Bariloche
Trip Start
Aug 19, 2008
1
6
15
Trip End
Oct 04, 2008
Bariloche,
Argentina
Friday, September 5, 2008
There was a snowstorm the day before we arrived, so we had some uncertainty about whether our plane would fly, but then we were greeting by beautiful chocolate-box Andes and some very cold weather after being so hot in the north.
Our hostel is very well heated, which is very welcome, and we had a nice room for the first couple of nights (by accident as there was a mess-up with the booking, so they had to give us a nicer room than we paid for) but we are back in a tiny room again now.
The first night we celebrated being back in the city by going to the cinema, it being bargain night.
On Wednesday we spent much of the day getting information about treks and things to do, and sorting out our final flight for the end of our trip. For lunch we walked slightly out of town to a restaurant frequented by locals, and had enormous milanesas (veal cutlets) swimming in a sea of tomato sauce, cheese and ham, as recommended by one of the afore mentioned locals. We finished off this feast by having an afternoon snack of hot chocolate and churros in a cafe.
Yesterday we had to make amends by cycling the Circuito Chico, a rather gruelling (I thought so anyway) bike ride. We rented mountain bikes and spent four hours going up and down hills. Paul cycled all of it, but I must admit I was pushing the bike and myself up quite a lot of it.
After about an hour we came across a truck pulling a lomito shack and containing a big St Bernard dog stuck in the ice. We stopped and helped dig them out. They were very grateful and gave us a couple of glasses of home made liqueur made from raspberry and elderberry, and also a couple of big cubanos, rolled wafers filled with chocolate and dulce de leche.
An hour later disaster struck and I got a flat tyre. Luckily a good samaritan was passing in the form of an American with cycle repair expertise, who helped us fix it. It went flat again towards the end, but by that time we had finished the 30 kilometres or whatever it was, and were very glad to return the bikes and enjoy a cup of tea and cake.
More next time...
