Bariloche, the Lake District...the place for detox and rehab after the carnage of BA.

And that´s exactly what it was for the brief few days we were there. As long as wine doesn´t count. We arrived after another blissful (if 20 hour) bus ride that included welcome sweets, supper with the usual red wine, coffee and petit fours, champagne before bed, a Continental breakfast AND lunch...I could get used to Via Bariloche (the only way to travel in Argentina).

Bariloche is stunning. It´s set in one of Argentina´s foremost National Parks and right by the most enormous lake (so much for my plans of running round it a couple fo times), with the Andes rising dramatically on the other side, a clear symbol of the Chilean border and topped with my first glimpse of S American snow (that´s NOT cocaine for those wondering - actual snow, frozen water). We spent our first day exploring the town and figuring out options for exploring the surrounding area. There´s not much to the town - it´s functional and extremely pretty, with most buildings build in a wooden Swiss chalet style and turned into hopelessly kitsch tourist traps. There´s plenty of opportunity for that, given that Bariloche is one of Argentina´s chocolate centres, and deservedly so.

We opted to hire a car to explore the National Park, and the next day we got going early, joined by Tess who we´d met the night before in our adorable hostel (Swiss chalet style again, and very warm and cosy!). Our car, a reliable Golf Somethingorother, sped us out of Bariloche and its environs and headed for the lakes and moutains with only a little help from us. It was stunning. The lakes (think Windermere, but 20 times the size, 40 times as blue, and 100 times cleaner!) all reflect the moutains and Alpine forests perfectly in their blue interior, and every time the trees along the road parted we were greeted with another breaktaking vista. I couldn´t get over the snow, we were in the northern tip of Patagonia and - whilst this had been part of our plans - I´d forgotten that it would be early Spring and hints of the ski season would remain! The day past quickly - we took in spectacular viewpoints; walked up to view the Glacier Blanca, where we tasted the cleanest, purest, reently-melted water and saw avalanches careering down from the cliffs above; saw the Glacier Negra, a huge black glacier that is difficult to believe is made of ice and not granite; and had lunch and tea in the company of each other and hoards of sprightly OAPs, who took great interest in us and all but forced us into a snowball fight (I´m pretty sure they won). It was fantastic.

The coincidences continue as I bumped into CP from the CPE and LPC (Mum and Dad I can already hear the giggles!) in the hostel, who is travelling S America with his girlfriend Laura. We´re doing pretty much the same route for the next few weeks so will no doubt and hopefully bump into each other again.

Our time in Bariloche has been short but fun. From here, another 20 hour journey (this time with Andes Mar, I´m skeptical as to the quality as compared to Via Bariloche but will keep you posted, who knew I´m become an Argentinian bus expert?) takes us up to Mendoza, where in a few short days we will be reunited with our boys - Dermot, Liam aka Wolfman, Scotty the Hotty and Tony - and no doubt many more friends are yet to be made!