Day 71 – El Bolson to Lago Mascardi -85km

Finished off the seemingly never ending supply of porridge and cycled off under sunny skies. The road was very hilly with some big slow climbs (13km) and amazing descents with condors soaring above our heads. The landscape was still beautiful and arguably just as attractive as the much promoted seven lakes route further north (days24-27). The trees didn’t engulf the roadside and block the sky quite so often, the road was smooth the whole way so our eyes could appreciate long distance views instead of scanning directly ahead for potholes and deep gravel and we didn’t have to wear bandanas to protect our mouths from the dust. We stopped at a picturesque roadside restaurant and sat outside getting to know the children of the family whilst waiting for our food. We decided to go for a full beef and potatoes meal after almost a week of pastries, bread, cheese and crackers. Unfortunately, we experienced our first really bad meal in Argentina where each mouthful involved 5 minutes of chewing without any progress. We ate the potatoes and left the meat to the flies which had pestering us since the food had been brought out. Not a good sign. The final leg along a road bordered with flowers, including exploding broom seeds and rattling lupin heads, included some fantastic views across lakes to the mountains west of Bariloche. We pulled into a campsite and thought we’d give camping another go as it was a Sunday evening. We pushed our bikes up a really steep grassy slope to the most inaccessible pitch and managed to enjoy our first quiet and undisturbed evening where the only sound was the birds and a hen clucking around with her five chicks.

First bad meal.

Peace and Quiet!

Day 70 - Lago Epuyen to El Bolson – 49km

Leaving camp

Had a great nights sleep in our little cabin and woke to a clear blue sky and no wind! Had a steep climb up a dirt track out of Lago Epuyen and had a great view of the local green kingfisher (3x size of ours) sat on a overhead cable. When we reached the main road it was smooth, gently undulating and even had a coach avoidance strip down the side so we didn’t have to keep checking our mirrors. We had plenty of time to look up and enjoy beautiful views of wooded hillsides, green valleys and glimpses of snow still lingering on the highest mountains. It was an effortless ride and before we knew it we were cycling through El Hoyo looking for a place to have a coffee. We didn’t pass a single Café and eventually stopped at a roadside restaurant on the way out. Despite looking exhausted and in desperate need of sustenance (hamming it up just in case the owner stood in the doorway was in any doubt),  we were turned away as they only served food! Mmmmm, perhaps we didn’t tick his boxes. We strutted away (suddenly revived) and cycled up the hill, stopping 2 miles further on, outside ‘Posada de Olaf’ which looked very inviting. Despite the restaurant not being open the waiter went to speak to his boss and within 15 minutes they had rigged up a table and chairs under decorative arbor on the front lawn and brought us out fresh coffee and a late breakfast of local organic jams (dulces), bread and toast. There was no menu just an offering of food they thought we might enjoy. At one point there were 3 people around the table; one bringing out and brushing down some plastic chairs, another brushing leaves off the table and laying out a tablecloth and another patiently waiting with the tray loaded with goodies. Our mood was instantly transformed and we enjoyed a fantastic breakfast and delicious coffee. Fantastic hospitality resumed! The route from Epuyen to El Bolson passed through the one of the biggest fruit growing areas in Argentina with the road lined with co-operative fruit growers, market gardens and nearly every house offering ‘dulces’ for sale. When we read the papers later that week we learnt the woods there were also lined with marijhuana, discovered during armed raids! On reaching El Bolson we decided to pass through as it seemed suprisingly touristy, very busy and full of parked cars competing to play the loudest reggae music. On the road out we spotted a quiet cabana and enjoyed some home cooking with lots of much needed vegetables.

El Refugio del Lago (Epuyen)

Road east from Lago Epuyen

 Ruta 40 north of Epuyen

An excellent place to eat north of El Hoyo

A food mirage! Posada del Olaf



Cabana north of El Bolson

Day 69 – V.L.Rivadavia to Lago Epuyen – 68km (50km track)

