We spent a great day and a half in Buenos Aires with Simon’s sister before heading west to Bariloche in Northern Patagonia. We still have more we want to see and explore in Buenos Aires, so we’re happy we’ll be spending the end of our trip there. Some highlights from our initial time there include eating an amazing bife de lomo – tenderloin – steak, accompanied by some delicious, and cheap, Malbec wine; checking out the contemporary art museum and then just walking around various neighborhoods and parks – we even checked out the Botanic Garden which is right near Katya’s apartment.
Ball dines finely on Bife de Lomo (Tenderloin) and Malbec at Des Nivel in Buenos Aires
We were greeted in Bariloche by heavy winds and rain, but luckily that only lasted that first afternoon. Thanks to the rain, there was beautiful fresh snow in the mountains that we saw yesterday during our tour to the base of Mount Tronador. While we’re normally not into organized tours, this was a pretty good one. The guide was great and it was a nice small group of mostly Argentines – along with one other American and a couple from Guatemala. We did a nice little hike to the Cascada de Cesares and then drove to see the Ventisquero – Black Glacier. We also were lucky enough to hear the thunder that the mountain is named after. This is so-called because one of the higher up glaciers on the mountain is breaking apart and when a piece falls the sound echoes through the area.
Meadow on the way to Mount Tronador
Ventisquero – Black Glacier
Today we set off on our own and hiked up Cerro Catedral which is a major ski center in the winter. We decided to take a beautiful side hike up to Refugio Frey instead of the gondola. While we didn’t technically make it to the top of the mountain, our 13 mile round trip hike took us through forests and we had beautiful views of the Lago Guiterrez below as well as the peaks surrounding us. We also hiked through an area that was burned in a forest fire about 15 years ago. It is great to see the different types of plants growing here – and some nice birds too. The Refugio is similar to an AMC hut in that you can be fed and have beds to sleep in. Even though we didn’t sleep there we managed to befriend the chef who taught us how to make empanadas and let us sample her delicious apple cake for free! Horses bring up the supplies, though she wasn’t sure how the oven got there – maybe a helicopter. One great feature of this hut was that it is located right on a high altitude lake and, of course, they have ice skates! We got to skate around and enjoy the views for a bit before heading down to beat sunset.
Learning how to make empanadas with the chef at the refugio
We got to skate on this lake – the refugio is in at the end of the lake
Beautiful foliage on the hike
Looking out on the lake at San Martin de los Andes
Now we’re off to a parilla (restaurant serving grilled foods) for some more beef – I might try the Patagonian Lamb this time. Tomorrow we’re going to explore the nearby scenic site, Llao Llao – a famous resort that has some nice walking trails. Then we’re taking the bus up to San Martin de los Andes where we hope to do another hike on Saturday before we head up to the Northwest of Argentina on Sunday.
