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[[Archivo:Piniones4.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Greater Patagonian Trail Section 6: Eating piñiones. Image: Jan Dudeck]]
[[Archivo:GPT14-MakingBreadAndPizza.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Our way of baking fresh bread and pizza. Image: Jan Dudeck]]
===Tourist Visa===
As a non-Chilean tourist with a regular tourist visa you can stay up to 90 days in Chile. With an [[#Expected Duration|estimated duration]] of 90 to 120 days it is possible to complete the entire trail in 90 days but leaves little margin for rest breaks or weather related delays.
The easiest way to renew your visa is travelling to Argentina before completing your 90 days and return a few days later to Chile. On re-entry you will normally be granted another 90 days. Such a visa trip can be combined with a resupply stop in a nearby town.
Recommendable visa trips are:
* Section 9: From Curarrehue in Chile to Junin de Los Andes or San Martin de Los Andes in Argentina
* Section 13: From Osorno in Chile to San Carlos de Bariloche in Argentina
If doing the packraft sections 11 to 16 first you will cross the border from Chile to Argentina on food at the end of the last section and renew your turist visa when returning to Chile. This will give you enough time to hike sections 1 to 10 in a comfortable pace.
If you insist in not taking any bus or motorized vehicle during the entire trek you have three options:
* You hurry up to reach the finish of the Greater Patagonian Trail in Argentina within 90 days counted from your arrival in Chile.
* You can walk on food from Icalma in Chile to Villa Pehuenia and back (Section 8, 16 km one way).
* You request an turist visa extension in Chile.
===Importation of Food===
On section 5 to 10 you will cross the Araucania region with plenty of impressive Araucaria trees, that are ancient evergreen coniferous trees. What we liked on these living fossiles were not just the imposing figure, but the nutritious female sead cones that are rich in carbohydrates. These fruites or "piñones" were the main staple food for the indigious Pehuenche people and they teached us how to harvest and prepare them. You can gather these Araucaria "piñoes" between February and April.
===Recommended Traditional Food===This is not a listing of all the standard trekking foods like pasta and cereals. If you attempt this long distance trail you should know all this by heartand don't need to be bored with repeating all this. This section lists and describes a few selected items traditional foods that are not commonly known typical for this region but frequently consumed hereless known outside or named differently.
'''Harina Tostada''' is toasted ground wheat. It comes as a brownish powder and tasts like corn flakes but it needs to be mixed first with a liquid to eat. The most comon is mixing with water but also beer, wine or juice can be used. Also sugar may be added if mixed with whater. Depending on the mixing ratio it will be a thick paste or completely liquid. Try yourself and find out how you like it most, it's the perfect trekking food. See the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gofio wikipedia article] for more information to this versatile staple food.
'''Yerba Mata''' is a energizing coffein-rich hot trink. You fill about half a cup with the tee-like "yerba", pour hot water over it and trink it with a special straw that acts at the same as an filter. This staw is called "bombilla". You can pour again and again water over it to keep trinking. Sharing mate with other people is a common ritual in these region. You will certainly be offered this rather bitter drink when you meet and chat with the locals. See also the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mate_%28beverage%29 wikipedia article to Mate] for more information.
'''Sopapilla''' to be issued.
==Recommended Equipment==
