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Monday, 25.03.2002: Perito Moreno - Los Alerces NP
After only 5 hours sleep we left at 6-50am. It was still dark. Prue tried to wake us up at 7-15am with the truck song but everybody was asleep!
We got to the Los Alerces NP at 4pm and drove through it before finding a spot at Lake Rivadaria to pitch up the tents at about 6pm. We had a big fire going. Prue and Val made mulled wine and we had beef stroganoff for dinner.
Camping at Los Alerces NP
Tuesday, 26.03.2002: Los Alerces NP - Bariloche
Our next destination is the resort town of San Carlos de Bariloche on the shores of Lake Nahuel Haupi. This Swiss-like town is famous for its chocolate and winter skiing.
We left at 10am and got to Bariloche at 4pm. We did a quick tour through the town and then drove 13,5km out of town to the campsite (Petunia!) and had a quick late lunch.
Afterwards we all went into town by local bus (took 40 minutes). Kirsten and Helen had an experience at the local hairdresser.
We had a group dinner at a posh restaurant and had real problems with the bill afterwards. Most people went to the Irish Pub afterwards. A few of us took taxis back to the campsite. We actually feared about our lives. A horrible trip!
Wednesday, 27.03.2002: Bariloche
Helen and Kirsten picked up lots of fresh croissants and bread rolls from the bakery while Andrea was setting up the 8am breakfast in the rain. It was obviously a late night for most of the group so only a few showed up for breaky.
We spent the whole day in Bariloche preparing for the fancy dress party to take place on Easter Sunday. Well at least our hunt for costumes made it more interesting to walk round Bariloche, drinking lots of hot chocolate (fantastic!!!) and making the most of a very good rate as the Argentine Peso was going through a rough time. In fact we were getting 4 times as much money than in Buenos Aires, a true catastrophe for the Argentine people.
We had another group dinner at a Mexican restaurant. Lots of piscos and really yummy food. Talk of the night was Natalie and David who stayed the last night at a hotel and the whole truck saw them in the morning having their breakfast together.
Thursday, 28.03.2002: Bariloche - Pucon
We left Bariloche a little late this morning because we had to wait for Natalie to pack up the tent for the first time in 4 weeks. Max was so fed up doing it alone that she went on strike this morning.
We stopped for lunch at a wasp nest!!! For some reason they were all going for our pre-cooked chicken that had been bought. The first time we have something other than ham or cheese for lunch and we can't get to it because of the swarm of wasps!!!
Lunch at a wasp nest
Rivers of Babylon truck dance
Then we spent ages trying to get through the border into Chile again. They searched the whole truck, including our backpacks which we had to take through customs. We all had to sign a declaration to say we weren't bringing and red meat or dairy products through the border because of the risk of foot and mouth. What we didn't realise was that Prue had been shopping and stocked the truck up. So they found a S...load of food that they confiscated and Prue was THAT close to getting arrested!!!
Max was called upon to do a word for word translation - and at this point we realised how serious the situation was! Somehow we managed to get let off with a warning, and were more than relieved when we got to Pucon, our next port of call for 4 nights over Easter.
It was pissing down with rain and Prue said we had an option to stay in apartments rather than camping but we all had to vote for it. To our surprise David complained but we managed to persuade him.
The apartments were superb - a very posh place! We had take away pizzas in our rooms that night.
