February 28, 2014 Friday - Bariloche, Chile

FEBRUARY 28, 2014 - FRIDAY

BOTTOM LINE:
Drive west from Bariloche to Puerto Pafiuelo and Suiza.

NOTEWORTHY:

BACK STORY:
With a long drive on Saturday yet no wanting to sit around and waste time, we decided to pack a lunch and do a "short" drive to Puerto Pafiuelo and the Swiss village Suiza west of Bariloche.

Flowers in pots, baskets and wheel barrows

Suiza is a little village up in a wooded area in the hills above the lake and Bariloche.  It had a Swiss influence and resembled a "Hobbitville."  Walking around we found unusual wooden buildings, carvings, gardens and gift shops.

Bavarian design

Carved wooden forest fairies

Hobbit-like house

lavender farm

Making our way down the hill we came across a vista spot with a view that was absolutely stunning.  Pictures taken from the area are used in a lot of tourist brochures.  I could have sat up there in the quietness and just gazed out at the beauty for hours. Everywhere I looked was an incredible sight.

 

Vista of lake

While we were there a group of ten bicyclists from Canada rode up.  The group  was made up of both men and women between 60 and 70 years of age.  They had shipped their bikes with them and hired a van to transport their things.  They had done similar trips in Asia and Europe and most recently rode from Seattle to New Jersey. Very inspirational to those who enjoy traveling in that fashion.

Caracara, from the hawk family

On the way back to the resort we filled the car with gas for our long ride in the morning. We stopped by Luciano's to say goodbye.  He put on some Pink Floyd music for us to enjoy.

After having our last meal at the resort's restaurant we said our goodbyes and returned to our room to pack.  The resort would be closing down for its summer season on Saturday.  It would reopen for winter ski season in four months.  We were told that the place would be packed with tourists.  Most employees travel during the four months that they are without work.

February 27, 2014 Thursday - Bariloche, Chile

FEBRUARY 27, 2014 - THURSDAY

BOTTOM LINE:
Kayaking on Lake Gutierrez
Drive to Lake Nahuel Huapi for lunch

NOTEWORTHY:
It was such a beautiful day that we didn't take any pictures of our outing!

BACK STORY:
Today we left the resort around 9:30 to drive to Lake Gutierrez where we were to join up with Pablo for a kayak ride on the lake.  When were arrived we were greeted by "Chris" who informed us that Pablo was running a little late.  He was more than happy to get us set up and let us know that we would be joining a group and would paddle with Natalia.

It turned out that Chris was an attorney.  His partner was Natalia and they both had been ski instructors at Kirkwood and Heavenly in Lake Tahoe.  During the summers in Bariloche they were water excursion guides and in the winter months taught skiing up at Cathedral (where we were staying) which is the largest ski resort in South America.  The two of them were very familiar with the Sacramento area.

Chris wanted to know if when we were in Montevideo, Uruguay we might have time to took up with his parents (who live there) and have a tour of the Colonial Sacramento district.  Apparently they love giving tours and welcoming visitors...plus they speak English.  We hope to make that happen.  Very thoughtful!

Pablo showed up and after getting dressed in our spray skirts and life jackets we climbed into our kayaks.  Bruce and I were in a double and immediately started asking where the foot pegs were? They answered that they had removed them because no one really liked them!  Hmmm?  We shoved off and instantly could feel the instability of the kayak. We tried pressing our knees against the inside of the kayak, digging our heels into the kayak bottom...anything to set our body weight low and balance ourselves in the craft.  Nothing worked.  We were simply going to have to be very careful NOT to make any quick moves that might cause us to tip over.  The water was cold and a brisk morning dip was not in the game plan!

Natalia paddled along side of us the entire way giving us great commentary about the area, Argentina and nature.  She was great!  It was a tough paddled against the wind with no rudder.  The rudders had been removed as well.  Our kayak kept "listing" to the left which took extra effort to correct.

The group paddled to a beach for morning tea or mate' before heading back and returning at 1pm.  Great time with great people!

