After 4 or 5 days in Baraloche I gave up waiting for the rain to stop. It was really disappointing because the lakes district north of Patagonia looked amazing. It aint no fun camping and hiking in constant rain though. I did manage to spend my time wisely though, enjoying Baraloche's famous chocolate and icecream washed down with coffee and a few good books. I've also been able to read an english newspaper while in Argentina which is great (until now I'd been reading papers the 'Herald-Sun" way, but there's just too much print and not enough pretty pictures). Politics in South America is crazy stuff and no more so than in Argentina. They're still dealing with issues from so many previous corrupt governments (from the left and right) that the papers are full of it everyday. The 'dirty war' is still on the front page, and the Falklands Islands still gets them going and they pull no punches with their British friends (they still consider the Islands their territory and the islands are labeled Isla Malvinas on all their maps). I'm pretty sure they won't be trying a military occupation again somehow though. They are also the 3rd biggest lender from the IMF and are always battling against the conditions the IMF put on their lending (economic reform/rationalism). So I've got on a bus and heading north in chase of some sunshine. A lazy 20 hour bus ride to Mendoza (Argentina's wine producing capital!!) should hopefully see some rising temperatures.