10 November - Bariloche, Argentina
We opened the curtains to a stunning view of Lago Nahuel Huapi and the snow-capped peaks beyond. Having arrived late at night, we had no idea that we had this panorama from our hotel room. Excited that it looked to be a beautiful day, we ate a quick breakfast and headed out to the tourist office to find information on walks and transport. Errands first: laundry. Ah, laundry. It never finishes. Outside the tourist office there was some kind of parade going on: singing, marching band, waving flags, the works. So we bound into the office with gusto, looking forward to what the rest of the town would bring and me feeling a little over-excited and being a little bit bouncy... Armed with information on the best walks accessible by bus, we headed to the supermarket for supplies and then ran (yes, ran: bus feeeeear) for the number 20 bus to take us to Llao Llao. San Carlos de Bariloche is the 25km that stretches from the centre of town out to Llao Llao at the far end of Lago Perito Moreno. The road took us winding past Lago Nahuel Huapi with beautiful views. We were treated to an absolute bluebird of a day and jumped off the bus at Puerto Pañuelo ready to search for panoramic views. Cerro de Llao Llao did not disappoint, and we had our lunch at the summit, looking out over the beautiful view. After lunch we did a full circuit around Villa Tacul, taking in the designated "mirador" points as we went and drinking in the beautiful vistas. With three weeks in Patagonia from now until the end of the month, we know that we will suffer a little from landscape fatigue, but today at least we were fully appreciative of the scenery! After a long day of travel the day before, and eight miles of walking today, we were pretty pooped by the time we got on the bus back into the centre of town. We opted for an early dinner (read: as early as Argentinian restaurant opening hours will allow, i.e. 8pm) and had a very underwhelming meal at El Boliche de Alberto. Disappointing, given it was so highly recommended. So we watched an episode of The Inbetweeners to cheer ourselves up and got an early night. At this rate, we'll be back on U.K. time by the time we fly back to London!
