Hola todos! Last one for Pucón, so after doing the hot springs I decided to extend for a few days here as there are meant to be some cool hikes and with the weather set to be clearing up on the weekend it seemed like a solid plan and from what everyone told me they were easy enough to get to with a colectivo that comes round every hour so seemed like a good shout. I had also worked this out when I was exploring round town on my first day.
Thursday I did the hot springs, Friday the weather was still crap so I ended up sleeping in then not doing much of anything at all. Saturday comes round and I decide today is the best day do to hike up El Cañi, which is this mountain sanctuary which has a cool lake and viewpoint at the top. Anyways s fast forward I forgot to set an alarm so didn’t get up and running properly until nearly 11 and I missed the 11:30 bus. Next one was 12:55, so I get on that bus and arrive at what I thought was the trailhead at 13:30.
Well it takes nearly an hour to walk up this road almost all uphill to get to the trailhead then once your there it’s pretty much all uphill to get to the lake. It’s about 1100 meters up, I’m already having doubts about this but climb I do. It is knackering and after nearly an hour of straight uphill hiking I look at the map, I’m not even halfway up bearly even a third, it is now 15:00 and it gets dark around 18:30 here. Conclusion I don’t have enough daylight to complete this trek and I am not kitted out for night time hiking so I decide to bail and go back to the bus stop, which takes nearly 2 hours then I end up getting back to town at 17:30. Definitely was not getting there and would have been stuck if I completed it at the end. You need to be up early for this one.
Then Sunday rolls round have a similar start and end up on that 12:55 bus again, think let’s try an easier hike to this waterfall but looking it up online half of the reviews say it’s been closed off and blocked by private land but it’s also nearest and the only option that doesn’t involve chancing being stuck out there in the dark at this time. I get on the bus to a place called El Turbio where this trail supposedly starts about 10 mins out of town.
On the drive there the driver says “El Turbio” putting his hand up and I mistakenly get off there behind these other 2 people at this cemetery but here’s where the day takes a twist, as I’m getting off the bus drive shuts the door and my leg gets caught in it, I scream “HEEEY!!!!” as he’s about to drive off, luckily he stops opens it and lets me out.
I’m unhurt apart from a bit of a graze where my leg got trapped but I’m shook up from this and decide not to bother with this walk and get a taxi back to town. Go back to the terminal and tell them about what happened, they give me the Whatsapp number for the company and to tell the owner what happened.
If you Google this it says you should tell the company, keep the ticket and get a medical and police report if you was to do it by the book. Firstly there was no ticket as it was a hop hop off pay in cash jobbie. Back home this would 100% be lawsuit territory but I don’t want to get wrapped up in that if it can be avoided and I am pretty sure nothing would reasitically get done out here, but thought better have some sort of evidence just in case I needed to see a doctor at a later date and In case of needing to make an insurance claim.
So what I do after? I decided I would wait at the terminal until that bus came back to get his plates as I was too busy getting up off the floor when it happened then maybe have a chat with him and see where it goes from there. So I wait for him to come back
After about an hour he comes back, get the numberplate of the bus photo it and have a chat with that driver, I keep it cool, calm and collected tell him what happened let him explain it from his side while picking my wording very carefully to not admit anything was my fault, basically I misheard him thinking this place was my stop and I was being chucked off, I was unsure and then sort of tailgated those other 2 people getting off and as I didn’t say anything he didn’t notice me getting off and then shut the door. In short both sides are at fault to some degree here though it 100% is neglect from their part not looking over your shoulder to double check.
Anyways cutting to the end of that he tells me he told the company, I said I am going to report it to the company as well, basically said not wanting to push any charges but need evidence in the event I need to see a doctor later about it as having been several hours after the incident by now if there was anything bad going on down there you would know by now. We end up coming to this understanding and apologizes, shakes my hand, I then go back to my gaff, do a write up on what happened and send it to the company Whatsapp number after about an hour they reply. Apologize and acknowledge this happened, the next day they ask am I okay and say yes. At the time of writing this blog which is about a week after the incident my leg is fine so declaring no harm done on this one.
The rest of Sunday evening went by uneventfully I went out and said my goodbyes to my pals at that bar then it was an early Start on Monday to get down to Puerto Varas, whilch i Will cover on the next one.
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