Harmony and the Guide

Ended our stay in El Bolson with a stroll round the market renowned for its quality handicrafts. We saw these 2 original paintings and felt they were made for us : 'Harmony' and 'The Guide' (Anita doesn't always feel in 'harmony' with the guide!)

Chilling Out after Near-Death Experience

Anita : After crawling the last near vertical incline in the merciless midday sun (practicalling on my hands and knees) grunting on each exhalation like a Maria Sharapova serve, I collapsed outside a wooden shack (drinking hole) where a very jolly and obliging local whose only English was "be happy" and "free love" took pity on me looking like a wheezing beetroot, stuffed this pipe in my mouth and chirped, "herbs from Paraguay, es bueno!" and it really did the trick in numbing the pain and easing the incipient cardiac arrest (still mildy crippled 3 days later). Another excursion with Frau Hitler!

View coming Down

The tour guide is getting a ribbing for looking like a ponce off the front cover of 'Patagonia Weekly' while all around are backpackers with nose rings, dreadlocks and harem tie-dye pants.

Taking a Break

Cold beer by this crystal clear, turquoise river full of trout and salmon - a few of the campers had their rods in the water fly-fishing. The only refreshments for sale were beer and loaves of homemade bread - oh, dear, bread 'n beer!

Hike to El Cajon de Azul

Another day's hiking, these wood-and-wire bridges (not exactly the "Mae West") were precarious to say the least with several planks missing. Anita had to chunter to herself to make it across.

Trail Down

The lower slopes were a fresh pea green with all the different grasses, flowers and trees including cinnamon, cypress and beech. Then the tree line stops and towering above is this dramatic escarpment (Anita was whinging about the lack of black cabs).

View from Cerro Piltriquitron

After a 3-hour hike to 1,400m, we were rewarded with this panoramic view looking towards Chile. Time for another cold beer (it's 5 o'clock somewhere!)

Carved Face

This enchanted wood was full of whacky carvings, quite surreal.

Sculpture Park

Part way up the mountain is this scuplture park, fallen trees carved by local craftspeople - a wild pig and a goddess - and Anita somewhere in between the two.

Cerro Piltiquitron

We hiked up to the jagged peak overlooking the town to enjoy panoramic views and fresh mountain air. No prizes for who was setting the pace and leading the way (Frau Hitler Fitness Nazi).

Refreshing Dip in Melted Glacier

We tried to cross the river but the water was so deep and fast-flowing, we had to turn back. Having worked up a sweat, it felt great plunging into the icy water.

Parque Nacional Lago Puelo

This lovely, green wooded park is centred around a turquoise lake on the Chilean border surrounded by beach forest and spiky peaks of snow-dusted, far-off mountains. It's a fisherman's paradise with abundant trout and salmon and just a spectacular spot to pause and ponder.

El Bolson

Left Valdes Peninsula and took an overnight bus to El Bolson, a seductive little place with a laid-back atmosphere at the foot of the Andes. This lovely earthy statue is the first thing we saw in the early morning light, carved from local, cinnamon-coloured wood. El Bolson is famous for its home-brewed beers, fresh fruit and homemade icecream - it's where thousands of hippies created an ideological community in the 1970's and it's claimed that the surrounding mountains emit healthy positive ions which is why you feel so relaxed here (yeah, right...well we fell for it!)