Pucón: Worse than fly tape

You know that double sided fly tape you can hang from above, but is really easy to get stuck to? And then once you're stuck to it, it's really hard to free yourself, and you'll definitly be left with some of that sticky residue on your skin, clothes, and hair? Well, maybe you aren't as physically inept as I am, but that's how it is for me.

Anyway, I went to a place in the Chilean Lake District called Pucón, a town that exists because and for tourism, and serves as a base for a number of outdoor activities. Located on the shores of the lake Villarrica and immediately beneath the smoking cone of the volcano Villarrica, it is set amongst mountain, lush fields and verdant forests of ancient Auracacia trees. It is without doubt a beautiful place, with low houses, many made of wood and a semaforo del vulcán - a volcano traffic light that indecates how soon you might die a.k.a. if it's safe to climb the volcano.

Well, Lonely Planet and all the other guides warn that this town in "easy to get stuck in," and they definitely aren't lying. I originally planned on staying only 2 nights, but I think I ended up staying 5 and ended up just leaving out of fear that I'd end up there for another week. At the same time, because it is a tourist town, the cost of living there is about the same as in the US - NYC not included. In return, it offers a lot however: many day trips into the surounding area, climbing the volcano (more on that at another time), a black rock beach on a gorgeous lake, and an incredible nightlife.

Definitely woth a visit, but be warmed of the flytape - I'm still being drawn back there weeks and thousands of kilometers later.