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Arriving into Santiago four hours before departing and without getting any sleep on the plane wasn´t too bad, though all those long days with over night strikes for Dramsoc events probably helped. I spent a couple of days looking around the city and one relaxing before starting my journey south.
I found out about a company that offers a twice weekly “hop off hop on” service with an english speaking guide so as I don´t speak mach/any spanish I have abandoned the method of getting myself between places using public transport and decided to use this service. The route is a seven day route visiting Pichilemu, Santa Cruz, Pucon, Valdiva, Peurto Montt, Peurto Varas, Saltos del Laja as well as a few other towns en route. I have currently stopped off at pucon and will rejoin the next bus in a couple of days, and will probably do another stop off later on.
Not speaking spanish has been a bit of an issue, but I have been able to get by. Unfortunately I don´t think that this will be the case in some of the places later on in the trip.

A bit like white water rafting but not much. Until I was in Queenstown about three weeks ago I had never heard of white water sledging, or its other name hydrospeed. Yesterday I took the opertunity to have a go on the Kawarau River between Wanaka and Queenstown with Frogz. Suited up in a nice thick wet suit and wearing flippers you hold on to a sledge which goes under your upper body and then float down the river through the rapids.
I have now moved on to Franz Josef where I am going to be doing a guided glacier walk tomorrow. Despite being only a short distance from Mt Cook, again it has taken me a couple of days to get here due to the mountains being in the way for a direct route.

Yesterday I took the bus from Oamaru to Mt Cook Village. Unfortunately the views on the way and upon arrival were not that great as it was raining. Luckily the forcast for it to start clearing in the evening, and then to clear completely today. So thismorning I got up went and hired some walking boots, and set off to walk the Mueller Hut Route. The walk took less time than in the description with me taking 2h40 for the climb up, and 2h15 for the return journey.
As forcast it had cleared up but not completely. Despite this there were still some great views, although the cloud surrounded Mt Cook for almost the entire day with it only clearing once I was about 5 mins from finnishing the walk.
Hopefully it will stay nice and clear tomorrow and I can find another great walk to do.