Santiago to Puerto Montt

Hello all! Crystal and I are sitting here in a internet cafe in Puerto Montt, Chile a day before  getting on  a boat that will take us through the fijords of southern Chile to Puerta Natales and Patagonia! Chile has been pretty amazing so far. We spent a few days in Santiago to explore the city and meet up with a friend from Salt Lake that happened to be in the area. The city is a mix of modern skyscrapers and colonial architecture with a crazy tourist scene.
From there we took off for the coast and Chile´s surf capital, Pichilemu. Pichilemu is the  home of the surf break Punta del Lobos where pros come from all over in the winter to paddle into some of the huge southern swells that hit the point. We stayed a sweet hostel on a farm with a beachfront view and spent a few days relaxing and drowning in the surf. For the record, so far, Pichilmeu is home to the undisputed contender for the title of ¨Best Empanada.¨ Trust us, we have done our research. I for one, though, am holding out to crown a winner until Argentina however. We concluded our stay with a big BBQ, argentina style, thanks to our new friends Nico and Luis. The Gato (boxed wine) kinda clouds the night a bit but I´m sure it was a good time for everone involved.
Once we had a our fill of emapanadas and salt water we took off on an overnight bus to Pucon, a mountain town at the base of a volcano. There we escaped to nearby Parque Nacional Huerquehue where we hiked, swam in lakes and were tormented by huge acrobatic trout munching on bugs while we sat on the shore without rod nor reel. The park was a great rest from the tourist haven of Pucon.
And that brings us to Puerto Montt and what is hopefully the best and certainly most anticipated part of our voyage as we head south to the ruggedness of Patagonia. As of right now we are having a hard time loading photos but will try to get some us as soon as possible. We love you all and hope all is well wherever you are.