For our ultimate chilean expedition, my cohort and I travelled down to southern Chile to the city of Pucon. As has been all of Chile, it was breathtakingly beautiful. As soon as we approached the city, we were greeted by a snow glazed active volcano, one of the most prominent in the world.
We also went on several hikes through the wilderness of the national park of Pucon. We were able to get several beautiful lookouts over the mountain ranges and lakes of the area.
The isolated and secluded aspect of hiking through nature was very intriguing and peaceful. Once again, I was completely present in the moment of time and beauty happening around me, which gave me the focus to truly appreciate the peculiarity of nature. I did not have thoughts of the past or anxieties of the future, only the tranquility of the present.
One of the coolest landforms we got to see were waterfalls. I recall the calming sound of heaps of water striking the rocks below, and it sounded like the audio recordings I have heard all of my life of “natural sounds”, but this time it was real. It was genuine. It was right in front of me.
These treks through the forest definitely expanded my already growing appreciation for nature, but it also helped me understand how people come to love these journeys. The seclusion along with the beautiful presentations you find have a very unique ambience to them.