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Published: March 7th 2006
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endless panoramic backdrops
everywhere you turn, another body of water is glistening in the sun, framed with cascading mountain ranges in the distance...they all make me look like a fabulous photographer :) Hello family and friends...sorry about the delay in the blogs, but i've finally been able to upload pics and spend some time recounting the past few weeks. hope you enjoy and big kisses to all!
xox
a
After Rio, i decided to take the remainder of February to work my way over to western Argentina and then down south to Patagonia. The first stop was San Carlos de Bariloche, a popular and gorgeous Argentinian town of 120,000 nestled into the national Parque de Nahuel Huapi in the heart of Argentina's Lake District.
Appropriately named, the Lake District is an area of Argentina most often compared to the European Alps or the Californian Sierra Nevada. Marking an area in the middle/western part of the country and shared with Chile by way of the Andes, the lake district offers an abundance of glistening bodies of water, majestic mountain ranges, lush forests, and fresh Andean air.
Bariloche is a popular tourist and vacation destination for argentinians, with skiers gravitating there in the winter months to take advantage of world class runs. However, i think its just as popular in the summer months, due to a range of activities that will keep
view from la morada
this was the view from my bed at la morada...without lifting my head from the pillow! you busy for weeks, including: hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, paragliding, fishing, boating, camping, and rafting. I was also told that February and March offer some of the nicest months during the year to visit, as there is less rain and less wind. I experienced 10 days of straight sun with gentle breezes, so the information held true for February at least 😉
I decided to stay for the first 4 or 5 days in a hostel called La Morada. La Morada is a 10-15 minute trip outside of the center of town (located at Km7) and accessible either by a 4x4 (the preferred mode of transport) or for those feeling a little more energetic, a 20-30 minute "hike" (crawl or fall, as i came to affectionately call it...) up/down a steep trail that follows the cerro lopez route (an electronic ski-chair lift, which is a popular tourist attraction due to the views from the top) Regardless of how you actually get to La Morada, once there it immediately all slips away, as you take in the awe-inspiring, panoramic vistas. The noise of the city is replaced by the subtle breezes grazing your cheek, the sun showering the glass-like
a bike excursion around "el circutio"
i have to admit that towards the end i was getting off and walking up the hills, but a great way to see the area and spend the day sprawl of Lake Huapi, and the calming and seemingly palpable "silence" of mother nature. it's definitely worth the trip and a "don't miss" for anyone planning a visit. the staff is very friendly and the lodge carries a warm and friend family atmosphere.
the rest of my days were filled with hiking excursions, lots of reading, journaling, and attempts at cooking (you have to "pack in" food, creating a fun and bonding atmosphere with the other guests each night as everyone shares their days experiences over big meals...i say "attempt" because i am still struggling to depart from the 'add hot water and mix concoctions' 😊.
I would also recommend the 40K (ish) bike ride around the "Circuito Chico", a popular route around the surrounding lakes and mountains that takes you by the famous Hotel Llao Llao, tons of bubbling brooks and streams, inviting beaches, and through the cute town of Colonia Suiza.
One exhilarating day was also spent cascading up and down the mountain ranges with my very trusty and well behaved new best friend "Juanita". We've all probably experienced some form of horse back riding excursions before...whether on the beaches of southern California or Mexico...or
maybe even at camp. this was more akin to a part III of City Slickers, staged in the foothills of the Andes. these were not one way beach rentals, but very energetic and responsive mares who expertly picked and galloped their way up and down steep, rocky, bushy, tree thorned paths...providing a day longs journey across the mountain range, past gorgeous lookouts, a spontaneous "melt in your mouth" steak lunch perched on the top of a rock towering the lake, three river "forges", and a much needed afternoon detour to a small beach for a quick 30 minute dip in the lake (cold, but oh so refreshing...that and about 4 showers finally got all the soot and dust out of ears, eyes, and layers of skin :-) i guess nobody ever said that being a professional gaucho was an easy job....or a clean one! it took me about 3 days to recover, but it was a fabulous day and an excellent way to see bariloche and surrounding areas.
i spent the last part of the week in town at a hostel called Freedom and unfortunately experienced my first bout of travel sickness, so it kind of put a damper
on the rest of the activities and excursions....however, a few days of cipro (big fan) and about 72 hours of more or less straight sleep seemed to do the trick.
From bariloche i continued south to el calafate and the infamous torres del paine!
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rick castro
Great pictures!
The pictures are amazing.. sorry I missed it. I need to experience some holste cooking it sounds like!