Head to hills and the cooler weather...

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Well we managed to sucessfully aquire tickets for us and our bikes for the very long bus ride to Bariloche. Although it was a bit confusing , checking in our bikes at a special location hours before our departure like we thought they asked and then having to get everything upstairs and check them on to the bus ourselves minutes before we left was all very confusing and exhausting. So obviously some of the finer details are still a mystery to us.
The 22 hour ride wasn´t actually too bad, a bit like first class airplane seats and we actually managed to sleep! We did see a fair bit of Argentina and discoverred it's a massive barran wasteland, according to Phil just like the dessert road back home but enormous.
Bariloche is muy frio - very cold, after the heat wave of Beunos Aires, apparent temps have been hitting 40 there! It´s a cute town - comparisons to Queenstown and the Swiss Alps are probably quite generous for the city, but the surrounds are wild and mountainous with a big grey lake that up to today has been filled with white caps of raging horses! We are looking forward to jumping on our bikes and exploring today, we have a fantastic trail map that would make you drawl with envy Rob.
Getting our accomodation was an adventure in itself: we seem to have aquired a Cabaña (translates as hut or cabin but discovered is more like a flash appartment) that a family seems to rent privately. It´s been great up to today - our agua caliente (hot water) has all but dissapearred. Phil just had a horrendous experience trying to call someone to get it fixed. They speak very fast on the phone!
Communicating with Santiago (the owner) has veen very tiresome work, he speaks no english and wanted to tell us everything 3 times or more. El lago is muy muy lindo (the lake is very very beautiful) seemed to be his favourite scentence that we could decifer.
Yesterday we had our first spanish lesson here which was super, so much easier in context. And we can only hope that with a weeks worth we improve heaps! It´s a crazy frustrating experience not being able to communicate easily, all the amusing blank stares we must be giving as people repeat things for the uptenth time thinking we might magically suddenly understand! Last night we also had a salsa lesson, we didn´t understand a thing but had many laughs and Phil has a bit of practice to do!
Right time to head off for a ride!

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Photos

Boca
Should be in our previous entry, but no trip to BA is complete without photos of Boca, home to Diego Maradona´s team, Boca Jnrs.