After a massive meal at the Dave’s Base Camp in Pucon, we headed toward the town of Choshuenco. (sounds like co-shwan-co) Near by is the Baobab hotel that has a waterfall in it and a clean 25 footer near by for us to huck. The river is followed up by a series of sweet drops and easy class 5 below. The students of course were not allowed to be huckin the class 5 stuff, even though there are many who could. We set out working on the techniques of running a bigger waterfall. Tucking time, angle of landing, power use and where to run the drop so you have the most control. It went remarkably well. All the students enjoyed it, even after Steven Forester chucked his paddle, melted and had the daylights beaten out of him. Tino took me behind the waterfall to a cave we could both paddle into. The thundering roar and mist filling the cave with mist and mosses and for a brief time the two of us. This place is magical, water you can see through like glass. The mountains are all around us volcano’s peeking through. There are massive trees everywhere, tunnels of trees that we drive through leaning out over the road. Outside as a write this article, the fruit truck is yelling out his wares in Spanish. The smell of tonight’s dinner seeps through the floor into my room. We are no longer in Pucon, we are in the real Chile like Daves place deep in the heart of the country. Rustic, poor and thriving. The houses are old, the floors and walls are wood and thin. I can hear a mother and her child playing a silly game next door. I can hear the kitchen ladies, owners, sweeping, chatting in quick Spanish. Tino, a fellow Level 6 Paddler lived here for a while with the ladies and translates when I get stuck. So last night, we went down to have some wine with the ladies of the house. They made this concoction red wine, strawberries together to sip on. Very nice. We sipped and Tino translated back and forth the conversation. Pinochet the dictator evicted this family from their house in Santiago many years ago. Pinochet took their wealth and home and dumped them out on the street. They moved to Choshuenco, bought a small BandB with what they had left and it is where I sit now. If anyone comes to Choshuenco look for “La Posada.” Its on the main drag, it costs about 8 to 10$ a night and the food and hospitality is fantastic. Right now the Huge Experiences Gang all spread over the property doing school work, chatting and having a good time. While in the background Tino plots out the next river run for us to attack with our team of happy campers.
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