Despite feeling like I'd not slept on the 23 hour bus ride from buenos aires to Bariloche, as soon as we arrived in the little bus terminal there was definitely a different feel about the place. And not just the freezing cold wind biting at me as I stood there in my shorts and flip flops (when you're on a bus for 23 hours you forget how vast the change in climate can be) it just immediately felt friendly.
I'd picked a hostel 7k out of town and when we finally arrived it was amazing. A cosy chalet (Bariloche is a ski resort in winter) with a huge kitchen, a big soft bed and piping hot radiators. I wanted to lie in bed and hibernate for a week, needless to say Greg pretty much did. Our host Naty and javi were really cool and gave us the low down on the area. If you know us at all you'll know we aren't hiking types, a stroll round dulwich park is as adventurous as it gets, yet after all the lights and big cities I felt up for a bit of country air. Only trouble was the ash from the persistent eruptions of the chilean volcano meant that Bariloche's amazing views and snow topped mountains were just hazy silhouettes at best, but we were advised to hold out for rain after which the sky clears. The ash also made walking down the road not so pleasant as the cars kick up mini ash clouds if their own causing you a dry mouth and grit in your eyes. Ok doesn't sound great, but we knew to expect this and weren't going to let it spoil our time here.
So the next morning we ventured out with our mapped out route of some nearby lakes and view points. The day wasn't too bad on the ash front and the views of the snowy mountains and lakes were gorgeous, especially as everything green was dusted with bright yellow gorse. After our packed lunch next to one such lake, Greg decided we should make the walk back more interesting by going home a different way, it looked do-able on the map, but Naty hadn't mentioned it. I was game so off we went. Now this route did have a little blue line in the middle of it, Greg had a assumed a trickle of water. It turned out to be a massive river.... After 2.5 hours of walking to get to this point from our original route, I was not in the mood for turning back. So we decided to follow the river to it's mouth at the lake where we thought the water might slow a little. It didn't. Our search for the mouth led us into a forest, not exactly a made out path. After a few failed attempts at trying to cross the river, and with soaking wet freezing cold feet we decided it was time to admit defeat and go back to the road which the map showed a bridge 4k up, and another 5k to the main road with buses. I was already exhausted, we had in total already done 10k. Then came our next problem, where was the road?The forest had loads of little footpaths and we couldn't remember which ones we'd come down, the missing persons report / Blair witch project crossed my mind. After an hour or so we finally found the road by climbing up a really steep cliff, imagine how I felt knowing we still had 9k infront of us. We made it, just. This proves what inexperienced hikers we are, and we aren't planning on trying it again in the near future! Although the beer and shower felt amazing that evening.
Funnily enough we decided to do nothing the following day, apart from stroke saint bernards and sample the famous local chocolate. But for some bizarre reason ( I think an alien may have taken over my mind) the next day we hired mountain bikes for a circular 25k ride through the mountains. Now I haven't ridden a bike since I was 12ish.... Why the hell do you need 21 gears!! It's so confusing, and really dangerous, I had to keep checking down at them working out how to change them. Pointless. Not to mention turning corners and the saddle, why do they make it so painful?? It's not exactly motivation to get back on. I had to keep getting off to get up the hills, but getting down them was fun. Not sure I want to get on one again for another 17 years, or at least till they've invented sofa seats. It was brilliant though, even the bit when it started raining and the mud was going in my mouth, my hands nearly fell off with cold and my trousers were dripping wet. That was the fun bit. And of course the views were great.
After all the activity we decided to get the chairlift up to cerro campinario, the peak of a mountain the following day as it was fairly clear of ash. Us and about 4 other people. It was so peaceful and quiet, 360 degree mountains and lakes. Perfect end to our visit to Bariloche.
So all in all our experience of Argentina was improving. People seemed so much friendlier in the south, so we thought we'd go a bit further.
Our next stop was el bolson, 2hrs further south into Patagonia to meet Kate and Steph...
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