03/22/2001
  Bariloche - ARGENTINA
   S 41°08   W 71°18
  + 101

From Chile to Argentina, on the road.

Yesterday night, we celebrated our one hundred's days traveling, first in chat, then in an excellent restaurant in Puerto Montt. For the first time since 3 days, we left the coke'n rice diet to have a huge steak and a good bottle of red wine. Everybody seems to be much better !

We wake up at 7 am to leave Chile. 2 hours later, we take a bus: Aleko sits next to Ithaca, Theo next to Nicole, Vale and Marco are together. The Team looks for new nomads and chats with some passengers. Except a young American couple, the bus is full of Chileans going in Argentina to work or visit some family.

The road is full of little villages with colored houses where children play on the front door. We began to climb the mountains and enter in dense forests with huge trees. We're back in Andes Patagonia.

The crossing of the border is somewhat tense. Custom officers control thoroughly each passport then open one by one the luggage of the 21 passengers. We have to leave our apples and lemons in a bin.

Today, Theo is feeling homesick, his father celebrates his 60th birthday - congratulations from the Car@van ! The trip is quite quiet until Ithaca gives everyone chemical lollypops that make music when you blow in. Beep Beep ! An old man stares at us, upset, as a young 'chica' giggles away.

We arrive in San Carlos de Bariloche after more than 7 hours of traveling.

Click on the photo and watch the video !

San Carlos de Bariloche stand on the south side of lake Nahuel Huapi. It's the most important city in the Lakes region.

Bariloche was founded in 1895 by a pioneer who was looking for the legendary 'City of Caesars', all made of gold and diamonds. Today, the city has more than 100.000 inhabitants, and is an important social, cultural and scientific center of the area.

We're at the foot of Mount Cerro Catedral, 2388m, 67 km from the ski resorts. Bariloche's area was nicknamed 'The Argentinean little Swiss' because of its big resemblances: a chocolate industry, wooden chalets, and fashion.

At the moment, people come here for trekking, fish salmon or trout. The gastronomy here is very good indeed !

Mmmmh ! You must know what we will be doing to do after writing the Journal.

Ithaca's last day...

Three weeks later, two countries  crossed in both health and sickness (!)... so many words come to  mind... so many new images and emotions that we all  continue to share !

Time has taken on another meaning here with the team.  Each moment has been intense, colorful and rewarding.  

You still have more than a week left over to join the caravan but remember you can always do it during the next one. I know that I will. 

 

 

We're in the Lakes region, in the middle of the Cordillera de los Andes. Between lakes and forests, under the mountains with eternal snows, we feel like dreaming.

Here is the incredible Tronador Glacier, and the Bewitched Valley, which stones have strange shapes, because of erosion.

In the hills live a small animal, the Pudu-pudu, the world's smallest deer. It weighs 10 kilos and is 30 cm high. This threatened specie is very hard to see. Hopefully we can.


We'll be flying off to Buenos Aires.

We'll spend a bit more time in the capital before heading off to Uruguay, destination decided by the Virtuals.

We'll switch off the PCs for 2 days: see you on chat Sunday at 22h GMT.

Have a great week-end !

The Team

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