My Family Vacation: Part Three—Your brain says shhhhh
Though I stayed primarily in Puerto Vara during my family vacation, my family and I ventured out to places that I had never been to before. For example, my sister’s best friend owns land on the banks of Lake Llanquihue, and we enjoyed a fabulous lunch there. During one of our hikes it was raining, but we never let the weather ruin our good time. It felt wonderful hiking through the forests, listening to the silence of nature. You can’t help but to relax immediately. Your brain almost says shhhhh. For a Type-A personality like me, it was a transformative experience that I cannot truly express in words.
I love my home country. It may be prone to volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, landslides and tsunamis, but you can also drive from the Andes Mountains to the Pacific Ocean in less than two hours in most parts of Chile, as it is one of the narrowest countries in the world. However, Mother Nature can be dangerous. Last June, the Puyehue volcano erupted for the first time in 50 years. The cloud of ash reached Argentina and continues to cause problems as the volcano has not stopped erupting. When I took pictures of Lake Llanquihue, I could see Puyehue in the distance as well as the ash in the air.
While I recommend that everyone visit my hometown—Santiago, I also suggest driving the 650 miles south to Chile’s Los Lagos region located at the base of the Andes Mountains. You must see the pristine bay of Frutillar at the banks of Lake Llanquihue. You must hike through the green lush valleys. You must allow yourself to get lost in all of the beauty that Chile has to offer. But most importantly, you must allow your brain to say shhhhh for a few hours.
— Alex Guarachi
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