We had booked a hotel in Puelo which was 6km from the hot baths. It was more difficult to find than expected. This was mainly due to the fact that the idea that it was 6km from the baths was the only information we had. With no WiFi and no signal we had to use the old ways. Yes, find a place with WiFi! As it turned out the hot baths had WiFi and they let us jump onto it before our session. This gave us the opportunity to get settled into the hotel before our afternoon session at 40 decrees C. With pinpoint accuracy we found a large building at the end of a long gravel road on the furthest outskirts of Puelo. But nothing to announce itself as a hotel. A name would have been a giveaway or even a door. We parked up but concluded we were in the wrong place but before we could reverse out again, mein host appeared like Mr Benn from the back door. We were indeed in the right place. It transpired the hotel was fully booked and we were put in the cabana out the back. Nice place with big log fire and kitchen. We didn’t have any food but we were more than willing to burn their wood. We were asked if we wanted lunch and we’re ushered into their enormous kitchen, sat down at an enormous table and presented with an enormous meal of battered fish and mash. An salad! In keeping with the scale of things, the kitchen had a large TV which seemed permanently tuned into Chilean MTV. And in keeping with Chilean progressive music tastes we watch the best of Toto for half an hour. During the meal, the manager’s octogenarian mother wandered in for a bit of small talk in Spanish. So far so good with the food, we asked if we could eat there in the evening. After the hot baths the evening meal followed the same pattern. Great food, old lady watching us and what seemed to be a specially curated Queen at Live Aid on the TV. We only stayed there one night which was a shame given the standard of food. However, when the bill came in the morning it was apparent that we could only afford one night and that smart people ask what the food costs before they order it.
