Evening star., 1942-02-14
BY HAROLD b. ROGERS,
Star Staff CORRESPONDENT.

Chile Claude BoDers.
BY HAROLD b. ROGERS,
Star Staff Correspondent.
PUERTO VARAS, Chile (By MaiD
"A tour of the lake region Of Chile
confirms the claim that this Won
derland ranks with top scenic at
fractions of the world.
known as the Switzerland OF
South America, the region, about
s5 miles wide and some 200 miles
long. contains a fascinating variety
of snow-capped mountains, water
falls, volcanoes, glaciers, lakes,
fiords "a composite Of rugged
grandeur.
World travellers in the past have
acclaimed the beauties of the
Chilean lake region; it has been
famed in poetry, song, story and In
excellent photography. But to fully
appreciate the inspiration afforded
by this dream like part Of the world,
1t is necessary to live with 1t while.
IVAH odntA0kVs
Our experiences in the lake region
took place during To-day trip from
Santiago southwark about 800 miles
to this city and return. We travelled
in a special sleeping car, stayed for
the moH part in hotels belonging to
the government-owned railroad, and
enjoyed excursions on boats. One of
the vessels was a railroad-ovned
yacht carrying us to the extremity
Of our trip in the fjord Of Reloncavi.
In the party were the six news
papermen from the United States
now visiting Chile, and several
Chilean journalists, including Carlos
Manterola Murray of Ell Diario Illus
trado, and Sonora Murray.
Results of the disastrous earth
quake of January "a, 1889, still were
evident in crumbled walls at Con-
cepcion, an interesting city, now re-
building from its ruins. There Is the
University of Conception, housed in
modern structures, with up-to-date
equipment and modern technology.
Among the first beauty spots
visited was the great park at Lota,
established by the Cousino family,
which made its fortune in the sub
marine coal mines nearby. Spread
ing over many acres of rolling hills
on q peninsula overlooking the
water, this magnificent park has
innumerable trees from both the
temperate and tropical zones, gor-
geous flowers including whole hill
sides of hydrangeaS, statdary. and
many overlooks providing views Of
the sea. 1t proved to be one of the
choice garden spots of country
abounding in many flowery retreats.
A Snowy Cone in the Blue.
At Lake Villarrica, where We saw
the first South American volcano,
we felt the first rain we had met in
Chile, but the clouds lifted in the
afternoon and gave us ample time to
enjoy the clearing weather, cool, but
pleasant. Brisk breezes added much
sport to efforts of vacationing
Chileans to put out with their little
xailboats into the choppy waters.
Clouds hung about the snowy top
of the Villarrica volcano until late
in the afternoon. Then, to the de-
light of those of us who had climbed
to the beautiful heights of the golf
course overlooking the lake and the
hotel. the last w1sps of mist blew
away, revealing the snowy cone high
in q blue sky rolling with puts OF
white. Before we departed for the
south later the next day perfect
skies again gave us full views Of the
volcano, this time from the station.
From the historic city of Valdivia
the boat trip down the river to
Corral took us to a steel plant, to
Niebla and the old Spanish forts.
Parts of the river reminded North
Americans OF some river trips at
home between rolling hills. On the
moonlit return trip voices Of both
North and South Americans lifted
together in songs of both countries.
Deeper into the south of the lake
region we came to the country OF
Lake Llanquihue, and its environs,
where some of the most sparkling
gems of Chilean scenery abound.
Admiral Byrd's Port.
From the Grand Hotel. operated
by the railroad at Puerto Varas, the
first excursion took us to Puerto
Montt, the port through which
Admiral Byrd returned on his trip
to the South Pole. There he had
been met by Biddle Garrison, attache
of the American Embassy at
Santiago, who has accompanied the
North Americans on their Journeys
through Chile and showed us where
Byrd landed. The yacht trip through
Seno Reloncavi carried the party up
a narrow estuary, from which rose
Jagged mountains, many of them
snow capped and silhouetted against
a sky which smiled down upon us
with welcome of summer heat. Sheer
cliffs, slender waterfalls of great
height, jagged rocks against the sky
line provided constant surprises as
the yacht glided up the estuary and
back. Members of the party who
had Travelled in the fjords of Norway
were delighted with the magnificent
views of this Chilean wonderland.
of somewhat similar but different
beauty, mountains, water, volcanoes.
Nowhere else, they said, was there
such a combination as in Chile.
Climax of the whole gorgeous lake
country adventure, however, came
on the last day of the southern
journey. Travelling along Lake
Llanquihue by bus we came to En-
senada, a delightful country hotel
almost at the foot of the great VOL
cano Orsono, 5000 feet high. Along
the Petrohue River newly-cut
road carried visitors to surprising
views of q stream which gushes
through narrow chasms thousands
of feet deep-a river of unbelievable
color. deep green. Finally reaching
Lake Todos Los Santos, we arrived
at what President Theodore Roose-
velt called "the most beautiful lake
! have seen in all the world" 1t
curves through hilly banks heavily