Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Happy New Year
We left Puerto Montt on December 27th, and decided to visit the Osorno vulcan anyway, clouds or no clouds. Through beautiful green fields with yellow and white flowers we drove on a nasty road full of stones, sharp enough the put an end to the tires of my car. More than 30 kilometers an hour was impossible. Then came the exit to the Vulcan. The track once again changed into nothing more than mud, so I blocked the cars differential, put it in reduced traction, and up we went. Mozart’s masterpiece “Requiem” was playing on the cars stereo, as we took the sharp curves on the dark, sometimes slippery mud. The higher we came, the colder it became, and finally, at the end of the track, we got out. It felt like 10 degrees Celsius, and probably it was like that. There was a nice bar with hot chocolate, and a fire burning, and it looked like if Fernanda never would leave from there.
As I checked out the ski lift (you can ski here in winter) a light snow fell from the grey skies. Looking up, I saw the snow topped vulcan, and below the green pastures of Osorno. Pretty weird, no? Then it was time to go, and it took another hour and a half on “Ripio” until the 215 motorway which would leave us eventually to the Chilean – Argentinean border. In a roadside “bodegon” - something like a café for truck drivers - we shared a huge juicy steak and fries, washed it down with a bottle of sparkling water for the ridiculous price of 6700 Chilean pesos, about 14 U$ Dollars.
At the Chilean border there was no bureaucracy at all which gave the impression they rather love to see you leave. Only an innocent looking Labrador sniffed around our Land Rover, in search for drugs, peaches or prunes……
Until Villa la Angostura it was only 45 minutes, and arriving there, we found this sympatic little lodge, Hosteria Roca de la Patagonia, where we checked in for three nights. And finally, after 17 days on the road, I got to eat Lamb. We had dinner in a modern looking restaurant, and ordered a little starter of smoked cold cuts, like venison, boar, salmon and trout. Afterwards came a nicely prepared leg of lamb with walnuts and mushrooms. For wine, a Santa Julia Malbec 2005, aged on oak, from our friends, the Zucchardi family in Mendoza. The “symphony of chocolate” for dessert was a disaster, and I would have fired the pastry chef right on the spot, but hey, I’m on vacation, and determined to relax…
We slept like babies, and woke up next day full of energy. And as we traveled already 6320 kilometers with two mountain bikes on the roof rack, we decided to give it a try in the National Park Los Arrayanes. The first two kilometers were a steep climb with rocks and broken off braches of centuries old trees, and so we did like a lot of other bikers do; we walked. Then, during a good two hours we enjoyed nature with its colors, smells, sounds and silence. Only a few time we met anxious youngsters on modern bikes, oblivious to all beauty, dressed in bright yellow, red and blue shirts and matching spandex shorts, tight enough to restrain blood circulation. On our way back we stopped at a small local restaurant, where one old lady was handling about 15 tables, and doing very well in it. (I thought of the waiters in my restaurant in Rio, where one lousy waiter hardly can handle 4 tables without complaining…).We had a small selection of Parrilla with kidneys, ribs, entrecote, bowels and sausages. Then, in the hostel, it was time for siesta, and we napped until 6PM. At night, we walked a bit around the city center, drunk a hot chocolate, and posted a message on the blog in an internet café.
Next day we took a boat trip over the Nahuel Haupi lake to the other end of the Los Arrayanes National Park, to visit the protected area, with thousands of arrayanes; centuries old trees with a beautiful cinnamon-like color. We saw al kinds of birds and flowers, which even under the slight rain, looked beautiful.
For dinner we shared half a goat, roasted above a wood fire. December the 30th we woke up, ready to move to San Carlos de Bariloche, where we would meet with Gabriel, Fernanda’s brother, his wife and three little children to celebrate New Years Eve. Only 78 kilometers away, it took little more than an hour to get to Bariloche. AC/DC’s “Back in Black” was thundering over the car’s stereo, when we drove into the sympatic neighborhood of Llao llao, to find “Le bouquet”, where we would sleep three nights. Our nice and simple hostel looks out over a small lake, beautiful flowers in the front of it, and in the back, just for good measures, some huge mountains thrown in. Looking out from our small bedroom window, it appears a painting. We are the only guests this weekend, the owner tells us. He is walking around with hammers, screwdrivers, wood, cables and more, to get everything in order for the season. Well, for me it is already season…
He complains that it’s hard to get good labor force here in Bariloche, if there is any at all. He lived in the U.S for more than 10 years, and after some family problems, he tells me, he got this 20 room hostel thrown into his lap. What a burden!
