Valdivia and splitting ways

Thursday November 26th-Saturday November 28th

Valdivia is a neat little city with a college, casino (by far the largest building there), and easy access to the ocean. It was nice to spend time there, though we didn’t do anything overly exciting or extremely (that’s how normal people relax right?). This is partially because we didn’t really have time to go to this park nearby which apparently had sport climbing (well, climbing with a broken hand in a cast I suppose is not a smart thing to do).
Upon arriving in the early afternoon, we checked into a hospedaje (like a hotel and hostel combo), and then headed out to explore the town. The weather was gorgeous, warm and sunny (of course it is only when we’re riding on buses or don’t have the time to climb something). We had dinner at a small restaurant right by the water. I had the best salmon of my life and Tom had this fantastic white fish dish. We had dessert at a popular chocolate café place. That night, we split a bottle of wine while we planned our last day together.
Friday, we woke up early-ish, packed, showered and ate. We then headed to the bus terminal, bought our bus tickets-Tom for Santiago which left that night just after 9 and me to Bariloche, at 8:30 the next morning. We headed to the port to see if we could get tickets on a boat ride one way around the bay to the town of Corral, but found out there was only round trip, so we caught the bus to Neibla, hopped on the 20 min ferry to Corral where we walked around the town a little and explored the old fort there. We then caught the ferry back and took the bus to the Beer Museum with a hope of getting a tour of the brewery. Unfortunately they only allowed people in the museum which we checked out briefly and we ate lunch which was gigantic meat sandwiches that were delicious (yes, I did take pictures of them). Yes, I some how managed to eat mine in just one sitting. We also got their beer sampler so we could each try all the beers they produce there. Pity I haven’t really acquired a taste for beer as I have for wine. Though this honey one was kind of good.
After putting ourselves in a food coma, we headed back to Valdivia, walked around town, looked for a fort, found it and were disappointed. We walked through the fish market which was pretty neat and an artisans market. We found the mall as well, and contemplated watching a movie in Spanish there but decided we didn’t have time. We then headed to this large park there, explored this random craft fair there and wondered around on a bunch of trails (again finding ourselves being follow by some dogs-I don’t get it). The park had a couple huge ponds with hundreds of lily pads and some really neat abstract sculptures of wood, stone and wire in one area.
After the park, we headed back to the hostel, grabbed our stuff, and headed to a bus station. I found a cheaper hostel right outside. The host was this crazy old woman and got angry at us for some reasoned and lectured us on who knows what in Spanish. Tom and I then said our good byes and he got on his bus to eventually head home and I headed back to my odd hostel.
The next morning, I was on the bus at 8:30, not realizing that my trip which was to end at the farm in El Bolson, was not going to finish until about nine O’clock that night. At least the bus rides went through beautiful areas