Adios Amigos

06-03-14

01 Lago Cara

This is the end of my south american leg. I'm quite sad to be leaving, but you never know what lies ahead. People have been so great out here and I've made a lot of great friends. Hopefully I'll be able to return the hospitality someday in Ireland. It doesn't help that I've had such a good time over the last few months. I've been in Patagonia so long it's starting to feel like home. When I got the plane back form the Carnaval in Rio it really felt the same as touching down in Belfast. My wee car as waiting for me at the airport and I really felt I was back in my home patch as I zipped along the road back to the lakes. But the weather is starting to change here so I guess I've had the best of it. The days are getting shorter and colder. Pat and myself had some more excellent fishing all the back up to Coyhiaque, and got caught short a bit by the autumn/winter weather. I can honestly say that by the time we parted company I had eaten enough trout to do me for a month.

02 Camping out at Lago Cara

Back in Bariloche it was hard believe it was the same town that I left 3 months earlier. Too cold and wet for the summer, not enough snow for the winter. Still the weather let up a bit on my last day so I got a chance to float down the Rio Manso. What a river. Maybe I've learnt a bit from Pat too. I know I'd really love to come back here again for another 5 months.

On my last night I treated myself to a farewell meal at one of Bariloches finest slaughterhouses. I ordered the Parilla for one, which means you just keep gorging till you can't get any more meat down. They start off bringing you all the odd little bits of animal, all the internal organs and stuff, and then end up with the big juicy chunky cuts of beef and lamb. Even though I've been here for so long it still amazes me how little a really fantastic meal costs.

03 Rain on Lago Cara

I managed to get a photo of my little car as my bus pulled out of the terminal. Amazingly I didn't have to pay a penny more for any of the damage the little fella had picked up. I'd broken the windscreen, both headlights, handbrake, boot, battery, oil sump, side trim, etc. We'd travelled 14000km together and I felt we'd grown quite close. I hope the next owner took as good care of him as me. Adios amigos.

04 Don't cry for me Argentina