Araucania is a region in the far northern part of Chilean Patagonia that has many volcanoes, lakes, and national parks. In addition to experiencing these, we were excited to learn more about the Mapuche culture found throughout the area.
Best Thing I Ate This Week
Churrasco americano y chorrillana especial at Café 2001
Cafe 2001 is located in the main commercial area of Villarrica, a vacation town located on Lago Villarrica with incredible views of Volcan Villarrica. The restaurant was opened in 1978 by Nancy and her husband Rupe. By the looks of the long lines whenever we passed by, we knew that there must be something special that kept the place so busy.
The interior of the restaurant is decorated with key chains from all over the world and there are infographics sharing more about the history of Volcan Villarrica. The menu focuses on Chilean comfort cuisine, and based on the generous portions we observed while walking by, we decided to go out for dinner on a day where we had a light lunch.
We ordered a Chorrillana Especial and a Churrasco Americano to split. It felt like every table around us ordered a Chorrillana to share as well, and after trying it we could see why. Their Chorrillana Especial came with a bed of french fries served with grilled meat, sausage, grilled onion, cheese, and fried egg. The Churrasco Americano was served with grilled meat, cheese, tomato, and avocado. Both tasted amazing and the meat was cooked to perfection. After trying the delicious flavors and experiencing the comfortable atmosphere, it made sense as to why people line up to dine here.
An Interesting Fact I Learned
The Mapuche were never conquered by the Spanish
During the colonization of the Americas, the Mapuche were never conquered by the Spanish. Eventually, the countries of Chile and Argentina absorbed their native lands, but many aspects of the culture are still present in the Araucania region of Chile today. Temuco, the regional capital of Araucania, has the largest population of Mapuche heritage of any city in Chile. The Mapuche flag was proudly displayed outside of shops and restaurants wherever we went in Araucania.
During our time in Villarrica, we wanted to learn more about the Mapuche at the Museo Leandro Penchulef but it was closed during the days of our visit. We still were able to visit a Ruca (traditional Mapuche home) for an authentic lunch and shop at local Mapuche artisanal stores in town.
Additionally, we allocated a few days in Temuco so that we could visit the Museo Regional de La Araucania, which is known for displaying the heritage of the region. Unfortunately, that too was closed during our stay, but we were still able to experience some of the Mapuche culture around town. One of the most memorable experiences was visiting Feria Pinto, a central market where many Mapuche vendors sell their products. When we walked in, we were greeted by a Mapuche musician playing a traditional instrument, and throughout the market there was an abundance of opportunities to buy traditional food products from the region.
My Travel Tip of the Week
Double Check Your Bus Ticket the Day Prior
For all major travel, I add the information to a digital calendar so that I have easy access to it for planning purposes. When stopping in Valdivia on the way to the Araucania region, I changed the time of our bus departure at the station but did not update the time on my calendar. This change allowed us additional time to get to know Valdivia, a university town, that offered scenic rides along its 3 rivers (Rio Valdivia, Rio Cau-Cau, Rio Callecalle), an incredible fish market with enormous seal lions, and delicious dining options.
Luckily, after completing our exploration of town, we showed up early for our bus and grabbed a quick bite to eat while waiting to depart. When a bus from our company arrived, it displayed a time that did not match the one we thought was on our ticket. Melina decided to ask the bus driver if this was our bus, just in case, and it turned out we had the wrong time on our calendar (just by 10 minutes). Fortunately, we arrived early for food. Otherwise, we would have missed seeing our bus and had to wait for the next one, which was not for another 5 hours. It was a good reminder to always double check the ticket ahead of time, because on our next trip, we might not be so lucky.
My Additional Anecdote This Week
Hot Springs are a great way to relax in the wonder of nature
There are around 100 active volcanoes in Chile with many found in the Araucania region. We were drawn to Villarrica because of its close proximity to hot springs and beautiful views of Volcan Villarrca towering over Lago Villarrica. Termas Geometricas is a beautifully designed hot spring by German del Sol so we planned a day visit to it in Villarrica National Park.
The visit to Termas Geometricas did not disappoint! Immediately, upon walking in, we were blown away by the incredible natural environment and simple red boardwalk cutting through the green surroundings. We received a recommendation to walk to the end of the path to take pictures and then swim in the various pools on the way back to the entrance. All of the pools displayed how hot or cold the water was in Celsius with some ranging all the way up to 46 Celsius (115 Fahrenheit). It was relaxing to visit the cool pools filled with glacier water and the hot springs that were heated from the volcanoes.
All throughout the Termas Geometricas people were relaxing and happy. We had nice conversations with fellow travelers and locals who were also enjoying their self-care days. It was an incredible way to recharge mentally in a peaceful environment but also recover physically too as it left my body feeling like new the following day.