Esquel
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Esquel,
Patagonia,
Argentina
Monday, September 15, 2008
Hola from Esquel.
We got a bus here on Saturday afternoon, arriving at 5pm and walking to our hostel. We were a little surprised when we walked in and found it crawling with kids. There was an Argentinian school skiing trip, which made the atmosphere a little different from the other places we have stayed.
We walked around on Saturday evening, before heading over to Casa Grande, our favourite restaurant in the whole world, which we have been looking forward to for the last three years. Paul had a steak and I had their lasagne, which was just as good as I remembered. We booked for the following night before we left, and also pre-ordered some wild boar, to give the chef time to get his shotgun out and catch one.
Yesterday we went to Trevelin, the Welsh town. We did pretty much the same as we did last time we were there, visiting the regional museum and looking up our names in the visitorsī book. We also had the compulsory Welsh tea comprising bread, butter, cheese, jam, scones, and ten pieces of cake. Most of the other people there had to take a doggy bag out, but Iīm proud to say that we didnīt need one.
We caught a bus back to Esquel, rather caked out, and looking forward to our wild piggy dinner. When we got to the restaurant we were shown to a nice table by the window, and offered a drink while our meat was being finished. It was a relief in a sense that they had chosen the accompaniments for us, so we didnīt have to make any decisions, just enjoy the food. The wild boar came as three steaks, each representing a different cut and tasting completely different. There was a cut that tasted of beef, one of the tenderest pork imaginable, and a third that tasted just like suckling pig. Highly recommended.
This morning we packed and checked out of our rooms, and then headed up a local mountain called Cerro La Cruz, where there is a large cross on the mountain top and a panoramic view of the town. We didnīt realise quite how high it was, or I donīt think we would have attempted it, especially without food or even a bottle of water, but we made it up in just over an hour. From the top the town looked tiny and you couldnīt hear a sound from below. All around were the Andes, and it made me realise just how big Patagonian landscapes are. When you are in the town you feel that there is civilisation all around you, like at home, but when you see it from above you can see that that is just a tiny island in a big ocean of wilderness.
When we got back down we made ourselves some lunch in the hostel, and we are now waiting to catch our bus tonight to go to Puerto Madryn.
Will write again soon.
