Pucon to Bariloche, the next stamp !

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Finally, some time to sit down and try to update y´all with what´s ging on over here. Maybe also an excuse to stay out of 30+ degree heat here in Ipanema beach (Brazil already).

It´ll be interesting for both of us as well, to see how much good and bad we can remember in our post-Rio-Carnaval state of (blurry) mind. Anyway, here goes.....


Leaving Pucon with some mixed feelings, and via a dirt road, heading towards the border with Argentina. For some reason these 2 countries like each other so much that they don´t bother paving the roads into the neighbouring country. Either way, it was also a first passage for us across the mighty southern Andes, and the views were quite spectacular.

Border crossing was ok for most of us, and we all made it across smoothly. Smack! Another 2 stamps in our passports!

The democratic choice was for the winding road towards San Carlos de Bariloche, taking in as many splendid lake views as we could.

San Carlos seemed to be a twin city of Pucon, maybe a bit more hilly, but also geared towards outdoor and ski activities. Also, geared towards peeping in your wallet.

We took some time of for leisure, and also sleeping in, as some of us were struggeling with sommache bugs and the likes. An impromptu Argie BBQ didn´t help, if only for the fact that we were smoked like trout prior to the meat actually being thrown onto the barbie.

We all jumped on a river cruise, which promised to be a relaxing day joined with mother nature. From all the lake views we´d seen, this promised to be a great day.... if it weren´t for the fact that there were more than 5 cruise ships out there, each with more than a 100 Argie tourists on them, and most not really interested in the views or nature, but mainly for feeding the seaguls by hand.....

There was a short stop on a first island where people could walk a wooden causeway through the forrest of very strange thin and rusty red trees. I´d say the main reason for anyone building the wood slated path wasn´t preserving nature, but more making sure that 200 tourists would be back on board in under 45 minutes.....

So needless to say, by the second island, we veered away from the group (ok, ran), in wat later turned out to be a private path. Anyways, we´d all agree that it was the better views (including bush pigs), and the ´official´ path turned out to be a 30 min roundtrip, so hardly exciting for some of the experienced hikers amongst us.

The views were very beatifull though, very exciting, and the hot chocolate in the cafe was very strong (had to remind the lady to add milk.... lots of it).

Becoming part of the ´hearding´ of 3 boat loads of tourists was a bit too much for us to finish it all of.....

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