I Went Chasing Waterfalls

Contrary to TLC's popular advice, I went chasing waterfalls! 

More specifically, I finally made it to 27 Charcos, about a 45 min. drive from Santiago, after missing numerous opportunities to go on account of travel. My fellow chasers were (L to R) Grant Manor (a recent Concordia University Chicago grad serving for one month as a short-term accountant while he solidifies his future plans and job hunts) and GEO missionaries Johanna and James. This is the only picture since anything on your person will get wet! Shameless plug: Chacos were made for this. Best. Investment. Ever. I'll describe the experience below, but you'll have to rely on the website for visuals. 

After paying the entrance fee and stowing our belongings in the car, we were outfitted with life jackets and helmets. Conveniently, the park has zip ties for securing car (or locker) keys. Disposable water bottles in hand, we joined our guide and the rest of our group (the park is a popular resort and cruise excursion) for the hike up. I use the term "hike" loosely; it's a man-made trail the entire way, with frequent pauses to keep everyone together. Lots of stairs. Half an hour or so later, we were ready for what we came for: the descent. Some of the falls are legit plunges from rock ledges or wooden platforms several meters up into water several meters deep; others are subtler to the point that I lost count midway through. Each fall also has a way to walk down for less adventurous types, and some have natural slides instead of or in addition to the jumps. You swim/wade/walk between them depending on the terrain. 

The water was cool and refreshing at first, but the entire trek is wooded (read: shady), so I got chilled toward the end. Speaking of the end, another, mostly flat, "hike" of about ten minutes took us back to the visitors' center, where we ate lunch at the buffet-style cafeteria. 

Due to drought conditions, only 12 of the falls were accessible. Boo! Even still, I loved it and obviously need to go back and do all 27. Come visit, and I'll take you! 

Until next time, blessings!