Bariloche

As our final destination in Argentina we decided to go to Bariloche and surrounds, an area in the mountains near the Chilean border famous for its pristine lakes, lush forests, mountains as well as a strong Germans and Swiss influence due to its early settlers.

As it was already the start of May by the time we arrived here, Autumn was in full swing. This meant some cold and rainy days but, to make up for it, also some of the most beautiful Autumn foliage that I have ever seen.

The German and Swiss who had settled in these parts left a heritage of artisanal beer, fondue, strudel, chalet-style huts and the best chocolate in Argentina (we especially fell in love with "Franui", chocolate covered rasperries by a brand called Rapanui).

We rented a car and drove the famous "Ruta de los Siete Lagos" up to San Martin de los Andes. This small town turned out to be perfectly situated at the shore of a huge lake, surrounded by mountains, super cute, a little sleepy but with great Cafes and Restaurants non the same.

On one of our hikes in the area we unexpectadly came upon some deep trenches of snow, which we proceeded to dangerousely slip and slide through, even if some of us were only wearing shorts as usual. :)

The mirrorglass lakes, warm autumn colours of the forests and endless cups of delicious hot chocolate turned Bariloche into a very enjoyable destination on our route.

After 8 weeks in Argentina we have fallen in love with the country, its amazingly varied landscapes, the relaxedness of its people, the food, the Porteno culture and so much more. But now its time to say goodbye and head back over to Chile for a quick stopover on our way up to Bolivia... The Atacama Desert! (stay tuned)