In Search of the Baobab

Our arrival at the airport in Puerto Montt was our reintroduction to the real world after being thoroughly spoilt at Explora.  However the short ride to neighbouring Puerto Varas with its view of two beautiful snow-covered volcanos across the lake seemed promising.

Feeling rather tired after a five hour drive and two hour flight, we didn't take a photo of the volcanos and it proved to be the last we saw of them in our two night stay.  It seems the Chilean Lake District has a similar reputation for wet weather as its English counterpart.

The low cloud and rain persisted as we headed north on Christmas Eve in the rather unglamourous white pickup truck we have been given by the hire company.  On the way we spotted that our travel itinerary had no address or phone number for our hotel other than the name of a village, Panguipulli.  We arrived in that village five minutes after the tourist office had shut for Xmas but there was a phone number for all the hotels so we headed off in the general direction of where we thought it to be.

The Baobab Hotel

As we headed further inland we lost mobile phone coverage and had to turn back to be able to call.  There was no answer at the hotel or travel agencies in Santiago and London as of course by then on Christmas Eve everyone had, understandably, left.  However by piecing together the information we could get from a roadside map, internet research by Suzanne's sister Carron, our map and a guide book we took an educated guess at where the hotel might be and headed further into the mobile phone black hole that exists on the Argentina-Chile border.Over an hour later, more than 60km from Panguipulli on a dirt road deep in the forest and still unsure of where the hotel was, we pulled up outside the Baobab - the most surreal place either of us have stayed at.  It is seven stories high, built around a tree and hidden in a remote forest between the lakes.  Adjoining it is the equally surreal Magic Mountain lodge and a micro-brewery/pub.  It is, as Su neatly summed it up, bonkers. They are nevertheless sufficiently confident of their business model that there is no address on the website and absolutely no signs on the road.

The Truck (and driver)

In any event we were so pleased that we had found the hotel that would be our home for Christmas Day that we forgot to turn the car lights off and awoke next morning to the flattest of flat batteries.  So Christmas Day started with all three of us (truck included) feeling rather run down but after a kind and very resourceful staff member had revived our truck by starting it using his battery, the sun came out and we felt better again. We gave the truck a run out and visited some remote lakes with beautiful scenery, called home using skype, went for a stroll in the forest down to the lakeside beach in the next town and called in at the neighbouring micro-brewery to sample their excellent produce.

Bizarre though the place is, it is genuinely beautiful with views of the local snow-covered volcano from the roof and a range of lovely lakes surrounded by forested hills nearby. The lakes are almost untouched as the area is so remote and it feels more like Africa with local villages built from wood and corrugated iron. All in all, spending Christmas under the Baobab tree is very nice, always assuming that you can find it in the first place.