Mmmmmmmm Chocolate

After a long overnight bus journey and a 3 hour wait in a random bus station we finally arrived in a very warm and sunny Bariloche.  Once settled in at our hostel we went to have a look around making our way to the main street where we soon came across a giant purple chocolate shop which luckily had a cafe at the back so once we finished gauping at the rows and rows of chocolate we went for a drink.  Once we were refreshed we andered up and down the main street which was basically chocolate shop, sports shop, chocolate shop, sports shop, chocolate shop - marvellous.  That night we had trouble finding a visa restaurant (getting low on the old dinero now) but finally found one and had some nice fish (by water again).  Back at the hostel we met our American roomates and then hit the sack.

Ladies who do hot chocolate&baileys

A lie in the next day meant there wasn´t much left at breakfast, nice croissants though.  We headed to the bus station to book our bus back to Chile before catching a bus around the lake.  It was really sunny and very pretty with loads of pretty wooden buildings, lake and mountains in the background it looked a bit like Switzerland.  We got dropped off by a very large posh hotel and battled the wid blowing dust in our faces to reach the lake.  We went to suss out the boat trip to the lakes island but it was too expensive plus it was too windy and I didn´t have any Stugeron on me so we got the bus back to town.  We took some pictures by the lake but it was very windy and had lunch in the square which was a little more sheltered and had great views of the lake, there were some big St Bernard dogs in the square but they were not in the greatest of conditions and the guys were trying to make money off tourists by having a photo with them, I just wanted to rescue them and take them home.  We went to RapaNuis in search for a decent cup of tea and buying some choccies of course before doing further exploring alas when we came out it was chucking it down a complete turn around in the weather!!!  We went to pick up our photos that we put in earlier only to be told that they had a virus and had not been done, personally I think she was telling a porkie as we then put them in across road and there were no problems.  After buyig Sarah a new raincoat we went to pick up mine and went on the net as we waited to pick up our photos for the second time!!  After a bit more shopping we went to a Mexican for fajitas as I felt ready to eat them again after the Laos fiasco oh and the Corona was cheap too.

Ladies who lunch

The next morning we got up early for brekkie but alas it was still throwing it down.  We had breakfast with our American roomates and chatted for ages, also met a swiss couple who were cycling South America - crazy.  We all got ready and decided to spend the day together looking at the shops and eating chocolate (it´s a hard life).  So the 4 of us hit the main street looking in a few shops on the way until we hit a chocolate shop and went in for a hot chocolate.  Me, Sarah and Suzanne tried the chocolate with Baileys in alas you couldn´t taste the Baileys if there wasany actually in it at all!!!.  After rest number 1 we hit the shops again then went for an extremely yummy lunch at a place called the New Cowboy ye hah!!  Ince refreshed again we left the shops and went wandering by the lake quickly donning our hats and gloves as the wind was icy.  We wandered the streets a bit before going to the supermarket and fruit shop to replenish our water and snack supplies.  While the Americans had a siesta me and Sarah pacled as we were off early the next morning.  Once this was done we went downstairs and played the mini jenga which I picked up in Santiago and who should walk in but Canadian Michael that we met in Buenos Aires.  After a catch up we all decided to go out for a drink, the hostel man recommended a cerveceria.  As it was October it was Oktoberfest (think Munich) so we ordered a tray of shots of different beers that we all tried.  We all ended up ordering the special beer Oktoberfest except for Suzanne who was on the Vino who incidently started a bottle of red wine and finished it (the waitress informed us of this) but still charged her by glass, she didn´t seem to like Suzanne, evil waitress.  Mind you she did redeem herself by purposly coming up to us telling us it was happy hour and that we could have a free beer, it was downhill from then!!!!!!  We tried one of the other beers before going on the hut for food as Suzanne had a craving for Empanadas.  We didn´t find Empanadas but did find fondue unfortunately for me (Aimee) they had a cheese one so I had to have another damn beer!!  However a chocolate one was ordered after that and all was well.

Beer sampling

Sarah´s first fondue

More fondue!