Tuesday November 5, 2013

Every Monday the senior missionaries meet together for Family Home Evening... we have lessons, dinners, games, movies, just any reason to get together as a group.  So the week of Halloween we were asked to come in costume.  We were pretty impressed with some of the costumes made from things around the apartment.  But one couple went all out --  Silly, silly missionaries!

I made us "domino" costumes since we play dominos often.  We are wearing trains on our heads to show we are playing Mexican Train!

The Candland's are a shepherd in a bathrobe and a witch in garbage bags

 

The Karren's designed and modeled their outfits of newspaper and LOTS and LOTS of scotch tape!

The Fisher's went all out with Horse costumes!  I don't know where she got the pattern but it required LOTS and LOTS of fabric and she whipped it up in a week.

The 31 of October and 1 November are national holidays in Chile, so our church offices were closed.  Seven of us planned a road trip south to Villarrica and Pucon.  It was a 10 hour drive, so we rented a van and took a 3 day trip to some of the most beautiful country we have ever seen!  Villarrica and Pucon are vacation destinations for adventure seekers from all over the world who come to climb the volcano, ski, hike, bike, fish, raft, and other outdoor activities.   We were traveling with a bunch of OLD people (not us of course), so we were just there to look!   We visited before the summer tourist season begins, so it wasn't too crowded, but the town of Pucon is packed with restaurants, hostels and shops of every kind.

Thursday when we arrived it was raining and we had heard that when it rains in Villarrica, it can rain for days! (Luckily I packed the ponchos that had been carried to Peru and the Mediterranean and never been used). The volcano was covered in thick cloud cover.  But the next morning we awoke to a glorious clear day with the volcano in full view.  We spent the day driving to the base of the volcano and enjoying the beautiful scenery.

 

The back yard of the first charming hostel we stayed in Chillan --We enjoyed the best hot, but not TOO HOT shower we've had in 2 months!

A contemporary Catholic Church across from the Plaza de Armas in Chillan

We drove past many canola fields on our way south

 

 Saltos de Laja-- a little detour on

the trip to see water falls -- in the rain.

 

 The rain ended in the evening after dinner and we were told that the weather was going to be perfect the next day -- and it was!

The Geronimo Hostel in Pucon where we spent 2 nights -- Our room had a balcony and a fabulous view of the Volcano!

When we stopped to take pictures two hungry little pups followed us around.  So we fed them some crackers away from the road.

Driving toward Villarrica Volcano

Looking down at the lake at Pucon

Evone and Richard  at the base of the ski resort -- closed for the season

The whole group Renee and Vaun Mikesill, Sandra Thompson, Evone and Richard, Janean and Dale Perry

The other side of Villarrica Volcano

The ski resort is on the bottom right of the volcano

Just a picturesque sight!

A little village near the volcano

We stopped at some shops, watched this man carving a bowl, and then bought one -- of course!

A view of the Villarrica Volcano from town

A bridge and gazebo near Lake Pucon

What "Senior" Missionaries did for excitement rather than climb mountains, ski, fish, hike, raft, soak in hot springs or any of the other things that bring tourists to Pucon.

 

Close up of the branches of the "Monkey Tree"   It is very hard and prickly.

One final shot of the reason to travel to Pucon!

A beautiful LDS Chapel in Villarrica.  We met a group of missionaries serving there.  The chapel is just up the road from the lake.  What a gorgeous place to serve a mission!

 

 

...And look what I found yesterday back in Santiago!

It felt like "home" -- even the quilt books were in English!

P.S.  Richard met these great missionaries a couple of weeks ago and promised to take them out to eat Milanesa -- one of his favorite Argentine food -- the Elder on the left is from Argentina and hadn't eaten Milanesa since he left home.  The Elder on the right is from Peru and practiced his English with me.  They both ate every last bite.