It's not a slow car, it's a fast house

March 2023- Chile

Leaving the islands of Chiloe, including our fun experience on Isla Anihue brought mixed feelings.  We were sad to leave our friends and the beautiful lifestyle of the islands.  But we were ready to continue the trip and take care of some medical needs.

We rented a place near our friends in Puerto Varas.  This gave us a base to leave the truck and the dogs as we visited specialists there and in nearby Puerto Montt.

Our first stop was to address the knee and foot pain that Geneva had been experiencing.  We got x-rays and injections at a private hospital.  This was less than $200usd for the entire process.

Next we joined a local gym and set up a schedule for working with a personal trainer.  She would help us with a basic workout routine and introduce many specific exercises for working zones we needed to strengthen.

We also made a series of appointments with a highly respected physiotherapist.  Geneva needed to build some equal-lateral strength and learn to trust that knee again.

One final medical visit was to a professional podiatry office.  This place makes custom orthotics for shoes.  They begin with a details analysis of the each foot, gait, and issues.  Then they make the specialized inserts that can be moved into any shoe.

During our free time we enjoyed delicious local restaurants, visited farmers markets and walked along the beautiful beaches of the city.  On clear days we could see the two volcanoes across the water.

Our nearby friends (and their adorable young son) spent time with us for meals, local events and relaxing moments.  It was wonderful to know some locals and to hang out with friends.

Of course, we also made time for geocaching in the city.  This geocache was supposed to be somewhere on the old VW Bus in this photo, but alas, it was gone. So we played with Nica and gazed across the water at the volcanoes instead.

We enjoyed this down-time in Puerto Varas and the medical care we received in Puerto Montt.  But staying still for so long is hard for us.  We were ready to move onward through Chile.

Be sure that you are signed up to “follow us” so you receive these updates in your email.  Our next stop is a little bit spooky and strange.  Are you ready?