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26/1/2018 Bus from Chiloe Castro to Puerto Varas

Surprisingly good breakfast in this hostel Macho. And around 10am heading back to Castro to return the car. We rented with full to full tank, so having to fill up near the Hostal Cordillera (the rental place). There is Copec petrol station. Our first in South America, so I’m not sure how it works here. As in different countries is the system different too. Here in Copec, there are Copec employees and they ask what type and how much petrol you want. I just said Super 95 and full. Then they the guy asked me to open the fuel tank and he ensured me that the display on the pump shows zeros. Then he started filling the petrol in and in a meantime he washed the rear window. I told him that it is not necessary as this is not my car and he just replied: “Es Copec service”. Once the tank was full, he showed me how much I need to pay and I said by card. Right next to the pump is a card payment terminal where I did the payment with the guy. It was quite nice. I wish this to be in the UK or in the Czech Republic. 

We then returned the car to Jorge right at 12 o’clock. No issues at all. Simple and no stress. The owner just checked if I filled the tank. Then we went to see what busses we can get to Puerto Varas or Puerto Montt. At the bus terminal till they told us there is a bus to Puerto Varas at 15:35. We though why not, instead of changing in Puerto Montt we rather wait here longer and maybe have some beer and kuchen. The bus company is Pullman Bus, 7500 clp per person and leaves from Castro at 15:35. 

We then went to search for kuchen. The place we bought it on Wednesday didn’t have any, so we bought only some meat filled fried potato pastry. Then we tried to find a bakery and walked for a while with our backpacks and didn’t see any around the main square. So I asked some young lady where can we buy kuchen and she pointed us to one of the streets nearby. There were two bakeries. One closer to the main plaza, hidden and small, and one called Cook maybe two blocks more further. We got a piece of kuchen in each of them. Both were completely different. But neither with maki fruit. The kuchen from Cook was a bit more like traditional. 

After a bit of waking we were hungry and wanted a pint or two. So we ate the potato pastry at the plaza and went to a Chilean-German pub called Ottoschop we right on the main plaza. There we got a pitcher of Kuntsmann beer for I think 6000. Good deal and tasty beer and TV with folk German songs signed by Chileans in Chile. With the WiFi access I got a message from Patrik, him being back in Castro, so I invited him for a pint and he arrived within few minutes. 

In the bus, we unfortunately didn’t have seats next to each other. I asked some older lady to swap with me, so it didn’t matter at the end. At 17:25 we stopped in Ancud and then boarded ferry (we didn’t have to leave the bus). 19:45 stop at Puerto Montt and 20:10 at Puerto Varas. This bus continued to Valdivia. 

In Puerto Varas, we didn’t book anything in advance. I marked hostels in my offline maps.me app based on guide book we have and we just walked to the nearest one called Casa Azul. Immediately during walking we could see the difference in the architecture here and in Chiloe and south. From a distance, something looking like a German church or chateau. And to add to it, in Casa Azul, two nice Germans welcomed us with a smile. The offered price for a twin room with shared bathroom was 29000 clp. We asked to see the room and we liked it. As I could speak English with Tillman, I asked for a discount. He told me it might not be possible, and if yes, then maybe 3000 only. We dropped our things in the room and I found cash and went downstairs to pay. I asked how much with the discount and he said 26000 per night. I then asked if we stay two nights, can we have it for 25 and he was nice and said yes. 

We then went out to see the European looking centre. There is a coffee festival on the main square and many well dressed people outside and nice cars everywhere. In a supermarket, two streets away from the main plaza, we spent around 14000 pesos for food for dinner and breakfast and wine. And we then cooked in the hostel. Well equipped kitchen and clean. 


As we were going to sleep, unfortunately my bed sheet had an ugly stain which clearly could be washed away using water. I know it could happen after washing, but still... we slept in our sleeping bags. 

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