Technically still in Patagonia but there are mountains and lakes and it all looks very different from the usual lunar landscape, so different in fact that we feel like we are back in Switzerland. Think chocolate shops, chalets, st bernard dogs (yes), and fondues. Cristian was thrilled with the later part of this place as he naively thought kirch would not have made it all the way here; he was wrong!!
But let me take you back a second and tell you about our day on Peninsula Valdez (adjacent to Puerto Madryn) a World Heritage Site - great expectations of thriving wildlife were later to be shattered by the discovery that it was in fact nominated for its marine properties as a breeding site for the Ballena Franca (southern wright whale). As it is not the right season, Franca was not around, so we had to make do with more hours of desert-like landscapes.
The loveliest part of the trip however was going in a very run down minibus that let all the dust in. so we bumped over dirt roads for hours, inhaling fumes and most of what detached from the road. this led to the best part: the complaining-to-the-travel-agent part. one of the two Argentineans on the bus took up the challenge and provided the rest of the group with a magnificent spectacle of latin character. sparks flew, sweat poured, the audience quivered as the drama unfolded. this lass had the fit of a lifetime, it was quite something and will definitely be remembered as one of the highlights of the trip so far!
unfortunately we had to leave before the end of the last act as we had to catch a night bus to Neuquen followed by a day bus to Bariloche. It nice and long, and made even longer by the brakes over heating and the tyre exploding as we waited for the brakes to cool down. Some had asked for more details about transport, was this what you were asking for?
We are going to have a hot chocolate now to celebrate our second day in Bariloche.
Centro Civico.