For dinner, Gabriel prepares what he already promised by e-mail weeks ago: Parrilla. I already get the drill; hours and hours waiting, gazing into the hot coals, my stomach revolting. I prepare four Caipiroskas with peach, a hint of lemon and Absolut Vodka. It takes only a minute to hit the spot our empty stomachs. But again, the reward of waiting is there, half a lamb, roasted to perfection, and a succulent prime rib, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. We opened two bottles of Norton Cabernet Sauvignon – Syrah, an interesting blend. This and many other superb wines you just buy in the supermarket for a few pesos.
December the 31st we visited the harbor, and afterwards walked a few hours through a forest until the kids got bored, started to cry and becoming incredible noisy. Then we asked them to find the rabbit with the red nose, the chicken with two heads and al the other characters from Grimm’s fairy tales, and things calmed down. After lunch we visited the center of Bariloche, but as I try to flee from everything cities stand for, I called it a day pretty soon.
In the afternoon we planned to take the children for a ride in one of those ski lifts with a little bench – I don’t know how you call that in English – to a mountain top, where there is a little teahouse. But arriving at the lift at 4.31 PM, some very rude guy said the lift was closed. Even with a little begging, and three pairs of sad children’s eyes there was no way to the top. Even Argentina has assholes, Fernanda told me.
Dinner was another dose of Parrilla, and at midnight we drunk some champagne. I lit my favorite cigar; Cohiba Siglio IV, thinking what 2007 will bring to us. For now, another 10.000 kilometers on the road, about 25 rolls of film and 6 more weeks of traveling. For all of you, who are following us on this incredible journey, Fernanda and me wish you all the very best for 2007.
El Bolson e Lago Puelo is our next stop. Take care……..
We left Puerto Montt on December 27th, and decided to visit the Osorno vulcan anyway, clouds or no clouds. Through beautiful green fields with yellow and white flowers we drove on a nasty road full of stones, sharp enough the put an end to the tires of my car. More than 30 kilometers an hour was impossible. Then came the exit to the Vulcan. The track once again changed into nothing more than mud, so I blocked the cars differential, put it in reduced traction, and up we went. Mozart’s masterpiece “Requiem” was playing on the cars stereo, as we took the sharp curves on the dark, sometimes slippery mud. The higher we came, the colder it became, and finally, at the end of the track, we got out. It felt like 10 degrees Celsius, and probably it was like that. There was a nice bar with hot chocolate, and a fire burning, and it looked like if Fernanda never would leave from there.
As I checked out the ski lift (you can ski here in winter) a light snow fell from the grey skies. Looking up, I saw the snow topped vulcan, and below the green pastures of Osorno. Pretty weird, no? Then it was time to go, and it took another hour and a half on “Ripio” until the 215 motorway which would leave us eventually to the Chilean – Argentinean border. In a roadside “bodegon” - something like a café for truck drivers - we shared a huge juicy steak and fries, washed it down with a bottle of sparkling water for the ridiculous price of 6700 Chilean pesos, about 14 U$ Dollars.At the Chilean border there was no bureaucracy at all which gave the impression they rather love to see you leave. Only an innocent looking Labrador sniffed around our Land Rover, in search for drugs, peaches or prunes……
Until Villa la Angostura it was only 45 minutes, and arriving there, we found this sympatic little lodge, Hosteria Roca de la Patagonia, where we checked in for three nights. And finally, after 17 days on the road, I got to eat Lamb. We had dinner in a modern looking restaurant, and ordered a little starter of smoked cold cuts, like venison, boar, salmon and trout. Afterwards came a nicely prepared leg of lamb with walnuts and mushrooms. For wine, a Santa Julia Malbec 2005, aged on oak, from our friends, the Zucchardi family in Mendoza. The “symphony of chocolate” for dessert was a disaster, and I would have fired the pastry chef right on the spot, but hey, I’m on vacation, and determined to relax…
We slept like babies, and woke up next day full of energy. And as we traveled already 6320 kilometers with two mountain bikes on the roof rack, we decided to give it a try in the National Park Los Arrayanes. The first two kilometers were a steep climb with rocks and broken off braches of centuries old trees, and so we did like a lot of other bikers do; we walked. Then, during a good two hours we enjoyed nature with its colors, smells, sounds and silence. Only a few time we met anxious youngsters on modern bikes, oblivious to all beauty, dressed in bright yellow, red and blue shirts and matching spandex shorts, tight enough to restrain blood circulation. On our way back we stopped at a small local restaurant, where one old lady was handling about 15 tables, and doing very well in it. (I thought of the waiters in my restaurant in Rio, where one lousy waiter hardly can handle 4 tables without complaining…).We had a small selection of Parrilla with kidneys, ribs, entrecote, bowels and sausages. Then, in the hostel, it was time for siesta, and we napped until 6PM. At night, we walked a bit around the city center, drunk a hot chocolate, and posted a message on the blog in an internet café.
