Our free day in Pucón was a cloudless, sunny, blue sky day – just about as good as it gets. In the interest of pursuing relaxation over adventure, I investigated where I might get a good massage. There were numerous hot springs/thermal baths in the area offering massages, but they were 30-90 minutes out of town - by car. One place in town was rated #7 on Trip Advisor, so after breakfast I headed over to check things out with Beth, one of my cycling buddies. We were quickly beyond the “tourist zone” of the small town and into an area of local markets and small residences. We had a bit of trouble finding actual location of the massage establishment until I spotted a sign hanging high above an alleyway. The alleyway was blocked by a large delivery truck, but we wandered in alongside deliverymen shouldering large sacks of vegetables. We found only a vegetable shop and what seemed like someone’s kitchen. The proprietor of the vegetable shop approached us and, through our limited Spanglish and hand signals, we learned that the massage parlor was located upstairs, but did not open until 8 pm that night. We quickly decided the place was probably not for us - despite the recommendation of one of the delivery men, whom Beth insisted was eager to give me a massage.
Smoke from Vallarica Volcano visible on this glorious blue sky day
I spent the rest of the morning trying to catch up on the journal. However, the WiFi was frustratingly weak – and available only from the small eating area by the front desk. It was not where I wanted to be on such a glorious day, so I jumped at the invitation from a couple of the other riders to join them for lunch at the beach. The Pucón beach stretches along the eastern edge of Lago Villarica, with an expanse of black sand edged by colorful umbrellas and beachgoers. After lunch at one of the lakeside eateries, we wandered down to dip our feet in the cool lake waters. People engaged in variety of activities were scattered along the shore and in the water, ranging from waders, swimmers and kayakers to paddle boarders and parasailers. Walking along the beach, I was delighted to spot a massage tent! A fifteen-minute massage for about $8, if all three of us bought one. I was the first to go – indicating she should concentrate on my quads and neck. The woman had hands of steel, finding and releasing the numerous knots along my legs and shoulders. It hurt so good! After we had all subjected ourselves to her magic fingers, we ambled further down the beach to the parasailing stand, where we left Dennis waiting to be launched skyward. Returning to the hotel, I caught up with the returning volcano hikers and everyone exchanged stories of their adventures in Pucón and, in one case, inspired others to pursue a new adventure. Clearly, a good time was had by all.
I found Pucón to be a town with a variety of recreational options, no matter what your adventure level might be. Although it was a resort town, Pucón had a more relaxed vibe, a chill in spite of all the adrenalin. This may have been due to the fact that the vast majority of tourists were South American, most likely Chilean or Argentinian. In any case, I was certainly rested, relaxed and, after indulging in yet another ice cream cone, ready for the final two days of biking.