Heading back to the resort we decided to drive down to Lake Nahuel  Huapi (where Bariloche sits) and find a place to grab lunch.  We found a great place Playa Casa.  We sat out on the deck and shared some salad and steak.($25 with drinks) We then explored a little of the water front before finding a chocolate/helabo artisanal...that would be "ice cream."  This time I went in.  It was a very nice store with friendly employees eager for us to sample.  I ordered a child's cone...the smaller the better for me.  Bruce sampled three flavors in a cup.

When we went to pay, Luciano (the 33 yr old owner) stepped up and asked where we were from?  We answered, "San Francisco," to which he said, "Oh Alcatraz!  I love Alcatraz history!  I love San Francisco.  I love music from the sixties!"  He was soooo cute in his enthusiasm and very sincere about music performers affect on him.  We paid and then he brought out samples to keep us there longer to talk more.  Ha!  Fun place even without samples!  #Dolcerama

February 26, 2014 Wednesday - Bariloche, Chile

FEBRUARY 26, 2014 - Wednesday

BOTTOM LINE:
All day outing to Lake Steffen

NOTEWORTHY:

BACK STORY:
It seemed like a very short night and before we knew it our alarms were going off.
After showering, grabbing a little breakfast and packing up, we headed to the reception area to meet up with our tour group at 8am.  We were heading out to spend an entire day at Lake Steffen.

Lake Steffen was located south west of our resort.  We positioned our vehicles in tight formation so no one would get lost along the way...especially the "Gringos!"

Our first order of business once we left the resort was to stop at the "Supermercado" or super market to buy all of the food and beverages that would be needed by our group.  Once the purchase was made the price was divided by the number of participants and that's what everyone owed.

We then took off from the market the road was paved but quickly turned into an unpaved road, which turned back into a paved highway and the final 20 miles of the 76 mile trek was a dirt road.  Any hope of keeping a clean rental car in Argentina is an absurd dream!

typical road in Argentina

Our guides stopped at the top of the final decent to the lake allowing us a photo opportunity and to give us a little commentary.  Lake Steffen is the middle of a chain of three lakes.  The first lake is really a pond and is completely off limits to human use.  Martin Lake is the lake beyond Steffen and is a national reserve...never to be touched by humans....other than researchers.

Lake Steffen & Lake Martin

Our picnic caravan

our resort leaders

Lake Steffen was a quiet, large lake in a picturesque setting.  Evergreen and deciduous trees were scattered along the bank.  Camping and day use were offered.  No motors were allowed on the lake. Cattle and chickens roamed throughout the park grazing, picking and resting.  There was only one "bano" (bathroom) in the park so planning ahead was necessary for our group because it was about a half mile away!  There were showers next to the bathrooms with a wood burning water heater.  A fire was kept going throughout the day to provide hot water for the park.

fire heated water for park

There are no picnic tables as we know them.  There are posts of different heights around the park which are used to support slabs of wood that people are obliged to go get from the camp office along with cooking grates for the BBQ wood fires...no briquets or BBQ's.

Picnic food prep area

lake side view

The group was heading out for a hike to a water fall.  Bruce was busy rigging up his fishing line to try his luck.  I decided to stay back and help the chef with his lunch preparations while learning any tips from his trade!

The "chefs" Barb and "Kenji" (from BA, lived in NZ 8 mos.)

When I offered my help he immediately said that I should go relax and enjoy myself.  I insisted that helping would be enjoyable...so he put me to work making a traditional Argentina salad of red peppers, onions and tomatoes chopped with salt, pepper, olive oil and vinegar.  I asked for a knife and he handed me a little serrated steak knife.  I then asked where I could wash the vegetables?  He pointed to the lake and said, "we wash them in the lake water."  Where he pointed was where I had seen a cow just minutes before and I am thinking to myself...no way in heck!  So, I called out to Bruce who was up at our car and asked if he would bring down the big gallon of water that was in the trunk.

water to be used for cooking!??