Leaving Rivadavia

Woke to yet more rain and put an extra large pan of porridge on. Left at 9.30 with all our wet weather gear on,  only to remove it all after ½ hour when the clouds broke and the sun made an appearance. The road surface had a lot of loose stone and we spent most of our cycling time scanning for the best line instead of enjoying the wonderful views, of which there were many! We stopped often and came to the conclusion that some dirt roads (ripios) were not conducive with riding to appreciate the scenery……we found it quite frustrating. However, dirt roads are the only choice through many of the National Parks so we took our time and stopped often. After an hour we reached Cholila, another town synonymous with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and bought fresh bread and a pile of pastries from a great bakery (Panaderia Don Molina)where the owner insisted we try before we buy! The road north of Cholila was shown as 'under construction' on the map, but was in fact another dirt road. The woman we spoke to in the restaurant yesterday said they had been working on it for 5 years with no sign of any improvement....or work! We passed the derelict cabin where Butch Cassidy had apparently hidden in the last few years of his life and spoke to man at the side of the road who showed us his book with old black and white pictures of what it used to look like. The weather was now warm and sunny and we stood under the shade of a tree to eat for the first time in over a month (sat beneath the shade of a tree that is). We were now travelling through a broad valley with rolling hills and views of distant mountains which looked very inviting. After 50km a central double yellow line appeared on the horizon and suddenly we were rolling smoothly along a paved road. We could now relax and look around without the fear of hitting potholes, deep gravel, washboard or mud. We freewheeled down a long hill into Epuyen and out the other side to Lago Epuyen where we hoped to camp. We got chased by a particularly persistent dog, who only broke stride when we raised our hand as if to throw something…it seems to work on most occasions amazingly. We set up camp in a beautiful location beneath some pine trees next to the lake with only the sound of the wind blowing through the canopies. The season was slowing down and there was only 2 other tents. Despite the tranquil scene we spent a while trying to work out the quietest spot away from ‘asado’ pits and the main toilet block. After showering we returned to a familiar scene which nearly tipped us over the edge. Yet again a car had pulled up with its radio pumping at FULL volume whilst its occupants sat drinking beer staring at a pile of canvas and poles…..right next to our tent! In a Basil Fawlty fit of pique we felt like running up to the car, quietly dismantling the radio and throwing it into the lake. To preserve our sanity and guarantee a peaceful nights sleep we took the tent down for the fourth time on this trip and went to the restaurant to enquire about a cabana that had sound and smoke proof walls. Our tolerance was now zero. Ironically,  we knew that there would be no drunken behaviour.....just noisy exhuberence..and lots of smoke! Argentinians just like to enjoy themselves quite loudly...until the early hours..if they sleep at all. Perhaps it's the Mate they all drink.....maybe that's where we were going wrong. Thankfully, they had a cabana free. We locked the door behind us and sat at a little wooden table and felt a bit homesick. I popped into the restaurant to pay the French owner who was glued to the winter Olympics with a cat on her knee, a dog on her feet and a cigarette hanging from the side of her mouth. At 11.00pm,  despite the distance from the campsite, we could still hear the music and felt quite relieved we had made the right decision.



Route north of Rivadavia

Road out of Cholila

Butch Cassidy's hideout.

His cabana

The hut opposite

Approaching Epuyen on R71

The last stretch of ripio before Epuyen

The beautiful campsite at Lago Epuyen.

 Lago Epuyen



Our refuge cabana

Day 68 – Villa Lago Rivadavia

View from our cabana door.

We woke late to the sound of rain hammering on the tin roof. We both had colds developing and had found the previous day quite tough so we decided to spend the day in our little cabana eating, resting, catching up with a weeks worth of blog writing and playing cards. It was so wet a baby frog hopped under the door for a bit of respite! We worried what state the track would be in the following day but concluded that tomorrow the rain couldn’t possibly be any worse! The wooded slopes opposite occasionally made an appearance between the low cloud and mist but mostly it rained very heavily with the odd power cut. The flock of glossy ibis (on the lawns outside) had a great day though, probing frantically as the rain drummed up all their favourite snacks. During a brief afternoon respite we wandered out in search of a coffee and popped into a lovely restaurant (Las Ruedas/Cerro La Momia) where we enjoyed some fantastic homemade cheese and chocolate cake. The owner chatted to us very slowly in Spanish so we had chance to understand ,which was very kind. She had moved here 7 years ago from the Atlantic coast where she got sick of the hard work, boring pampas and constant winds. So she moved to Rivadavia for a slower and more relaxing pace of life and set up a restaurant and 4 cabanas (which were full when we arrived) on a plot of land overlooking the mountains and the valley studded with lines of poplars and meadows full of cattle and horses. She introduced her 10 year old grandson who invited us to a game of table tennis in his downstairs games room. He was very good and toyed with me like a cat……feeding me easy shots to lunge for and then, just as I thought I might be getting good, smashing or spinning me out of the game. His grandmother sat on the stairs with John and asked about us and what we did at home. We could have stayed there all night (until I won a few points!) but we had to go. Her grandson invited us to see a Pereguin Falcon he had rescued with a broken wing….he fed it every day and kept it in a large cage between their beautiful allotment and a timber food store. The rain had continued whilst we were inside and we dashed back to fix all the punctured inner tubes from the previous day and make dinner. From the sink window we watched a local horseman break in his horse, never looking directly at it and inviting it to run alongside him on a short tether. They repeated the same exercise again and again, slowly building up trust until they both looked exhausted and the horse was let loose. Earlier in the day we had watched the same horse being led by another older horse, ridden by the same man, into the deep water in the centre of the river until only his head and neck were above water. The horseman stood or squatted on the back of the bridled horse for about 15 minutes constantly walking into shallow then deeper water. The cloud started to lift and the mountain tops re-appeared again but the air was a lot colder. We stoked up the wood burning stove and packed ready for the morning.

