Byron Bay – Upper Intermediate Writing from Joaquin – 10 July 20

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Where is YOUR favourite holiday destination?!  

In Upper Intermediate this week with Kristy, students wrote a blog post describing a favourite holiday.  To make the writing more interesting they used adjectives like: mind-blowing, awe-inspiring, out of this world, totally unforgettable etc.  Read Joaquin’s absolutely fabulous trip around Patagonia, Chile!  

Discovering the Carretera Austra, Chile

A few years ago,  with 3 musician friends, we decided to go on an amazing trip in the south of Chile. The idea was to travel the entire “Austral Road”, starting in Chiloé and finishing the trip in “Caleta Tortel”, a small town without cars, and all the streets are bridges that connect the city.

We did the trip in summer, because the weather in winter is too cold and it rains most days. First we met on the big island of Chiloe to take the ferry, we had a long trip for 30 hours but it was absolutely fabulous, the views were breathtaking. We toured the channels that formed between the mainland and the thousands of navy islands. We saw a lot of birds, dolphins, and the nature was totally pure..

After 30 hours we arrived to “Chacabuco port”, to try to get to Coyahique the same day. We didn’t have a car, and for the whole trip we did hitchhiking. Finally we got to the city and a very good friend was waiting for us with an unforgettable barbecue and drinks.

Next day we continued the trip to Mañihuales, a beautiful river next to a huge mountain. And we were very lucky because we went during the season when the salmon started to swim upstream, and that was an amazing show. The idea was to stay one night there, but the place was so magical and finally we stayed 4 nights. We spent the time swimming and playing music for many hours.

After that, we went to Castle hill, and we walked for around 7 hours to get close to the top of the hill to see a mind-blowing lake with the water absolutely crystal clear. We slept next to the lake one night, but it was an uncomfortable night because it was very cold. But it didn’t matter because the next day, the sunrise was extremely out of this world. I will never forget that moment. The opportunity to see the sun coming out from the top of a big hill and seeing the whole valley as it was illuminated by the first rays of the sun is something that you can’t forget.

We finished this trip at “Caleta Tortel”, in an awe-inspiring park created by Douglas Tompkins. He worked many years of his life in the preservation of the forests of the south of Chile. This park was so beautiful, everything was clean, and had a lot of gardens, fruit trees and also it is next to the ocean. On the last day of the trip I went to fish at the beach and I fished enough fish to have a delicious dinner that night… the best way to say goodbye to this absolutely unforgettable landscape.

The most important thing in this trip was the people and music. The people of Patagonia have a very special energy, they are very kind, and they also have different ways to live; they are never in a hurry. Actually they have a phrase that identifies Patagonia and its culture: people who hurry in Patagonia waste their time.

On the other hand the music accompanied us the whole trip. We played music every day and every moment with my friends.. the mix between nature, music and a magical culture, made this trip an extraordinary experience.

Joaquin Brahm

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Learn English in Byron Bay. Lexis English students study General English, IELTS, FCE, CAE, and English plus Surfing and Yoga in a friendly and professional school right in the heart of Byron Bay and only 15 minutes from the beach.

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