After washing the veggies, I started chopping and talking with the chef...who was 22 years old!  We had a great exchange of conversation and laughter and by the time the group had returned appetizers were ready and the meat was cooking.  The traditional picnic was various cuts of meat seasoned and BBQ'd.  The meat was placed on a split roll and the salad that I made is used with the meat.  It's a very nice complement.  The steak was most popular however the blood sausage or "black pudding" as they call it came in as the second favorite!  I am always open to trying new things, but I couldn't even begin to move towards a bite of the sausage.

traditional "black pudding" or blood sausage

picnic enjoyment with new friends

Beverages throughout the day included wines, beer, water, juices, coke with a hard liquor of some kind that is very bitter to the taste.  The traditional Mate' hot drink was sipped throughout the day.  I asked one of the few English speaking women to explain to me what the drink was all about.

Mate' is ground leaf/stems from a plant and resembles tea.  Hollowed out and "cured" small gourds are used as cups for drinking the beverage.  The gourds because of their imperfect shape are typically wrapped in an outer leather cup trimmed with metal and either stand alone or are placed in a metal wire stand for stabilizing.  A metal straw that has a filter on the bottom end is used to suck the drink.  The method for preparing the drinking has some very strict steps that must be adhered to or it isn't considered good mate'.  Water is never boiled when making the beverage.  Sugar may or may not be used.  Whenever mate is being consumed it is a sign to all other people (whether friend or stranger) to come enjoy a sip and conversation.  It is a social drink to be shared.  YES, that's right...everyone sucks off of the same metal straw, whether you know the person or not!

After lunch the group went to the beach to swim or relax for a couple of hours.  Snacks were shared upon their return and volleyball followed.  Bruce and I headed home about 8pm wanting to maneuver the unpaved roads in daylight.  The scenery at dusk was just as spectacular as it was in the morning.

It was indeed a glorious day.  One of the reasons that it was so enjoyable was because of the people who were willing to practice their English with us and attempted to translate and include us in on what was happening.  We felt like part of the group and for that we were thankful.  Traveling in a foreign country where few people know English can be challenging and isolating.  I can understand more than I can speak.  Bruce does amazingly well with his Spanish...so I don't get too far away from him!

leaving the lakes

heading back to the resort at sunset

February 25, 2014 Tuesday - Bariloche, Argentina

FEBRUARY 25, 2014 - TUESDAY

BOTTOM LINE:
Took chairlift up the snow ski line to hike and have a picnic then at 9:30 pm torch lit dinner at camp ground

NOTEWORTHY: 
The Cathedral Ski Resort is the largest in South America.   It is a little larger than Heavenly Valley at Tahoe and the snow quality is about the same.   There are other smaller resorts on the dry side of the Andes that have snow like Utah or Colorado.

BACK STORY:
After packing a picnic lunch, we headed out the the adjoining ski resort to take a chair lift up to the top of the mountain that our resort was at the base of.  The cost was $9 each, round trip and the view was worth a million bucks!  There was an enclosed lift followed by an open chair lift.  People that were traveling to go down the mountain were bundled up with hats and jackets on.  They looked cold, but luckily I didn't share their sentiment.

Chair lift up from our resort

We thoroughly enjoyed the vista as we ate our lunch, but I didn't feel satisfied.  Walking to the other side of the building we found a fairly steep hike to the very tip top.  I told Bruce that I was going for it.  He said that he was satisfied with what he had seen.  I told him that I wanted to see what was on the other side which could only be seen from the top. He said that he would wait for me.

Rock formations

Territorial vista

View of resort, Bariloche and lakes

With walking stick in hand I started the climb s-l-o-w-l-y  remembering that we were at about 10,000 ft.  About a third of the way up I heard a familiar pounding of feet on the rocky ground.  With a, "did you call me?" I whipped around to see my buddy Bruce smiling.  We hiked the rest of the way together and enjoyed a spectacular view of the Andes Mountains with snow capped peaks and beautiful blue lakes dotting the lower valleys.

Hike to top of Cathedral

Our descent took about 90 minutes by foot and another 30 minutes on the chair lift.  From there we drove to a lake that we will be kayaking on Thursday.  Stunning, clear water surrounded by tree lined mountains reminded us of WA, OR and some of the Sierra lakes near home.  We are so very thankful to enjoy this beauty in Argentina, but know that we lack none of it in the US...and most all of the roads into our lakes are PAVED!

