Bariloche-A Continuation

Day Two in Bariloche was better than the first. Although still cold as all hell, we were slightly more prepared, and with a good night´s sleep behind us we weren´t going to let anything put a damper on our adventurous spirits. The tour bus came to pick us up at the hotel in the morning, and we were off to Puerto Pañuelo, the port from which we were going to take a ship to our excursions. The ship itself was huge, a cruise ship really, and during the trip over to la Isla Victoria, I got a chance to go up top and get an amazing view of the surrounding mountains and islands. Amazing. Once at the island, we took a lift up to a scenic view and went a little crazy with the cameras. We also got a chance to take a tour of the island with Andrea, our trusty guide, and the area was even more amazing when we understood all the history and the geological explanations. Here´s an idea of what we saw: http://www.flypass.com.ar/oferta/oferta_archivos/Isla%20Victoria.jpg

That afternoon we also took the cruise ship El Bosque de los Arrayanes, a forest that looks like something out of a Disney fairytale. I half expected Bambi to walk out and nuzzle up to us at any time. My grandma was quite the trooper, managing to make it up and down all the hills with cane and all. I am usually not a very outdoorsy person, but this made me want to commune with nature on a daily basis. http://www.correntosotravels.com.ar/imagenes/lavilla01.jpg

Day Three: Morning time belonged to a tour of Cerro Otto, one of the many surrounding peaks. During most of the year they are covered in snow, and skiers come from around the world to spend the winters here. During the summer they are used mostly for the phenomenal view of Bariloche that they afford. This particular peak has a lift called a Teleferico you must take to get to the top that´s little and round and red all over. http://www.patagonia.com.ar/rionegro/bariloche/cerrocatedralotto.php At the top, you can spend some time at the rotating confiteria they have set up. Let me tell you, a hot chocolate has never tasted so good.

In the afternoon we took a tour of Villa La Angostura, a picturesque little town a little to the north of Bariloche that just takes your breath away. Our guide Cacho (not his real name but everyone here has a nickname; I´m Solcito from now on) was more knowledgeable than many of the history books I´ve read in my life, so I could now tell you all about the various kinds of vegetation in the region as well as the annual rainfall. We made several stops to be able to enjoy the mountain views from several different spots. A newlywed Mexican couple on the tour with us was on their honeymoon, and their excitement was contagious. The older American missionary couple was a little less animated...I couldn´t find any pictures on the internet that do this town justice, so you´ll all just have to wait until I get my photos developed.

Day Four was our last day, so we had limited time. Guided tours were out, so we decided to make do with our own maps and determination to see everything. We spent most of the morning at the Civic Center (http://images.google.com.ar/imgres?imgurl=http://www.geocities.com/epolidor/centrocivico.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.geocities.com/epolidor/bari.html&h=593&w=902&sz=53&tbnid=WVBdOZvAHFcJ:&tbnh=95&tbnw=144&start=6&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcentro%2Bcivico%2Bbariloche%26hl%3Des%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN), taking pictures of the spectacular view and walking through the museum and library of Bariloche. The Bariloche Cathedral was nearby, and we managed to sneak inside for a few minutes to gaze at the spectacular church before they closed for siesta. Most of the stores in Bariloche closes from 1:30 until around 5:00 for a rest. People take naps, stores get reorganized, and by the time they reopen everyone is nice and rested. We had ourselves a late lunch, and then went out to enjoy the last hour of our vacation there. Mitre is the main street where most of the shops are found, so we found some that were still open and bought a few souvenirs. Most importantly we made it to Mamuschka, the site of the best chocolaterie in the world. No exaggeration. You cannot leave Bariloche without buying some chocolate there. It´s actually a rule.
Very cute photo here: http://www.mamuschka.com/catalogo.shtml

Our plane left soon after, and we were back in Buenos Aires by 8:00. Luckily Ubaldo was waiting for us at Aeroparque, the smaller airport for local flights (think Burbank Airport), and he took us out for dinner at El Palacio de la Papa Frita. The Palace of the French Fry. They have potatoes in every single form, shape, and size your little heart could ever desire. I adore the noisette potatoes. Yumm.