Day18
The freedom I enjoyed with the previous rental car was reason to take one again for my trip to the island of Chiloé. Driving out of Puerto Montt I asked a man for the way to the ferry and not unlike a previous request for directions, he offered to lead the way. It turned out he had assumed, as a tourist, that I wanted to go to the Chiloé market, not the ferry for Chiloé. It was a serendipitous mistake. I had a tasty lunch watching the fishing boats pass by and still plenty of time to arrive on the island before nightfall.
The ferry held about twenty vehicles including trucks, a lifeline to the mainland, and public bus. Once on the island, I didn’t know where I would be sleeping and drove along a dirt coastal road looking for a place I had read about, but signs were few. At low tide birds of many varieties were finding their fare and some boats rested on their sides. I offered an elderly man carrying an ungainly parcel of seaweed(?) a ride, until our paths diverged. Eventually the road I took led to a private property and retracing part of the way, thought it best to head into Ancud before sunset. Just before entering the center there was a restaurant posting tourist information. Inside I met Luis who spoke to me at length and suggested places to see, then directed me to a nearby hostel. Although he said it was highly rated, it exceeded my expectations and had clearly been created with love and care. Thirteen Lunes Hostel is a spacious wooden home with vistas, beautifully decorated rooms, hot showers and large comfortable beds with an ample breakfast included too.
That evening I dined on a modification of a traditional dish of Curanto, usually meats and seafood cooked in the ground. Seeing the size of a single serving ample for a family of four I opted soley on the seafood which included mussels the size of my hand, but were remarkably tender and sweet. After finishing this succulent meal I discovered to my dismay that I had left my money back at the hostel. The owner, who was happy to practice his English, offered to drive me there. The rainy night and small scale San Franciscan terrain made my return that evening quicker than I had intended, with no regrets. It had been a long day.
My plans for a boat trip to yet another colony of penguins were set for the morning.