About 40 people met in the reception area of Hotel Cathedral at 9:15pm to car pool to a remote campground for a gourmet, torch lit dinner. Two sisters from Buenos Aries volunteered to ride with us.  The older one (20 yrs), Manuela spoke very good English.  Her younger 16 year old sister spoke as much English as I did Spanish...so we laughed a lot and listened for interpretation.

Thankfully our caravan of cars stuck close together because it was very dark outside, we were on gravel/dirt roads with no signage and at one point we had to cross a good sized creek, which one person stalled in and somehow got a flat tire!  There is definitely security in numbers.

When we arrived to the campground and parked our cars, we all stood in a circle to get instructions about the evening.  People would be given stick torches to walk with that would light our pathway. We would hike across a bridge and up into a wooded area where we would enjoy and evening of food, games and laughter.  We let the girls carry the torches for us.  We actually had packed our headlamps (once a Girl/Boy Scout, always a Girl/Boy Scout) just in case!

crossing bridge to dinner

dinner and entertainment site

Upon our arrival to the designated dining spot, we found tables completely set up with cloths, beverages and appetizers on wooden planks. Lanterns were lit illuminating the boundary so no one would wonder off into the river!  A huge crackling fire was burning in the center.  People randomly chose a table to eat food from and socialize.  Wine, a micro brew, soda and water were offered...as much as you wanted.  I elected myself the designated driver so I stuck with the soft stuff.

Once everyone had their fill of food, the games began.  I really couldn't even say what they were other than everyone was laughing and we had a good time.  At that point I figured it was over and time to pack up, but oh no, we were about to have the main course...a traditional Argentinean stew.  There were two kinds and enough for each person to sample both...a venison and a fish.  The stew was very hot, hearty and full of veggies and protein.  I had the fish as people were making comments about Bambi, which Argentina claims the animated Disney film was to have taken place in.

One final game and then a campfire story were shared before packing up to leave.  The leaders who had lead us to the location were staying back to do cleanup, so oral directions were given to the drivers.  We set our GPS as a back up. At one point half the people went beyond the first turn off.  We luckily made the turn, but once we went through the creek we made a wrong turn.  We realized it when the road began closing in on our car and we got temporarily stuck in some dirt.  Thankfully we were on a hill and were able to roll backwards and correct the error.

We melted into bed at 2am...Great time with great people!

February 24, 2014 Monday - Bariloche, Argentina

February 24, 2014 - Monday

BOTTOM LINE:
Explored the city of Bariloche, Argentina
Picked up our rental car and returned to resort
"Pasta Party" and game night at Racelette Restaurant at resort

NOTEWORTHY: When we booked our trip in October the exchange rate was 5 pesos to the dollar and the cost of rooms and flights was about the same as the U.S.    However when we arrived in February, Argentina had just had a currency crisis and the rate was 11 to 1 so the cost of excursions,food, drink and ice cream was very reasonable!

BACK STORY:
This morning we caught the city bus into Bariloche around 10:30am.  I love taking local forms of transportation as it gives me a greater sense of the people that make up the communities that we are visiting.

As we made the 9 miles into the city center, activity and congestion of people and vehicles became apparent.  It was morning and the city was definitely coming alive.

Bariloche, Argentina city street

With map in hand we found the Europcar store within a few blocks from where the bus dropped us off.  The office had our reservations and were happy that we checked in but didn't want to pick up our car for a couple of hours.  The clerks took our passports and drivers licenses to make copies as they needed to compile special documentation and certificates for us to give at the border crossings of Chile and Argentina.

Our trip in the next three weeks will involve multiple border crossings between Argentina and Chile. Because the Andes Mountain range splits the two countries, there are only a few roads that pass through the range.  Our next time share will be north of here in St. Martin, however we have to cross back into Chile traveling northwest to then cross over into Argentina traveling east.  The paperwork is necessary for a rental car with two foreign passengers!

We left the car rental business with directions to a currency exchange office. Argentina's pesos have been dropping in value.  Currently the exchange rate is 11 pesos to one US dollar.  If we made an exchange and paid for our rental car with cash, we would have a considerable savings for the three week rental...like nearly half the price!

