Monday 6th February- Next stage of the Andes crossing.

Bags at the door by 0815 please and scrambled egg like you have never seen before and so back to toast and ham and cheese for breakfast.

At 0915 the coach arrived, a strange looking animal from Mercedes, engine perhaps only, it was short and the seats had no head rests and it was a four wheel drive coach complete with tyre chains for the time the snows arrive.

We go on the bus and were driven 100 metres and told to get off as we were at the Chilean Immigration office, we could have walked that. And so we filed one by one in strict order of the list for the immigration man to check all papers and put stamps in the passports.

A dejected Jennifer

After about thirty minutes we were ready to leave again and this time we went down roads where no private cars are allowed in the direction of Argentina and we climbed steep tracks with the back wheels’ spinning with nice long drops down a few hundred feet about five inches away from the back wheels at about 30 mph, quite exhilarating really and then  we came after an hour of bumpy roads to the Argentine border and again we had to wait for immigration as the boat coming from Bariloche had arrived and there were about 40 passengers all in a line for the one immigration officer. Our lot of 14 passengers tagged on the end and about one hour later we were ready get on board the catamaran.

The boat left and after about twenty minutes Jen realised that she had left her excellent binoculars on the coach which was now heading back to Chile. Damn and blast as they are really good glasses. Anyway we thought we would ask the courier if he could do anything and he said he would try but communication is by short wave radio and in the hills you must realise that this can be difficult. In addition another passenger on the coach might decide to keep them. Oh well looks like an insurance claim.

The boat, this time was from Puerto Frias on Lago Frias and the journey through the high mountains reminded us of the fjords in New Zealand and thank heavens the weather had improved compared to yesterday where it was grey and very misty and today the sun was out, bloody brilliant.

We arrived at Puerto Alegro where boarded another coach for the fifteen minute journey to Puerto Blest where we had to wait for several hours and so we had lunch in the only Hotel there , not too cheap and and sort of OK.

Finally we were called to re-join the boat for about another ten minute trip to see some more falls on the otgher side of the Lake and if you feel like walking up the 700 steps to the top, Jen did but Noel chickened out with knee worries.

Finally we were on the last leg of the journey in brilliant sunshine and although everything was great Jennifer was depressed about losing her binoculars and also cross at her self at the same time for allowing it to happen. Cheering her up was not an easy task as suddenly a couple of condors appeared on the scene and no glasses to see them properly.

About twenty minutes before we finally arrived at the final port of disembarkation the courier arrived with the news that the binoculars had been located and by a series of people they would/should arrive in their office in down town Bariloche by about 9.15 tonight, relief all round.

The driver from the Hotel was there to meet us and earlier in the year I had compared the two main good hotels in town and had chosen the smaller one of the two and so we arrived and were well greeted with a free bottle of Chardonnay or Malbec, if you wish, and agreed some slight changes to the room and so now we have a large bath overlooking the bay, a sauna and steam shower all in the room so we should now be able to get clean.

We are staying at the Charming Hotel (http://www.charming-bariloche.com/en/tarifas.php)  with a great view over Lago Naheul Huapi and the Andes mountains in the distance.

We tested the bottle of white and then had dinner overlooking the bay and watched the sun come down before retiring. Tomorrow we have to go in to Bariloche and hopefully collect Jens binoculars.


Reminder that all photos from this trip are on
http://noelgroves.phanfare.com/5431753