Next day we took a boat trip over the Nahuel Haupi lake to the other end of the Los Arrayanes National Park, to visit the protected area, with thousands of arrayanes; centuries old trees with a beautiful cinnamon-like color. We saw al kinds of birds and flowers, which even under the slight rain, looked beautiful.
For dinner we shared half a goat, roasted above a wood fire. December the 30th we woke up, ready to move to San Carlos de Bariloche, where we would meet with Gabriel, Fernanda’s brother, his wife and three little children to celebrate New Years Eve. Only 78 kilometers away, it took little more than an hour to get to Bariloche. AC/DC’s “Back in Black” was thundering over the car’s stereo, when we drove into the sympatic neighborhood of Llao llao, to find “Le bouquet”, where we would sleep three nights. Our nice and simple hostel looks out over a small lake, beautiful flowers in the front of it, and in the back, just for good measures, some huge mountains thrown in. Looking out from our small bedroom window, it appears a painting. We are the only guests this weekend, the owner tells us. He is walking around with hammers, screwdrivers, wood, cables and more, to get everything in order for the season. Well, for me it is already season…
He complains that it’s hard to get good labor force here in Bariloche, if there is any at all. He lived in the U.S for more than 10 years, and after some family problems, he tells me, he got this 20 room hostel thrown into his lap. What a burden!
For dinner, Gabriel prepares what he already promised by e-mail weeks ago: Parrilla. I already get the drill; hours and hours waiting, gazing into the hot coals, my stomach revolting. I prepare four Caipiroskas with peach, a hint of lemon and Absolut Vodka. It takes only a minute to hit the spot our empty stomachs. But again, the reward of waiting is there, half a lamb, roasted to perfection, and a succulent prime rib, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. We opened two bottles of Norton Cabernet Sauvignon – Syrah, an interesting blend. This and many other superb wines you just buy in the supermarket for a few pesos.
December the 31st we visited the harbor, and afterwards walked a few hours through a forest until the kids got bored, started to cry and becoming incredible noisy. Then we asked them to find the rabbit with the red nose, the chicken with two heads and al the other characters from Grimm’s fairy tales, and things calmed down. After lunch we visited the center of Bariloche, but as I try to flee from everything cities stand for, I called it a day pretty soon.
In the afternoon we planned to take the children for a ride in one of those ski lifts with a little bench – I don’t know how you call that in English – to a mountain top, where there is a little teahouse. But arriving at the lift at 4.31 PM, some very rude guy said the lift was closed. Even with a little begging, and three pairs of sad children’s eyes there was no way to the top. Even Argentina has assholes, Fernanda told me.
Dinner was another dose of Parrilla, and at midnight we drunk some champagne. I lit my favorite cigar; Cohiba Siglio IV, thinking what 2007 will bring to us. For now, another 10.000 kilometers on the road, about 25 rolls of film and 6 more weeks of traveling. For all of you, who are following us on this incredible journey, Fernanda and me wish you all the very best for 2007.
El Bolson e Lago Puelo is our next stop. Take care……..
# posted by pilgrim of the south @ 1:48 PM 
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