Cerro Campanario

Rode the bus along the lake and took the cable car up to the top of this beautiful mountion (also a ski resort in the winter) to enjoy the panoramic views of lakes and mountains stretching out as far as the eye can see to the Chilean border.

Everyone here is so friendly and always keen to know our nationality and names. After saying our names, they say "ah, Princesa Fiona!" at which point Anita says "yes, and her Shrek!"

Grafitti in Bus Stop

Words in a rinky-tink bus shelter - sometimes grafitti can really pack a punch and we thought this one had a relevant and lively message : "Unwind and enjoy life. By moving too fast, you miss out not only on the journey but you also lose the purpose of where you're going and why."

Lake Gutierrez

This beautiful lake just outside Bariloche has crystal-clear water and is close to the ski resort for winter fun.

Bariloche

Beautifully situated with a lake to the north and high peaks to the south, Bariloche is an ideal place for exploring the Lake District. The alpine, chalet-style architecture was established by early German and Swiss settlers using local stone and
brightly varnished wood with carved gable ends, now ubiquitous throughout the region.

Red 'n' Dead Meat Fest

Barbecued filet and rump steaks (bife de lomo y chorizo), a mountain of hot, thin, crispy chips and salad sweet-tasting tomatoes, a bottle of Malbec - this is one of the many things this great country has to offer - all for under 35 quid - we love it here!

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.

Carved Face

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

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).

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!)