Hot Springs and Rafting

Yesterday morning, we took it easy. Slept in and got a huge brunch with some coffee. We then packed up our stuff for the day and walked to the tour office. Our ride was there to pick us up at 12:30 for a 2 hr bus trip to the famous Geometric Hot Springs. As we got closer, the green peaks and forest looked more and more like Hawaii. The drive proceeded through several curvy mountain roads, which did not sit too well with Hunter. Not to mention, the driver was pretty much a Chilean Vin Diesel, which did not help the situation. Without any major incidents, we arrived, and were very happy to find the weather to be brisk and sunny.

The springs are laid out across the bottom of a canyon next to a natural glacial river. The name comes from the geometric shapes of the 28 different pools (with varying temperature) and the configuration of the wooden walkways. Amidst the warm pools were two natural waterfalls, which served as the cooling relief of the springs. Needless to say, these were absolutely freezing, nearly 6 degrees C, but helped us with our hot-cold recovery treatment. The hottest pool was at a staggering 45 degree C and had a small trickle of unmixed natural hot spring water flowing into it. There was only one rock-constructed chair in this pool for the few brave souls.

It was incredible to see how the architects had designed each pool to be built into the floor or walls of the canyon. They had also built lockers, changing rooms, and a café with food and refreshments. We started at the very top of the compound near the largest cold waterfall. From there, we worked our way back to the entrance, trying several pools. Finally, we ended with a few dunks into the second cold waterfall followed by the hot pool next to it. The crowds were very sparse as well. Overall, coolest hot springs I have ever been to.

We took the bus ride back and got the same pizza again next door to the tour office. Cheap, reliable, and yummy.

Today, we got back to the tour office around 11:30 for our rafting trip. Pablo, our guide, picked us up and took us to their equipment building where we geared up and hitched the raft trailer onto the van. Along with our raft and guide, a safety guide would paddled a kayak alongside us for the duration of the trip (if this tells you anything about the rapids coming up). We were a group of four passengers, Hunter and I at the front and a mother-daughter pair behind us (it was their first time). Pablo told us that this part of the river is actually closed during the winter because the water can rise over 3m from where it currently was.

Let’s just say, out of all the rafting I have done in Colorado, this was definitely the most extreme and unique. Not only were the rapids massive, long, and hard to maneuver through, the river was also very low as it was the end of the season, exposing even more obstacles. One of the rapids had a 4m drop which got the blood pumping for sure. Thankfully, before the rapids began, Pablo gave us a complete run through on all rafting commands and safety movements. The extent of his instruction was also an indication of the magnitude of the rapids.

At one point, we literally had to get out of the raft because one of the rapids coming up was too large for us to cross (a massive class 5). As we walked along the edge of the river, we could see the rapid and man was I glad we did not attempt it. There was actually a kayaking competition going on while we were in the river, so there were many spectators around and several competitors taking on the massive rapid. To get back into the raft, we had to cliff-jump off a rocky edge on the side of the river back into the water. It was at least 20 ft high, and after we jumped, we had to swim to the edge and climb back into the raft before the next rapid started. Adrenaline rush for sure. What I found impressive was the 70-year-old woman in our raft. She was a trooper, paddling through these rapids, walking through the forest, and getting thrashed around, all with a huge smile and lots of spirit.

Overall, we went through 6 major rapids over 8km of river. Pablo was an amazing guide and did not miss a beat when it came to instruction, guiding the raft, and adding some humor. We had no highsides and no one got thrown out. The company even included some free gopro vids for us, granted that I could advertise their company on the blog. At the very end, we jumped out of the raft and swam to the beach where we exited the river. Even with a wetsuit, the water was frigid. Overall, incredible experience with amazing people.

These activities the past few days have been some of the best of the whole trip. What’s even crazier is that they are all probably worth at least 3x what we paid. After we got back, we got some more pizza, pisco sour pre-mixed drinks, and relaxed. Tomorrow, we will wake up early for our flights to San Pedro, a desert town North of Santiago, where we will stay for 4 nights. After that, it’s back to Denver for me! Hunter will move on to Ecuador for some extra Spanish practice at a school. After unpacking and repacking my bags multiple times over the last 6 months, I must say, I am excited to get back to a more settled life for a bit. However, I’m sure I’ll be regretting those words 3 weeks into a job.