The exchange office would only deal with fifty and one hundred dollar bills, which luckily I had packed from home when we realized the money situation.  We feel very blessed with this situation and it should help neutralize the high expenses we incurred during our Australia and New Zealand trip.

After collecting our bundles of pesos (I felt like I had just made a drug deal) we headed down the street to the City Center to find an information office.

The center of Bariloche is quite a hub for governmental offices for the Rio Negro District.  The brick plaza was busy with artist selling their wares plus St Bernard dogs waiting with their masters to have their pictures taken with tourist.  We can't quite tell whether we have "US" written on our foreheads, but no one seemed to bother us with trying to sell us anything...which was nice.

Bariloche City Square

Pictures with St Bernards...for a price!

The information center was packed with locals wanting to book holiday excursions so we moved on. Bariloche is a city of some 100,000 people.  It has a real Bavarian influence in architecture and what is sold in souvenir shops...cuckoo clocks, knit wear, beer steins, etc.  We even saw a Fondue restaurant similar to one that I had taken our girls to in Switzerland back in 2002.  Shop owners looked more European (lighter skin and eyes) than what I expected.  They say that is more true in Buenos Aries.

Bavarian influences

Mate' hot water cart

Bariloche is surrounded by absolutely spectacular scenery.

One might think that the lake that Bariloche sits at the edge of is the focal point...but once you begin moving your eyes and head around, you begin to see the most incredible mountain formations that frame the  lake.  As you gaze around the mountain ranges that encircle the lake  a jutting pinnacle or the shadow of a high peak compete for your attention.

Walking around the town was quite pleasant and safe feeling.  The story about Bariloche being the chocolate capital of Argentina was true...and the air did indeed smell of chocolate while passing a confectionary store.  On one corner there were three competing chocolate businesses.  I only tried one sample, but Bruce found the queen of all chocolate companies that was offering all varieties of handmade chocolate ice cream.  He said it was the best, most rich ice cream he had EVER had!  Two large scoops for $3.00.  It's a good thing we aren't staying any closer or he might be tempted into a nightly "run!"

Rich ice cream selection

ice cream cones/cups offerings

Happy Bruce!...he said that it was the best ever!

Next order of business was to find "Movie Star Mobile" cellular service.  Our request was quite simple: a SIM card for local service, data and international call capability for an iPhone5.  We requested to have a clerk that spoke English.  When our names were called, we presented our request.  Everything went smooth.  Our paperwork filled out, passports taken and new cell number given. When our clerk asked for my phone and realized that it was an iPhone 5 and not a 4 everything began to unravel.

Bottom line, they gave me the SIM card for my phone and told me that they couldn't configure it for internet.  They had serviced iphones four years ago, but no longer do it.  They gave Bruce the card that they had first unpacked for my phone and said that if he could use it, he could have it.  We left with no activation, two free SIM cards and directions to a Kiosk across the street where we could paid money to "load up" the card so that we could use them in Argentina. We did that and two days later, they don't work!

Back to the rental car business we found them waiting for us with all of the documentation and keys. We presented them with cash, looked over the car for dents/scratches and were on our way to find a grocery store and head back to our resort.

Grocery shopping here was quite interesting...everything seemed so cheap. A bottle of good bourbon, $6, eggs $1, etc.  I found that they don't really eat packaged cereal.  They only had granola or oats. The fresh vegetables and fruit were very sad...poor selection and little variety.  I'm thinking that perhaps they have fresh farmers markets where produce is purchased.

We arrived backed to our room in time for a short nap as we had signed up for a "Pasta Party" which started at 9:30pm.  When we showed up for that activity we were greeted by the restaurant manager with a cheery, "Hi Barbara and Bruce."  She had become our new best friend at the resort.  Her two daughters married US men and had lived in Maine and NYC until they moved last month to live in Atlanta, GA.  She loves anything US!

There were about 30 people in attendance...most from Buenos Aries.  The time together was to be spent sharing a meal of pasta and playing games.  It was thoroughly enjoyable as a young couple who sat at our table spoke English and could interpret what was being said.  Games included, "Name that tune"...theme songs from movies and TV shows.  Since most of the shows originated in the US, we did well.  Then we had to name characters from the shows.  Then we had to sing the theme song. There was an Argentina version of Scattagories, Tango demo and a lot of laughs.  It's amazing how well a person can communicate without words!

