A long way from home

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Spring flowers a la Georgia Okeefe

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After a seemless 24 hours in the air (with 4 stops on the way) I reached Bariloche Argentina.  On the way, I met a fellow traveler who was going to Mendoza to climb a 22,000ft mountain, the tallest in South America!  Well, maybe on a future trip....  The Bariloche airport was small but equiped with an ATM and a taxi stand, what more could you want?  My sleep deprived brain was grateful.

  Bariloche is a small touristy place ¨en frente¨ the backdrop of Lago Hupai and the beautiful Andes mountains.  The beauty is sometimes overwhelming.  I look forward to many adventures in the mountains here.  The downtown is small but inviting with numerous cafes, bars (including ¿irish pubs), and numerous chocolate shops.  I wouldn´t reccomend the chocolates....I think it´s probably just a money making strategy to hook the tourists...in fact, the main shop is called ¨turista chocolates¨, hard to believe. 

Granite stones of many colors abound in the lakes

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  My first trip out of town was with classmates to Hotel Llau Llau, a really beautiful ride from in front of the downtown gasstation on the #20 bus for about 26 minutes.  There you can hike on many trails, the one we took ended up on a small beach with a view of Lago Moreno and the island of the rabbit.  It was beautiful and alive with lots of spring flowers.  Don´t forget, it´s spring in Bariloche. 

     Send me some well wishes that my infancy Spanish doesn´t last too long, learning the language is arduous.