Yesterday was a travel day. Everybody went to santiago, then we shot up to go different directions. Some back home, others to cities in Chile. We got on another plane to Tecumo, where we drove to a remote "boutique" hotel outside Pucon (very remote, rough ride up the driveway, higher end products inside.
We had a great driver on the ride from the airport. He told us a lot about the history of the area.
I didn't realize Chile has the 2nd most number of volcanoes (>2000). Only Indonesia has more.
We passed a grove of hazelnut trees by the side of the road. He told us they are for export to Italy. Italy was looking for somewhere outside of Italy to produce. They noticed Chile produced olive oil, wine, etc. Figuring the environment its similar, they asked Chile if they would produce hazelnuts for them.
Today we went to Terma Geometricas hot springs. It is 17 hot springs along a path with an Asian design, with a waterfall at the typ of the path. The baths are shaped to to the existing environment. The bottoms are tile, and they used the tile to make a few seats along the sides. The three cold baths were a chilly 6°. The temperatures for the hot baths were 97°-111°, adjusted by mixing the hot and cold springs. We went to a few of the less hot baths. I also went in the cold bath a couple of times, but rushed out pretty quickly. It was so cold. The worst was the slate floor - I wish I had had flip flops. Maybe I could have made it to the waterfall in the back of the pool. Instead I just went in up to my shoulders.
Along the sides were changing cabanas and lockers that you are given a lock and key to use. I, of course, dropped my key between the platform slats and had to get someone to fish it out using a long pole with a hook on the end - I guess I wasn't the first. The minerals in the springs are said to be therapeutic, like at the geysers. Again, I felt less aches afterwards. Need to find one of these at home.
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