A Great Day for Looking at the Scenery

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Yesterday morning, fortified from a dinner the night before of two large rare fillet mignons, a platter of french fries, guaranteed to be at least a runner up in the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest single serving of fries, and a half bottle of lusty red (a little over 12 bucks, thanks to the peso devaluation), it was time to leave San Carlos de Bariloche.

First, a bit about Bariloche. It is a ski town situated beside a lake that is nestled under the shadow of towering snow-fringed rocky peaks. It must look lovely in the winter, all dusted in white. But a ski town anywhere out of season is muddy and drab. Well, maybe that is a bit overstated.

The road that snaked its way into the city the night before proved to be the same on the other side. It wended its way through a national forest that held the same snow-capped peaks one after the other. The mountainsides were clad in a tightly woven coat of evergreens, punctuated at times by the brilliant yellow splashes of poplars in full fall regalia. The ride between Bariloche and el Bolson - about 40 or 50 miles - was one of the finest fall drives I have taken in my memory. Of course that is not saying much. Hmmm, where was I last year?

After el Bolson, the road wended through a few more mountains and finally down into a valley, and then across miles and miles of what could be taken for many areas of Arizona or New Mexico, or Utah, or, or….

Then, after about umpteen hundred kilometers, the ocean came into view at my destination, Rividavia. But a tour of the town proved it to be noisy and bustling - not a place for a tranquil night. My map showed me a city, Caleta Olivia about 40 miles south towards my ultimate destination. Less than an hour later, I was ensconced in a hotel in this tranquil oceanside city.

Today, it is further south to Rio Gallegos. Gee, only 700 kilometers. The next day it is on to El Calafate and the glaciers, a mere 250 kilometers distant. Well, that is, if I don’t get up that morning and decide to fly to Ushuaia, or find those caves with ancient paintings, or go fishing, or, or, or…