3 aunts/3 uncles that live in Angol. That means I have a bunch of cousins, a few of whom are guaguas (which means "babies"). Little rugrats running around are always good entertainment and they make me smile a lot. But I'll save the story about my host family and extended family for another day.

The weeks and weekends have been moving progressively faster. I'm trying to take notice of time and acknowledge how valuable and powerful it is, even if it is a made up thing.


"Time can change me, but I can't change time."
- D. Bowie