So - Bariloche - what´s it got that other places haven´t? An enormous crystal clear, snow-melt fed lake, lots of mountains with the prospect of skiing in the winter or mountain biking in the summer, beaches (albeit rocky and a little chilly), curranto (we´ll come back to that), chocolate shops, locally brewed beer, crazy Swiss ´alpine´ villages, Oliver Reid lookalikes (OK only one), a friendly laid back language school, good cheeses, empanadas, good wine and a generally relaxed, if a bit touristy, vibe. We started with a 3-day walk in the mountains via Cerro Cathedral and some very sketchy scree slopes. The first night we got to camp alone in the woods. On the second day we walked through some unlikely, but very picturesque bamboo and lily lined trails. We diced with death (OK not really)
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