A brave group of CTIO employees decided in 1990 to take a trip to the beautiful verdent fields and volcanos of southern Chile. Having advertized the trip in the US Embassy newsletter, we also attracted the attention of the US Embassador to Chile who would not be allowed to take the trip unguarded. This river winds its way past several active volcanos from two lakes high in the Andes down and out to the ocean at the city of Concepcion. We enjoyed the heated waters at the Termas de Manzanar and the araucaria pines which stand high like tall umbrellas. The first few days were gentle rapids which gave us a taste for the cold water. We feasted well in the cool evenings, and enjoyed the world class Chilean wine we all loved. As the rapids intensified, we hung on and only one person fell out of a raft with a guide. We relaxed in a few places and hiked to breathtaking views of the river and valley. Many of these pictures were taken by Steve Heathcote, some by me during the trip on the BioBio River.

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