Last week, I shared my brief visit to Lenca and the city of Puerto Montt, but I still had to tell you about another city I visited during those days, one of my favorites in southern Chile: Puerto Varas. This beautiful city is located on the shores of Lake Llanquihue and is a must-see on any visit to the Lake District. From north to south, you'll find Frutillar, Llanquihue, Puerto Varas, and finally Puerto Montt. If you add Puerto Octay to those four destinations, you have an incredible panorama to spend at least a week. >La semana pasada compartí mi breve paso por Lenca y por la ciudad de puerto Montt, pero me quedó pendiente contarles sobre otra ciudad que visité en esos días y que es de mis favoritas del Sur de Chile: Puerto Varas. Esta hermosa ciudad está ubicada al borde el Lago Llanquihue y es una parada obligatoria en cualquier visita a la Región de Los Lagos. De Norte a Sur uno se encuentra con Frutillar, Llanquihue, Puerto Varas y finalmente Puerto Montt. Si a esos cuatro destinos le agregan Puerto Octay, tienen un panorama increíble para pasar al menos una semana.   # Although I like Santiago—where I live—and enjoy the urban atmosphere of metropolises, especially for their cultural offerings and wide variety of views, I recognize that escaping the city is both necessary and rewarding. Getting away from the traffic, rush hour on the subway, and the smog that pollutes the view from any terrace, and replacing the concrete with a bit of nature, is one of the attractions of going either to the coast—to the beach—or to the South and its mountains. The first thing one notices upon arriving in cities like Puerto Varas is its tranquility. Being a smaller city, and therefore less populated than Santiago, one can see fewer cars, smaller spaces, and above all, fewer skyscrapers, lots of mountains, lots of greenery, wooden houses, and beautiful landscapes. In the case of Puerto Varas, one of its most beautiful spots is the pier overlooking Lake Llanquihue and the Osorno Volcano, one of the most iconic volcanoes in a country where these views abound. Sitting for a while on a bench overlooking the water during breakfast, or having the chance to walk daily along the waterfront with views of the volcanoes in the background—because you can also see the Calbuco Volcano and the Puntiagudo Volcano—must be wonderful. On my first visit to the city, which lasted no more than half a day because I had to return to Osorno, I was able to walk along the waterfront, a bit of the center, the plaza, and I saw the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, one of the city's symbols and one that appears on postcards, refrigerator magnets, or souvenirs that can be purchased at any of the craft fairs also held in the city.  |  --- | ---  |  >Aunque me gusta Santiago - que es donde vivo - y disfruto los ambientes urbanos de las metrópolis, sobre todo por su oferta cultural y su gran variedad de panoramas, reconozco que escaparse de la ciudad es tan necesario como gratificante. Salir del tráfico, de las horas punta en el metro, del smog que contamina la visual de cualquier terraza y reemplazar el hormigón por algo de naturaleza es uno de los atractivos que tiene irse o bien a la costa - a la playa - o al Sur y sus montañas. Lo primero que uno nota al llegar a ciudades como Puerto Varas es su tranquilidad. Siendo una ciudad más pequeña, y por lo tanto, menos poblada que Santiago, uno puede ver pocos autos, espacios más pequeños, y sobre todo menos rascacielos, mucha montaña, mucho verde, casas de madera y paisajes hermosos. En el caso de Puerto Varas, uno de sus spots más hermosos es el muelle con vista al lago Llanquihue y el volcán Osorno, uno de los más emblemáticos volcanes de un país en el que abundan estas vistas. Sentarse un rato en un banco mirando el agua para desayunar o tener la posibilidad de caminar a diario por la costanera viendo los volcanes al fondo - porque también se pueden observar el volcán Calbuco y el volcán Puntiagudo - debe ser maravilloso. En mi primera visita a la ciudad, que no fue más de medio día porque tenía que volver a Osorno, pude recorrer la costanera, un poco del centro, la plaza y vi la iglesia del sagrado corazón de Jesús, uno de los símbolos de la ciudad y que aparece en las postales, imanes de nevera o souvenirs que uno puede comprar en cualquiera de las ferias artesanales que también hay en la ciudad.  |  --- | --- # That time, I also entered a very nice bookstore and then wandered along the lake until I reached one of my favorite spots in the city. I knew there was a statue at that viewpoint, but I had no idea how much it would impress me. I liked this statue so much that the second time I passed through Puerto Varas, for just a couple of hours, I went there just to see the statue in the sunset light. It's one of the most beautiful photos I have of the place. >Esa vez también entré a una librería muy linda y luego me dejé llevar por mis pasos bordeando el lago hasta que llegué a uno de mis puntos favoritos de la ciudad. Sabía que en ese mirador había una estatua, pero no imaginé lo mucho que me impresionaría. Fue tanto lo que me gustó esta efigie que la segunda vez que pasé por Puerto Varas, por apenas un par de horas, fui hasta allí sólo para observar la estatua a la luz del atardecer. Es una de las fotos más hermosas que conservo del lugar. The statue, made of metal, and to which many people have added locks as in so many other places around the world, represents the figure of a woman. This woman is Licarayén. The ancient Huiliche legend tells that Princess Licarayén was generous, kind, and beautiful inside and out, but when she fell in love with Quitralpi, Peripillán (the Osorno volcano) was consumed by jealousy and began vomiting smoke, sulfur, and fire, causing the earth to tremble. An old woman from the village told them that to appease the volcano, they would have to sacrifice the kindest and most beautiful young woman in the community who—paradoxically—was Licarayén herself, who sacrificed herself, saving her beloved, her father, and her entire village. This figure is famous in the region, and the locals think of her fondly. Even the name Rayén is common in some Chilean cities. When I first saw the statue, I didn't know the legend, but I sat there, at the woman's feet, reading her story, and it was a very special moment. Licarayén, the lake, the volcano, and I, on an autumn afternoon together in the same place. Of all the monuments I've seen in Chile, this is one of the ones I've liked the most, not only for its history but also for its shape, its size, its location, and the fact that couples come here to place a padlock as a kind of offering or petition for a lasting, loving relationship. Licarayén, who sacrificed herself for love, now watches over the happiness of lovers. Beautiful.    |