River at bottom of cabana field.

Las Ruedas restuarant

Downstairs at the restaurant!

The falcon with a broken wing.

Day 67 – Villa Futalaufquen to Villa Lago Rivadavia -61km (track)

10k north of V. Futalaufquen.

Woke to the sound of rain. We had read a rare weather forecast at the information centre the previous day which said we had 4 days of rain in store, with increasing wind and decreasing temperatures. We packed the tent and set off along a muddy track through dense woodland. The density of the trees (we are now in Valdivian temperate rain forest) was such that the sun, that had magically appeared, could not penetrate the canopy and we could not see anything except the rain filled pot holes ahead. Just as we were beginning to get claustrophobic the canopy opened out and we caught glimpses of the lake below us. Private landowners had taken nearly most of the land next to the lake shore for hotels and campsites which meant the public road was forced higher up and away from the shore. The road was constantly going up or down but occasionally it would traverse the shoreline and offer spectacular views across a blue/green lake to densely wooded mountains and valleys.  Public access to the shore appeared limited, unless you slipped into a campsite and used their picnic tables, which is what we could have done. Instead, in a state of urgent hunger, we stopped at the side of the road and sat looking at a campsite entrance opposite to eat. Half an hour later we set off and, after just 100m, passed a beautiful campsite picnic area on the lake shore with families enjoying far reaching views from their comfortable seats. Not long after we met a French couple (Sebastian and ?) who were pulling a large trailer which was carrying their 10 month old baby. The baby peered happily out and showed me his toothbrush. When I asked how long they had been riding they said 7 months! We set off admiring their tenacity but wondering how they managed with washing clothes, carrying extra food, bone shaking pot holed tracks, illness etc. etc. They admitted that during wet weather their days confined to a tent could be quite stressful! The track continued to be very hilly but with much improved views and clearing weather. We cycled down our last hill to V.Rivadavia in the sunshine and booked into our first cabana in 6 weeks (Cabanas Rincon De Wanalen). The situation was beautiful, a broad flat valley surrounded by wooded hills and snowy mountains with a crystal clear river running down one side. The cabana looked out across green lawns to the river and woodland beyond, is was a perfect setting.  Despite never booking (or even knowing if accommodation exists most of the time) we have always managed to find some amazing places to stay. Although we were now out of the National Park the scenery was just as spectacular, if not more so. We discovered some ordinary tea bags at the bottom of a panier and made our fist cup of proper tea for 9 weeks. It tasted fantastic, so we took our mugs across the lawns to the river where we peered through clear water to the stony bottom and admired yet another beautiful landscape. Earlier, on our way through the settlement (not really a town),  we paused as a young horseman demonstrated how to ride and turn a horse at great speed in pursuit of stray cattle. There were a lot of men on horseback instead of the quad bikes we had previously seen, it felt a bit like the mid west of America. We cooked a huge dinner on our little cooker and stared out of the window where 19 (we had plenty of time to count!) glossy Ibis probed at the grass and southern lapwings constantly called overhead. It was the perfect tranquil scene with not a man made sound or smell. How could we ever return to the stress of campsites?

A wet start.

The views open up.

Sebastian and family!

 

The last leg to Lago Rivadavia

A new stone surface

nearly there!

Rincon de Wanalen cabanas

View from our door

Day 66 – Esquel to Villa Futalaufquen - 48km cycling

Sunshine!

