Patagonia Doesn’t Do Ordinary.
Day 37 – Lakes, Chairlifts, and the Friendliest Host in Patagonia.
Last night, thanks to our flight delay (thank you, Universe), we arrived in Bariloche well past bedtime. The reception was dark, the place deserted,
and as it was a bungalow park, I was already picturing us wandering the streets, luggage in hand, searching for a last-minute room, a scenario that
never ends well for us on this trip.
Then, as Yoni stood by the intercom, a voice suddenly crackled through: “I’m coming!” Within three minutes, an elderly man appeared, smiling so warmly I nearly hugged him out of sheer relief. He turned out to be the owner, an absolute gem, who declared that he doesn’t accept “clients,” only “friends.”
Isn’t that a philosophy worth adopting for life?
Before we could even ask, he told us to leave our bags for the next night when we’d be returning and promised to welcome us back with a bottle of wine.
Now that’s what I call hospitality. What a way to kick off our stay in Bariloche!
This morning, we woke up to postcard-perfect blue skies… and a temperature that screamed Patagonia means business. Windy, cold, but spectacular.
We started the day with a hike up Cerro Campanario, a “short but steep” climb that nearly made my lungs file for early retirement.
Forty minutes later, gasping and glowing, I reached the summit… and instantly forgot the pain. The view was pure magic: Nahuel Huapi, Moreno, and Gutiérrez lakes glistening below, framed by snow-dusted peaks. Going down, I chose the civilised route, the chairlift, so I could savour the view a little longer.
Yoni, however, decided to run down the mountain. He arrived just three minutes after me, which leads me to believe he simply rolled all the way down.
Next, we wandered through an enchanting forest of coihue and arrayán trees, their smooth cinnamon-colored bark gleaming in the light.
The place was alive with birdsong and woodpeckers. It felt straight out of a fairytale, or maybe a mild Halloween spell, given the date. Bewitching, indeed.
For lunch, we found the perfect spot: a bench with a view that looked like it belonged on a travel brochure.
Hawks hovered overhead (probably hoping for a sandwich share), but the wind eventually bullied us back into the car.
After lunch, we joined the legendary Ruta 40, yes, the same Ruta 40 we drove back in Mendoza chasing vineyards. It’s a long road, my friends.
But this stretch, the Ruta de los Siete Lagos (Seven Lakes Route), was nothing short of breathtaking.
We had two more stops planned, but daylight and our energy ran out. So we rolled into Villa La Angostura ready for nothing but a hot shower,
a warm bed, and blessed silence.
Tomorrow, we’ll try to catch up on those missed spots and venture deeper into Patagonia’s remote, wild beauty. Stay tuned…it’s about to get even more magical.
*****
Day 38 – Turquoise Trails and Accidental Adventures.
One month to go on this once-in-a-lifetime Argentina & Chile adventure, and Patagonia is still finding ways to blow my mind daily.
Day 2 in this land of lakes, waterfalls, and general jaw-dropping-ness started with a cascade, continued with more lakes, then more waterfalls, then even more lakes,
and finally ended with epic towers of rock straight out of Lord of the Rings. I half expected to hear Aragorn shout, “Riders of Rohan…RIDE!”
Here, everything revolves around water: blue, turquoise, deep navy, and endless forests in shades of dark green. Add the red-and-white cliffs for dramatic effect,
and you’ve got Patagonia’s colour palette nailed.
Leaving our lovely B&B, we retraced our steps to the Cascada Río Bonito, which was already living up to its name. We arrived just early enough to beat three massive tourist buses that rumbled in as we left. Perfect timing, waterfall, forest, and silence all to ourselves.
Then we hit the legendary Ruta 40, also known as the Ruta de los Siete Lagos (Seven Lakes Route). Yesterday, Yoni grumbled that he’d only seen one lake
and that they owed him six more. Well, today the universe delivered.
We started with Lago Espejo, “Mirror Lake”, which, thanks to the wind, was more like “Slightly Crumpled Aluminum Foil Lake,” but still stunning.
Then on to lake number two, before detouring toward Lago Traful, a serene turquoise gem surrounded by lenga forests.
According to my trusty “guides” (aka ChatGPT & Google’s AI twin), the road to Villa Traful was supposed to be a “jaw-dropping scenic route high above the lake.”
Spoiler: it wasn’t. At least, not yet.
But the universe had other plans, it threw in a surprise trail to a hidden waterfall, and it turned out to be the absolute highlight of the day.
We laughed, posed like explorers, and got gloriously misted by the roaring cascade.
Post-waterfall joy (and soaked hair), we treated ourselves to lunch at a lakeside restaurant with views straight out of a postcard. Finally, the “jaw-dropping” route
revealed itself: rugged cliffs, towers of rock rising dramatically above the water, and sweeping valleys with wild horses galloping below. Pure movie magic.
By the time we rolled back into Bariloche just before sunset, we were dusty, tired, and completely happy.
Patagonia clearly isn’t done showing off yet… and neither are we. Stay tuned, the magic continues tomorrow.
