For most of our time in Chile, we stayed in Choshuenco, meaning "Yellow Waters" in Mapudungun, a small, valley town between 2 volcanoes and 2 marshes. We stayed in Cabañas, small, cabin-like structures with a kitchen, living room, large loft area, and two bedrooms with two beds each. There are six cabanas lined up south to north, outside of which is the parking lot and the kayaks in their plasticy, colorful glory. Even further away is the restaurant for Ruca Pillion, the house of spirits or the devil.
The 'guys' cabana is the farthest south and is labeled Number One. The second is not occupied by the Alzar community, as well as the fifth, sixth, and so on, but the third and fourth is occupied by those belonging to the female gender of Alzar school. Beyond the First and inherently messiest of the cabanas is the street T-47, the only road connecting the tiny town of Choshuenco to the outside world, however bumpy the ride out may be. Continuing to the south and a little to the west, empenada and helado (ice cream) stands can be found along T-47. The road has also gone through a change, heading to the south along lake Panguipulli's rocky beach.
At the far end of the beach is a large, rusted ferry from the Second World War called the ENCO. In a way the old ship is almost as beautiful as the wonderfully (semi-)clear water peppered with crashing waves that are belittled by the gigantic mountains in the distance. Sometimes as the clouds roll over the mountains the other end of the lake is obscured, leaving the imagination to fill in the vastness of the lake, with no beginning or end. Sometimes the mountains tower high over the world, obscuring the notion of something taller than they and giving the limitless lake boundaries once again. Sometimes, though, we kayak the tributary river, the Rio Fuy and the lake regains its enormous qualities once more. Nevertheless, the view is breathtaking at any time of the year.
Continuing in a clockwise manner, the zip line into the lake sits quietly waiting for another Chilean child to enjoy a suspended wedgie into the soft water. It sits by a park of sorts, containing several gazebos and a small set of playground equipment, rarely used by anyone excepting gringos. Just up shore (or west) of the park is another street running parallel to T-47 that connects at several points. It connects to the cabanas through the Ruca Pillian rafting and trekking center and continues through the restaurant of Javier Lopez, the internet king of the small town, and past the Frutería and the fútbol fields. To the east lies the shopping district (although it can barely be called a district), with its overpriced sugary treats, crossed roads and wonderful blackberry bushes. It completes the small town of Choshuenco, making it the home of our group of gringos.
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