Left the campsite in bright sunshine and cycled along a beautiful and relatively quiet paved road with views across open grassland to the surrounding mountains and hills. It felt good to be cycling again, especially along a smooth road where you had chance to look up and admire the passing countryside. There was an unpaved (ripio) hill section that had recently been surfaced and had hardly any traffic on it. When we reached the top of the hill we discovered a plaque to say it had just been opened (Feb 2010) which was quite fortunate! The road continued to undulate past lakes and through woodland until we reached the National Park entrance, where we paid $30.00 (£5.00) each (a bit cheaper than the £19.00 for Torres del Paine) and picked up a leaflet. The weather had turned hazy when we reached V. Futalaufquen, but it was still warm. We pitched our tent in the prettiest campsite so far (Camping Rahue Calel). Empty rolling green lawns stretched beneath a canopy of trees as far as we could see. It was totally quiet and we couldn’t quite believe our luck. We looked around for a site for a pitch as far away from the toilet block as possible.... but close enough to the administration building to deter wild parties. The grass was thick and bright green and dragonflies darted between us from a pool close by. We sat on a picnic table and listened to the sound of birds, insects and distant horses…….it was perfect. We cycled into the centre, which (like most settlements in a National Park) was a collection of timber buildings comprising of an information centre, snacks kiosk, post office, first aid centre and restaurant. The restaurant looked dark and empty so we rode down to the lake where people sat next to their cars listening to the radio and drinking mate. We returned to the campsite in time to see two white cars arrive with blacked out windows and park next to our our tent. The gregarious nature of Argentinians means that in restaurants, campsites, parks etc. people will naturally want to congregate around you. Which is fine, unless they happen to be wearing pork pie hats and leave the car to do cart wheels and whoop so loud it echoes around the campsite. We noted that the car boots were facing us as they flung open the doors and turned on the radio, ready to pitch a huge marquee with a hundred metal poles. Two hours later with the tent up and the car battery in danger of going flat, they set off in their car and we set about finding another site to pitch! An hour later we were pitched at the far end of the campsite and became paranoid at the sound of every car engine approaching. We made the right decision as, when they returned, the music continued until we fell asleep.

The new road with no traffic

So smooth and curvy!

 

Opened a week before!!

Camping heaven?

Catching up on the blog.

Day 65 - Esquel

Puzzling!

Spent the day fixing bike problems and shopping for food for the next cycling section. The weather was sunny, warm and still which, after recent experience, means the days we cycle are wet, windy and cold. Had our first oven baked empanadas in a month (deep fried versions are not quite as delicious) and worked out an itinerary for the next week. We proposed to cycle north to Bariloche along the route we would have taken before John’s accident. The scar has healed really well but ‘looks small and pathetic’, (Johns words) and not big enough to have caused so much disruption. On the bright side, we had heard yet more stories that the weather along the C. Austral had been abnormally wet every day thanks to El Nino. Had a delicious meal with conjuring tricks and a little twisty metal trick that Helen couldn’t work out! That was Johns’ concise version of the evening! A magician and his wife(?) had decided to open a restaurant with food as the side show….which thankfully was very good (Trattoria Don Chiquino). We ended up spending 3 hours there with only half that time spent trying to work out the puzzles that the magicians assistant (waitress/wife) would place and demonstrate at the table with a dead pan, quite scary face. I spent the latter half of the evening removing bottle tops from my right ear as children suddenly appeared next to me to play the ‘Throw bottle tops at the 1950’s wooden bar game’ which I had unwittingly sat next to. It was brilliant! Enjoyed a quieter night at the campsite with only the odd whiff of wood smoke.

Quieter campsite - breakfast



Trattoria Don Chiquino - dinner

We didn't even see the magicians wife take the camera!



Day 64 - Esquel

Esquel - from our campsite

Woke quite late and opened the bus curtains to see the same view of Pampas which gradually changed from flat and sun scorched to gently undulating with the odd tree. Snow capped mountains appeared on the horizon and the vegetation slowly started to turn green. At a rest stop we chatted to a cycling couple from New Zealand who told stories of people paying for bus tickets, only for there to be no space for their bikes and the usual cycling horror stories. At 2.00 we arrived at quite a large bus station and re-assembled the bikes and cycled off in search of a camp site. We found one up a steep rocky track and pitched the tent in warm sunshine and no wind! Spent the day drinking coffee, admiring the huge street trees (which was a novelty after Torres del Paine) and sitting in the plaza eating ice cream. During the evening a family arrived and we had to endure the following common camping habits. 1. Park the car and turn the stereo on with the doors open so they face the campers next to you. 2. Shout instead of talk 3.Throw the tent on the floor and crack open a few beers in the hope you will get inspiration on how it all goes together. 4. Admire the talent of your children as they compete in a dog howling competition. 5. Search the area for dead wood, fence posts, living wood (use your children to climb trees if necessary) and make a big wood pile. Thank goodness for ear plugs.

Bus journey leg stretch stop.

A well used play area!

A modern version ACA sign

Street trees of Esquel

Street art bins!