Volcanoes and araucarias... Huerquehue + Petrohue

Patricio is by himself an excellent reason to visit Huerquehue National Park.
A few years ago, Patricio Lanfranco was the head Producer/Director for the Chilean television : he made documentary films (on the Huerquehue Park, on Antarctic, and many others), the last one being "The Judge and the General" (2008), about judge Juan Guzmán´s attempts to bring Augusto Pinochet to justice for human rights crimes...

Presently, Patricio devotes all his energy to the protection of the Huerquehue Park.
He built refugio Tinquilco, which he now keeps. And his greatest pleasure is to treat his visitors to superb meals he cooks with loving care, using products he grows himself - accompanied with wines he carefully selects. Incidentally, he is in the process of writing a cookbook.

Unfortunately, the weather was rather wet, when we were in this small paradise...
we talked a lot...

	Patricio is by himself an excellent reason to visit Huerquehue National Park. A few years ago, Patricio Lanfranco was the head Producer/Director for the Chilean television : he made documentary films (on the Huerquehue Park, on Antarctic, and many others), the last one being "The Judge and the General" (2008), about judge Juan Guzmán´s attempts to bring Augusto Pinochet to justice for human rights crimes... Presently, Patricio devotes all his energy to the protection of the Huerquehue Park. He built refugio Tinquilco, which he now keeps. And his greatest pleasure is to treat his visitors to superb meals he cooks with loving care, using products he grows himself - accompanied with wines he carefully selects. Incidentally, he is in the process of writing a cookbook. Unfortunately, the weather was rather wet, when we were in this small paradise... we talked a lot...


Looking for the sun, we went south, to Petrohue, on the shore of Lago Todos los Santos
	Could you figure a better spot to pitch your tent ? And, of course, we were alone - once more... (incidentally, the campground featured hot showers...)
The Rio Petrohue drains the water of lake Todo los Santos. Even in bad weather, the color of the water is splendid !
Naturally, the Petrohue waterfalls are a tourist spot...	...but they are very well worth the (short) detour...

We had a lump in our throat, when the volcano emerged from the clouds... And we had every reason for being worried : the date was December 21, 2012 (day of the end of the world, according to the Maya calendar)