Catch-Up

This past week has been pretty low-key. We`ve settled into life here in Bariloche: we have a favorite brew-pub, know where to go hiking, and have figured out our favorite living situation. So we moved back into the hostel yesterday to save a little money, allow me to cook more, and meet new friends. We plan to leave Bariloche on Thursday (a few days early) because we have decided to head SOUTH before north--and I´m thrilled. Northern Patagonia here in Bariloche is incredible, but I want to see the romanticized arctic Patagonia. I want to watch glaciers and see penguin colonies.

Here are some highlights from this week:

* I have to tell you about a hair phenomena here in Argentina: the mullet-dreds. That`s right, a mullet with dread-locks. Here is proof (which happens to be in our favorite happy hour brew-pub)










* We hiked to a ¨refugio¨(refuge cabin for hikers, which they have on most mountains around here) on Cerro Otto and the whole experience was a very pleasant surprise. The view was nice and we met the caretaker -- a wonderful guy who spoke slowly and said things like, "today is a beautiful day to be alive." The refugio itself was the original building for the first ski school in Patagonia. It smelled like the clubhouse at Tuckaseegee and felt like home. The photo above the mantel is the cool old mountain man (Mr. Meilling) who started the ski school in the 30`s. He dug his own grave near the refugio about four years before he died.






* Mati took us on another hike on Thursday and--I know I keep saying this--but the view was even more breathtaking than any of the others. There was nothing for hundreds of miles--just lakes and mountains. The only signs of civilization were a road to a refugio on a distant mountain and a boat leaving an isolated port. It felt like true Patagonia. Clint said, ït is so increadibly beautiful and so lonely at the same time.¨ It was nice to share the experience with Clint, who has dreamed of Patagonia for so long.