The clues were there...

When you decide to walk a 12km track called the Trail of Desolation, which goes through a rainforest, you should kind of know what you're letting yourself in for...

To start at the beginning...it's a small world and when you're backpacking you do keep meeting the same people. We met Glenn and Masumi again, who we'd first met at Villa La Angostura (scene of the Kiwi debacle). When they suggested we all clubbed together to hire a car and go explore the nearby National Park and volcano, our bus weary bones jumped at the chance.

You needed transport to drive between the highlights, which were:
- a gorgeous, angry, gushing series of waterfalls, tumbling into crystal blue lakes
- Laguna Verde (Green Lake) a placid emerald green lake. Bit underwhelmed by this one. We were cold and tired by then and headed back to the kiosk that was selling hot tea and large slabs of cake
- the lake and rainforest at the foot of Volcano Osorno
- the view points off Volcano Osorno.

So, when you take the path of Desolation, through the rainforest, by a mountain lake, beneath an active volcano, here are some of the things you can expect:

• rainforest. The clue's in the name. 12 hours later our clothes are still drying out.
• However, this is a rain forest with a twist - it's really cold...
• ...but this means there are no snakes or nasties as it's too cold for them
• It also means you're walking all the time on black volcanic sand or soil or rock. This makes for really interesting vegetation as traditional grass can't take root. Moss. Everywhere and all kinds.
• Turns out this sand isn't all that stable and when it rains a lot, you see new "streams" of mud getting washed away. This makes for the fun game of "find the path". You find yourself saying things like "We're between the volcano and the lake so we must be heading in the right direction". Those of you who have lived in Bristol will know the folly of statements like that.
• It also means that the picnic tables on the beach are half buried in mud. And the entrance hut. And the path by the beach at the end was blocked by a mud slide. And a 4x4 in the carpark sunk into it too.
• Volcanic rock is VERY cool. All kinds of blacks and reds and purples. If we can get it past customs in New Zealand, we'll bring some specimens back.
• Maps- scale, labelling, accuracy, availability - none of these things were of concern to the local Guardaparques (Park Rangers). So, working off a photocopy of a photocopy that the Tourist office had found in the bottom of a drawer and a photo Glenn took of a map on the wall near the falls, we weren't so well equipped...
• Bridges. Think less, Clifton Suspension Bridge and more Tomb Raider.

Still all in all, it was cold, it was wet, we got kind of lost, but it was great fun walking through such awesome scenery, seeing a rainforest close up, treading on volcanic dust, sand and rocks, and enjoying the company of two fellow travellers (also of the "we quit our jobs" ilk).

The town we are based at was originally founded by Germans 200 years ago. This means:

• it has lots of pretty wooden, German style churches
• lots of cake (happy days!)
• it is organised
• people stop at zebra crossings for you (a first in over 2 months)
• the supermarkets sell stolen and wurst and various German brews
• there are a lot of Germans here on holiday
• the Spanish spoken by the locals seems to have a German accent to it.

We're heading a bit further north today, to Villarica, to see if there is sun and do some more hiking.