Bariloche

Thought I´d update this before I pack for more travels tomorrow. We´ve just spent three nights in Bariloche and we could easily spend a few more - it´s absurdly beautiful here. The 12 -hour bus journey from Trelew was like a scenic tour in itself. Bariloche is perched by a beautiful lake and has the snow-capped Andes in the background. It´s a good thing fireworks are illegal here cos there´s so many Swiss chalet-style wooden buildings - and lots and lots of trees. There´s also an abundance of great restaurants (with Patagonian specialities including wild boar, lamb and trout) and a few really nice bars. Just when I thought the place couldn´t get any better, I find out it´s got the best chocolate and ice-cream in Argentina. There are chocolate shops all over the place. Clearly I should´ve come here AFTER the beach part of the trip (ie Brazil).

For the past two days we´ve been taking in the scenery. Yesterday we took una excursion to see the base of a breathtaking mountain that occasionally emits impressive thundery sounds (Monte Tronador). All the usual nature/scenic suspects - waterfalls, lakes, hills, trees, rainbow (just the one)...and also a huge patch of very strange black ice (which I still might not believe is actually ice). We met a lovely couple, Van and Chris, who had a lovely hirecar and who invited us out in it today. We met them up in the hills, a 3k stroll down a dirtpath from where the bus dropped us off. Mauro´s been referring to this as ´our hike´ all day. (Incidentally Van works next door to us in the Media Centre on Media Boulevard, so we might meet up for coffee in Mangiare when Argentina is a distant memory!)

Also, we finally got to try some mate! I was slightly apprehensive after our guide told us it was rude to say you don´t like it, say it´s too hot or make any kind of grimace while swallowing it, but actually it wasn´t too bad at all. It tasted to me like a mixture between green tea and tobacco, both of which I like, so probably a taste I could acquire given a small amount of perseverance. I´m well into the idea of it anyway.

Tomorrow we´re up bright and early for the Cruce de los Lagos - an all-day lake crossing that will take us to Chile. So I´m not spending a minute more of my last night in Argentina in el blogosphere! Hasta Chile...