Saying good bye to Bariloche and the Lake Area

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After two wonderful months of amazing scenery, challenging hikes, great spanish classes and plenty of chocolate and ice cream, we finally had to say good bye to Bariloche, so that we have some time left for the North of Argentina. Our final 12 days were spent hiking some more in beautiful Fall scenery and watching the weather changes as winter approaches. We revisited some of our former hikes and were amazed by nature's transformations. The days became foggy and windy, the mountains were covered with fresh snow and we were so lucky - in our last day it finally snowed in a hill we could reach easily and the boys finally touched snow! They, as you will read soon, also were lucky to fly above the trees in a canopy experience:

Amit: "Twist and Turn.
Today we did ‘canopy’. What is canopy? It is a wonderful sensation of gliding through the wind. Your legs are strapped to a wire by buckle as you glide to the next platform. The wind is whipping at your side, your dream of flying has come true. But sometimes you stop too early and have to pull yourself to the platform. But enough of that, let us fly like the wind.
Snow Makes a Snowman
Today, at last, we got snowballs on our faces and the lovely flavor of snow in our mouths. On May 7th, we felt, touched, and tasted our first snow in Bariloche. When my mom first suggested we go up to Cerro Otto I was so in hope of seeing snow. It was a wonderful sensation of making my brother angry because a snowball hit his face. "

Shakked:
“On return to Bariloche, we decided to do the Canopy excursion. We drove to the starting point in our rental car. There, we donned special harnesses, and were shown how to do the canopy. After that, we were bundled into a jeep and were driven up a steep and bumpy road. At the top, we got out and put on helmets and gloves. We, with our two guides, walked to a platform on a huge tree. We climbed a huge ramp of dirt to the platform. I looked down at the dizzying drop to the forest floor, far below me. Well, I thought, let’s hope these harnesses will hold. A long metal rope stretched from our platform to another platform on a tree about fifty yards away. One by one, we were strapped into the rope and sent whizzing off into space. It was a truly peculiar sensation. As the trees morphed to a green-and-brown blur, and he wind whistled in my ears, I felt an uplifting, light-headed feeling. I felt like I was flying! We did this eight more times to different trees, and returned home.
On our last day in Bariloche, it snowed on Cerro Otto. As a goodbye to this place, Amit, Ima, Maytal, and I ascended the mountain on the cable car. It was as though the place had completely changed since our last visit. There was the dusty hill we climbed - no longer dusty, it was covered with snow. There was the dirt path with the amazing view. As we walked along it, we sank up to our ankles in soft white powder. But most astounding were the surrounding mountains. Where was the reddish-brown dirt? Where were the stunted trees? In their place was white, white, white dazzling white, blinding white. Amit and I had a snowball fight. Before we went down the baby carrier Ima used to carry Maytal disappeared and we spent half an hour searching for it. We never found it."

We are now in Mendoza, where we switched ice cream for wine, but about this we will tell you next time...

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Comments

[Tal]

I guess it wasn't easy leaving such a beautiful area, All the pictures from the last monthes were astonishing. But from my point of view, I'm very happy knowing I will See my two very loved nephews in just less than a month (Oh, and my brother too)!!!

[Nesya, Amiel, Selilah]

Snow!
The colors of the trees were stunning, and we were glad you got to have your snow ball fight. But we were surprised that, after all those dips in freezing lakes, Maytal wasn't ready for a touch of snow. Oh, well, at least she will get to return to the tropics soon. Nesya wishes she was there with you because you sound like you had a great adventure.