Last dose of Patagonia

Parque Nacional Lanín

 Swimming in Lago Huechulaufquen.  Rather be waterskiing ;)

Because we loved the freedom from the rental car, we decided to do it all over again and head into a national park just outside of San Martin de los Andes and Junín de los Andes.  It´s crazy how our trip is really winding down and we have just a few more weeks!  Instead of just two nights, we decided that 4 would be good and we got a screaming deal on our "little engine that could."  This was a seriously small buggy.  It successfully carried us through some gnarly steep and rugged dirt roads.  What´s the point of SUV´s anyway? jk!

The first leg of the trip we camped on Lago Verde and our weather was positively HOT!  Dave had some successful fishing and I had some success hanging up the hammock and reading in the shade or by the shore of the lake.  Let me tell you how busy we were...!  Meanwhile, there was a huge adventure race going on called La Mision and 100s of people were walking through the campsite and the road (not bothering us at all) but looking extremely haggard and hardcore.  They were passing at all hours of the night. 

After two nights at that side of the park, we headed to the main area where there is a huge lake called Heuchelaufquen which meanders around the bases of huge beautiful craggy snowcapped peaks.  From this side of the park, the HUGE Vulcán Lanín is visible and looming over the park.  We drove to the furthest point possible alongside a lake called Paimun where we would base for a few days of fishing, smiming, camping, and...for me...becoming a cowgirl. 

Cabalgar: v. to horseback ride

I haven´t been on a horse since 3rd grade and I am definitely reasonably afraid of them.  Last time I was in Ojai at my grandpa´s ranch and he put me on a horse that was wild and it took off running, I was screaming.  I´m sure that you can see how I was not exactly happy.  I realized that when I got to Patagonia that I needed to get on a horse...I would become a cowgirl.  We´ll call it "gaucha"...even though that doesn´t translate at all in Spanish.  Men/cowboys are "gauchos."  There is definitely a large presence of the cowboy culture here in Argentina.  It´s similar to the wild west feel of the US, just not so commercialized.  They wear amazing clothing, including a beret...sometimes instead of a leather hat.  The whole thing is quite picturesque and interesting. 

Our horseback ride was awesome and the dude who was leading us through the trail dropped us off at a primo fishing spot for the afternoon.  Dave was in heaven and caught some BIG rainbow and brown trout in the Rio Paimun and the confluence of the Rio and the Lago.  The day was like a cherry on top of our Patagonian experience, not to mention that the entire camping was fantastic also.  We were glad to be done battling horseflies (they are really bad in Patagonian summers in the countryside), but would miss the scenery and calmness of being out in the middle of nowhere.  Unfortunately, my day back on a horse doesn´t officially make me stand at cowgirl status, I would like to consider myself successful in conquering the fear. 

 I can´t believe that I don´t remember our Gaucho´s name...but there he is!

A little lakeside splendor, Lago Paimun

Both of us...before they adjusted the stirrups on my legs.  I was a little bit smashed. 

 

Reading spot lakeside...

One of Dave´s many catches on the Rio Paimun.  Unfortunately I was on the other bank of the river so I couldn´t get a close up...but I got to watch the flight!

(Dave has a lot more pictures on his camera...we´ll have to get those put up!)

On to Buenos Aires and Christmas in the City!  Love to all, Liz and Dave