Amanda’s parents and our fiery redhead friend, Heather, visited us during the Holidays. As soon as they arrived, we decided to rent a car and go to the island of Chiloé off the coast of Chile. We stayed outside of Ancud in a water tower that had its base converted into a rustic apartment. It was surprisingly cozy. It rained most of the time, but we still ventured out to explore the island and Linda finally got to see the much-anticipated penguins. Too bad the weather prevented boats from venturing too far from the coast or else we could have gone out to see the migrating blue whales.
After a few days in Chiloe, we crossed the boarder into Argentina and made our way to Bariloche for Christmas. It was different celebrating the Holidays without the possibility of a snow dusting, tacky light tours, or hectic parking lots. No there certainly was none of that in Bariloche. However, we had a great time celebrating with family and new friends at the Hostel. Using Javier’s minimal decorations, Amanda and Jen were able to Christmas-ify the place in time for all the festivities. We ate, we drank, and we were merry.
While in Bariloche, we wanted to show Mom, Ed, and Heather what the area has to offer. First, we went to LLao-LLao, a nice and easy, lakeside walk that ends with a short steep hike up to spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and lakes. After this hike, a meat-fest was definitely in order.
With LLao-Llao checked off, we took them to Refugio Frey at the basin of Cerro Catedral. Mom and Amanda hung out by the refugio, which was a four-hour climb, while Victor, Ed, and Heather continued climbing all the way up to the summit. It was a really tough hike but everyone made it!
We rented a car for the remainder of their visit and were able to explore the Seven Lakes north of Bariloche. It’s a beautiful drive around mountains, lakes, and small towns. We walked around the quaint town of Villa Angostura and everyone enjoyed huge “completo” hamburgers filled with: beef, cheese, eggs, ham, bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, and mayo. Needless to say, the local food is just as much an attraction as the landscape.
We wanted to show everyone the farm and the town of El Bolson. In true Argentine hospitality, they treated us to an asado (BBQ) where we ate lamb from the farm and salad made with greens from the garden we worked so hard to grow. Ed and Linda stayed in a little cabin for the night while Mantor and Heather slept under the stars at the base of Piltriquitron. The next day, we went to Bosque Tallado and the local feria. At the feria, Ed bought an Argentinian whistle (Linda thought that bombillas for Maté were whistles… too funny). After eating our fill of empanadas and drinking El Bolson beer, we headed back to Bariloche to hike off all that we ate and drank.
While mom had a relaxing day at the spa, the rest of us climbed up to Refugio Otto Meiling near the summit of Tronador and a stone’s throw away from Glacier Canstaño Overo. This peak is surrounded by eight glaciers and is one of the highest in the area. It gets its name from the thunderous sound of ice falling off the cliffs and echoing through the various valleys. We had planned on camping at the summit, but the weather changed abruptly and we were forced into the refugio where 42 snoring hikers were also seeking shelter from the storm – It was a long night. The next day was New Years Eve and the skies cleared up revealing the glaciers near the summit. This hike was the highlight of everyone’s trip!
We rang in the New Year with toasts and a potluck at the hostel surrounded by our friends and fellow travelers. Even Heather stuck around though she had a plane to catch the next day in Chile. What could happen, right? Well, we found out early New Years day that the Chilean border customs had burned to the ground making it impossible to cross near Bariloche. Needless to say, she did not make her flight, but after a few days of airline negotiating she did eventually arrive home safely.
Mom and Ed spent a few more days getting to know Bariloche, its restaurants, its beer, planning how they were going to cross the border, and helping us move into our little bungalow! It was so great having friends and family around for the holidays. Skype and Facetime are really great but nothing compares to hugs, constant Argentine kisses, and long hikes to spend time together and get reconnected. Saying goodbye was tough, but we are excited for the next batch of visitors. Get your hiking legs ready!
TravelingMantor 