Frutillar is so inviting that at its station, many passengers grab their bags and step off the train on a hunch of finding lodging. Two hours later the train arrives at Puerto Montt. There, travelers sense a different hemisphere. Ice covered mountains thrust through a cloud bank. A low tide has left fishing boats on their sides.
Fishing nets are everywhere.
Steaming clams beckon. The Hotel Vincente Rosales and its four-star pleasures are a taxi ride away. In the evening one prowls the waterfront, sampling curanto, Chile's special meat and seafood stew.