Before arriving in Puerto Montt multiple people warned me about the lack of security and  general safety in the city. (Of course I only hear all this the day or two before I get there) Therefor arriving into the train station, at eleven o’clock at night, without any idea of where I was going to stay or how to get there was not my idea of a good situation. 

Let me explain. I had planned to find a place to stay while in Chaiten. However, my “short” hike up a volcanoe and my rushed morning meant that I wasn’t able to actually find a place to stay in Puerto Montt. Then I orginally thought the boat I took out of Chaiten was going to Puerto Montt which meant I would arrive in the morning with plenty of time to find a place. Once I learned my boat was in fact going to Quellon and NOT Puerto Montt I logically assumed I would be able to find wifi in the town to quickly book a place. When I wasn’t able to find any wifi I started to mentally prepare myself for the worst possible situation (arriving into the train station of a not-so-safe town, at eleven o’clock at night, without any idea of where I was going to stay or how to get there). However I was still clinging to the hope of arriving with daylight left….until there wasn’t actually any day light left. 

Had something like this happened earlier on in my trip I would not have been able to handle it. Thankfully if travel is taught me anything, I have learned to take things in stride. As long as I keep my head, there is a way out of every situation. 

So once the bus pulled into the terminal, I got out and went to look for a map of the city. (While driving into the bus station I kept an eye out for hostels; worse case scenario I could walk to one of those) Thankfully, I didn’t have to do any of that. Upon entering the building and walking over to booth labeled “hostels” a woman approached me. She asked if I was looking for some information and a place to stay. She had her own hospedaje which, lucky me, had an open bed. So I got in her car and within the hour was laying in my clean and sleepy. 

The rest of my time in Puerto Montt was spent walking around downtown and getting caught up on my planning/communications/ blog. 

After two night it was off to Santiago!