City of Eternal Snow... Coyhaique by way of Puerto Chacabuco, Chile

View from Ship in Puerto Chacabuco

Heading back north now and getting warmer...just a bit. We have worked our way up through the beautiful fjords and have reached the northern part of Patagonia. The Viking Sun cruises the open ocean at night, we know this by the rocking of the ship. In the morning all is still as we glide into a new port, this time Puerto Chacabuco.

Once a sleepy fishing village, nestled in a cove of hills, the town has a population of only 1000. A few homes dot the sides of the bay, some with no road to them. Fish farms can be seen with lobster type buoys floating in geometric designs.

This town can now accommodate huge cruise ships, their tenders lazily cruising to Chacabuco's new pier, which has wind and rain protection for the lines that may form.

Open Grazing...the Way Life Should Be for Cattle

We took a bus passing sheep and cattle farms on the inner flatlands. Trees and fields were very similar to the northern United States. 


At Rio Simpson National Reserve, we walked the path along the river famous for its trout fly fishing. The Rio Simpson flows from the Coyhaique area to the west. 

Rio Simpson National Reserve

Rio Simpson River

       
Further, into the Andes, we arrived at Coyhaique, the provincial capital of the area. Although located east over the pass on the Argentine side, it is part of Chile because of the river flowing to the west. Coyhaique is called the "Eternal City of Snow" since it is surrounded by snow covered peaks. Founded in 1926, it grew quickly to 60,000, the largest city in the area.

Downtown Cohaique was filled with Roses

City of Cohaique From a Distance

Catholic church with Monkey Puzzle Trees

On the central square area was the Catholic church, its grounds showing roses which were all over the city, and the Monkey Puzzle Tree, common in Chile, its branches green but hard and shaped like long pine cones. 

Lupine beautify the area but are
invasive and  not good for Cattle

  







              




After walking the rose-filled city plaza and streets we drove to a nearby restaurant and had local fruit and appetizers...salmon and empanadas, and the national drink, a pisco sour. We then headed back to our ship, passing a statue of Chile's favorite drink mate (as well as Argentina, and Uruguay).