Bariloche Part 2- Active Days

After the 28km the previous day, I wasn't satisfied yet! The surroundings have so much to offer. But to change things up, I rented a mountain bike and rode the 'Circuito Chico'. This is a circular route with many viewpoints of the surrounding lake landscape.

The route was hilly, so I could enjoy the breeze while going downhill. But that also meant going uphill again at some point. Through these climbs, I finally learned how to use the gears on a bicycle.

At the roadside, there were again these beautifully yellow blooming bushes and purple lupines. You can take a break at beautiful beaches or stretch your legs on a short hiking trail to a viewpoint.

Another highlight is the Patagonia Brewery, which even has hop fields all around. But hey, I refrained from having a beer at 11 in the morning ;D.

It wasn't exhausting because it felt like we had to stop every 5 minutes for a photo. ;)

After about two thirds of the route, I met a highly motivated Argentine woman.

Originally, we didn't have enough time to climb Cierro Llao llao (delicious mountain) because we had to return the bikes in 2 hours. But we had heard from all sides that it was a must-do, so we practically ran up to this summit. My muscle soreness from yesterday thanked me sincerely. But I have to say, it was really worth it, the view was amazing (and thanks to Melody for dragging me up there). At the end of the day, I had seen soooo much again and was quite exhausted. (30km by bike, 15 hiking)

In the evening, I went for a beer at the local Manush Brewery and met a German psychology student named Svenja, who made some difficult food choices. I managed to convince her to join me on tomorrow's (apparently the most difficult) hike. I really wanted to do it, but after two sporty days, I needed some moral support.

So the next day, we were back on the bus to the Swiss colony at 8 am (man, that already sounds like a real vacation ;)). From there, we were supposed to go to Refugio Italiano and Laguna Negra. This hike was completely different in terms of landscape compared to the previous days. We first walked along the banks of a raging river through 'German pine forest', then through tropical South American forest towards a mountain range.

A massive waterfall appeared next to which we climbed these mountains. The last stretch was very steep and windy. It even led across white snowfields.

But once we reached the top, we were rewarded with the beautiful mountain lake and a good view. The ranger at the Refugio even gave us homemade cookies and tea (and talked to us for two hours ;D).

It was very cold up there, so we made our way back feeling a bit frozen. The hike was already quite long, and sometimes we wondered if we had already seen this tree or that waterfall on the way there. We arrived just in time at 6 o'clock for the bus that only departs once an hour. In total, it was 26 km with 1000 meters of altitude, which, looking back, didn't feel quite as exhausting to me as the hike two days ago. The difference that company makes and how much effort you can simply 'talk away'.

On the last day, I took it easy and visited a beautiful viewpoint (which you can also reach by chairlift) and a luxury hotel with a golf course. In the afternoon, I had a coffee at the "best" coffee roastery in town, where a volunteer at the hostel invited me. In the evening, I had a farewell beer with Svenja.

All in all, a very successful trip, which reminded me once again of 1. Even when you travel alone, you are never alone. 2. Planning is useless, things always turn out differently than expected. 3. Spontaneous actions are always the best.

Now I'm heading back to Chile to the island of Chiloé, until the end of the Pan-American Highway.

Frieda (Dec 17)