February 23, 2014-Sun., Relaxed at Hotel Cathedral, Bariloche

FEBRUARY 23, 2014 - SUNDAY

BOTTOM LINE:
Hung around our resort at the ski complex in Bariloche and made plans for the week

Bariloche time share nestled in mountain ski resort

NOTEWORTHY:  Don't 'ya just feel like a new person after a good nights sleep?

BACK STORY:
We slept in until 9am and enjoyed a leisurely morning.  The only breakfast served at the resort consists of juice, toast and croissants and a hot drink.

Because we arrived in the dark it was fun to open our drapes and find a magnificent view of the lake and surrounding mountains.  Off to our left were the lifts and runs for the winter ski resort.  The facility has two pools, tennis courts, game room, spa, hiking trails, bus connection and a small church.  The adjacent ski resort houses looks as if it is a bustling town during season.  For us it was more like a ghost town.

 

Balcony view

time share room

kitchen

We got together with the concierge to make arrangements for the week.  We'd like to have a few few activities, but still have time to chill and relax...And relax is what we did for the rest of the day...that and a challenge of a ping pong tournament with some of the staff.

Maria "Victoria" Sanchez our activity coordinator with her mate'

February 22, 2014-Sat., Trip from Puerto Varas, Chile to Bariloche, Argentina

FEBRUARY 22, 2014 -SATURDAY

BOTTOM LINE:
Took a bus to Ensenada, Chile
Ferry and bus rides to Bariloche, Argentina

NOTEWORTHY:

BACK STORY:
Luckily the sound of our own snoring drowned out any animal noises during the night and we both had a restful sleep.

Following a typical Chilean breakfast of eggs, toast, yogurt, fresh fruit, Kuchen (German coffee cake)and assorted beverages we caught a ride to a bus connection that would take us to the small eastern town of Petrohue.  There our luggage was tagged and put on a ferry boat that we later boarded.

Petrohue

Leaving on ferry bound for Bariloche

The one and a half hour ferry ride up the Lago (Lake) Todos Los Santos was absolutely stunning. Aside from the lake being a beautiful glacial aqua color, the ragged snow capped peaks of the Andes Mountains seemed to loom over us at every bend of our journey.

Topographical map of our journey

Lake Todos Los Santos

We saw many little houses as we traveled up the lake, all of which were only accessible by boat.  At one point two small boats came along side our ferry to tie up in order to receive previsions and disembarking passengers.  Very different life styles.

Water stop for passenger shuttle to remote homes

At the village of Peulla, we docked and enjoyed a lovely lunch in a lodge cafe that sat at the edge of a grassy meadow.

lunch at lodge

Hefty bus to transport us up over pass

Our group then climbed onto another bus which took us through a thick forest and very steep climb to Paso de Perez Rosales where we officially went through customs and entered Argentina.  Our arrival had been delayed because of a large group of Israeli young people who were passing through on a journey from the big carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to Chile.

Mountain pass

Pit stop at Andes pass

Official crossing

Once everyone was cleared, we boarded a final boat to enjoy a sunset cruise up Lago (Lake) Nahuel Huapi to our final destination of Bariloche, Argentina.  From the port we were all shuttled into the town some 10 miles away where many people were dropped off at their hotels.

Last ferry ride of the day

Lake ride on ferry

Docking at ferry terminal for Bariloche

Sunset at our destination

The ride into the city was lined with large waterfront, second homes of the wealthy from Buenos Aires to the east. Bruce and I were dropped off at a corner with our luggage to hail a taxi for a ride to our time share.

Our time share was at the Villa Cathedral ski resort back down the road we had just come from and up onto a mountain.  We paid our friendly driver $20 US and he was more than happy.  Argentina pesos are running 10 to 1US.

We checked into our room and headed to the only open restaurant in the area for a light dinner.  Upon return we cleaned up and headed to bed...SURPRISE, we were given a room with two single trundle beds!   We decided to deal with it in the morning.