Relatively close to Puerto Montt is the Puerto Chaccabucco, which if you travel no further inland to the Aysen Fjords or the Simpson River National Reserve is pretty dire. However, it is our last stop for a few days before we sail through the fjords, down the Sarmiento Channel and Strait of Magellan.

Splitting resources, we headed in similar directions but for very different experiences. Along with some fellow passengers, M hired a taxi and a guide for a couple of hours and they drove round a few of the local sights in the Simpson Valley which included a pretty precarious wooden bridge that some people walked over and some took their lives in their hands and drove over.

I went to a pretty ranch set deep in the heart of the reserve and rode a horse along the Simpson River, taking in beautiful vistas of the crystal clear water and mountain ranges. The ranch’s dog joined us for the ride, darting in amongst the cattle and brush land. Their was a huge range of bird life around the river and it was great to be out in the fresh air.

Now, I wonder who is still reading this? If so, I can share with you how I saved the lives of the rest of my group. Back at the ranch, we were enjoying some local wine and empanadas, when the room went dark and we looked round to see a huge wild pig in the doorway to the ranch, coming to see what was going on, the host took one look and ran away, locking herself in the kitchen! After a quick scan of the room, it quickly became apparent that no help was forth coming, so I jumped up and herded the pig out and the farm dogs chased it away. Apparently the pigs only do this when they are rabid! Anyway, I was heralded as the life saver by the group and with a couple of glasses of wine inside me, the story sounds sooo much better 😉