Bariloche Heights

Climbing Trees

Ski Lift

 

Jan. 16, 2009-Ad Libbing

Yea!! Fernando is coming to Brazil with us!! He told us today and we're thrilled. It's unusual for a tour director to follow a tour on a pre or post trip add on.

It's in the 40's-50's today with a wind of 26 MPH. There are whitecaps on our lake. We headed out early so we'd beat the crowds at the chairlift up Campanaria, a ski area. Although Fernando had it all figured out, the crowds beat us. Not one to stand in line in the drizzle and wind he changed course and took us on a scenic drive through the Nahuel (I've been spelling it wrong) Huape Forest which, I am happy to report, has no dangerous snakes or spiders. He gave us a bit of personal information telling about his nine month long army experience. He was drafted out of high school. It sounded like a lottery and of all his friends, he lost. Since he played a bit of guitar they put him in the army band playing drums.

Someone asked about the separation of church and state and we got a taste of Argentine history. The Catholic Church was as strong as the royalty here until the 1940's and the rise of Peron. By 1955 Peron and the Church were totally on the outs. He wouldn’t give more money for Catholic schools and only gave it for public education. The Church aligned itself with the military and overthrew him. Now the Church stays out of government affairs and only 20% of the people identifying as Catholic are observant. Fernando said that the Evangelicals, Mormons, Muslims, & Jews all get along.

We stopped several times to look at the exquisite blue of lakes Moreno and Nahuel Huape. We all walked the paths and I climbed trees and rocks. Their cypress trees grow in a very tempting climbable configuration that I couldn't resist. David took several pictures of me up in the branches bundled in my down coat, scarf, and gloves. I didn't quite need my earmuffs but had them ready in my pocket.

We sailed past fields of lavender and on to the Llao Llao Hotel. Argentines pronounce the "ll" differently than other South Americans so the name of the hotel sounds like "zhow zhow." They also say "zhama" instead of "yahma" for llama. The hotel is very exclusive ($400/night) and commands the best view in the area. Fernando didn't know if we'd be permitted to look at the lobby but said he'd ask since we were such a small group. He succeeded in that we could enter and gawk but couldn't take photos or use the bathroom. The decor was rustic chic reminiscent of British Columbia and hotels we've seen in Banff. Hardwood floors gleamed under native patterned rugs and the hallway walls were cedar logs.

A sweet little chapel on a hill was our next stop. It's built in the typical log and grayish green stone with a stucco interior. Its simplicity is primitive and the artwork is done by Argentine painters and is stylized and colorful. The chapel overlooks the hotel and was built as a donation of thanks by a wealthy woman who vacationed there.

Uplifting

Plan "B" was to return to the chair lift in hopes the crowds were gone. Not only did that part work but the weather was nicer. The wind still whipped around the trees but the lift itself was between two rows of pines built as a windbreak. The 8-10 minute trip up was fun but the trip down was grand. On the way down we faced the lake, mountains, and villages. Even Laura Lee rode the lift and has a picture to prove it. Only one of our number couldn't be convinced to go.

The cafe at the summit was round with windows overlooking every beautiful scene we cared to stare at. We also had a commanding view of an adorable little girl named Daniella who was throwing a tantrum. She was so beautiful when she calmed down that I asked to take a photo of her and her sister. After I did her grandmother came over to claim them as hers and tell us they were visiting from Israel. Her children and grandchildren were living in Argentina for a year and "sabba and savta" were here for a month.

Real Food

We ate lunch in an Italian place across from our hotel. We ordered gnocchi and had a choice of sauces. We preferred Bolognese and inquired as to whether it had pork in it. The server assured us that it is the custom to only serve it with pork at Christmas time.

We had a choice of traveling with Fernando by public bus to a museum where they had dinosaur bones we could touch or staying at the hotel. Much to his relief we all chose to stay in. I think we all also vetoed an optional trip to a museum dedicated to Evita Peron in Buenos Aires.

Fernando escorted ten of us to one of his favorite restaurants for dinner. We went in three cabs and got there early (8 pm) so didn't need a reservation. By 9 PM it started filling up until the line was out the door. Portions were large so David and I shared a steak. It was a bit tough and not flavorful. Frank had the biggest piece of lasagne I'd seen and Laura Lee shared what amounted to breaded steak parmigiana with Fernando. He'd promised to take us to his favorite helado (gelato) shop afterwards but we didn't know what a trek it was. He said it was eight blocks but I think it was farther. We had an equal distance to walk back to the hotel so some cabbed it and some walked.

We have an early afternoon flight to Buenos Aires tomorrow and have to be out of our rooms at 10 AM. We'll have time to kill which means a stroll to town and perhaps the Patagonian museum.

Toby