Bariloche is probably the 3d best known Argentine city after Buenos Aires and Mendoza. It has a fame of Switzerland of Latin America because of its world class ski resorts, its Alpine architecture, and of course the prices. Among Argentines it is the most visited city, where almost everyone has been to at least once in a life time. Bariloche is the destination for high school graduation trips for the whole country! In July and August this mountain town is flooded with 17 year olds learning to ski during the day, and going crazy at night at one of the 5 major night clubs. By the way, if you want to go dancing in Argentina, make sure you don’t show up before 2 am, as dancing establishments are closed till then (Argentine’s are a little bit exaggerated…).
The "Llao Llao" hotel in Bariloche.
Luckily, we arrived to Bariloche in the off season (without any adolescence…yuck!) when the weather is just right, the prices are ½ off, and all kinds of fall fruit ready to be collected. Thanks to Emi’s uncle Gustavo, we had a place to stay and someone to guide us on the best activities in the area. After a quick phone call to Gustavo’s friend Edgado, we had direction to his house and then more than a warm welcoming with mate and a delicious ricotta cake made by his wife Paula. Since it was Sunday (the Argentine sacred day of doing nothing), the afternoon mates and chatting stretched for hours until it was pitch dark outside and it was too late for us to go find a camp ground. In reality, we were hoping to set up camp in Edgardo’s enormous yard, but he did not want to hear anything about the tent and made us accept his offer (twist my arm) to stay in his motor home parked inside the garage. All of a sudden, our living situation went up by a 100%. We had a bed, a kitchen and a bathroom while in the middle of a pine tree forest with a view of the famous “El Catedral” ski hill!
Edgardo's home.
Edgardo’s place was unbelievable… His wood-log mountain cabin (which looked like gnomes lived there) sits on a wooded hillside, right by the Lake Gutierrez, and 20 minutes away by bus from the city center. We fully took advantage of all of the luxuries that were presented to us. We slept until whenever we didn’t feel like sleeping any more, we hung out at the house playing games with the kids, we cooked great meals and made jams (from back berries and apples this time), we went for walks around town and rode bikes all around the beautiful lakes and the vacation neighborhoods.
Picking blackberries!
It didn’t feel like we were in Argentina at all. The town was very well kept, the people very laid back, and the mountains and the lakes just sunning. It also appeared that people there (at least the ones we met through Edgardo) valued different things in life compared to people from Buenos Aires. For example, when we asked Edgardo what he did for living he said that he tried not to work. Later he explain that Paula and him decided to spend as much time together and with their children as possible, thus accepting to sacrifice a number of commodities like clothes, new things for the house, nice cars, eating out and things like that. Of course, in their case, they already owned a beautiful house and did not have any kind of a debt to be slaving over to pay back, but stil,l what a beautiful approach to living! It takes some guts to say no to all of the things that make our life comfortable and easy…
Floppy - living a Bariloche life!
As it tends to happen in most places where I go, sooner or later the conversation comes to a point when people ask me about life in modern Russia, my childhood in the Soviet Union, and my opinions on the past and the present of my mother land. Edgardo’s house was not an exception. We talked about the different political theories and economic systems, and it turned out that Edgardo is this idealist from the 70s, who believes in the altruistic world and the redistribution of wealth. At this point I certainly felt as if I were talking to some hipster from San Francisco, DC or New York, who has a life of a few fortunate ones, while talking about the unjust capitalist world. Edgardo created an amazing life for himself and his family in capitalist Argentina. Could he had done it in communist Argentina? Who knows…
"Frey" at the top of the "Catedral" mountain.
One of the bigger expeditions that we had in Bariloche was to the Frey refuge at the top of the El Catedral Mountain. It took us about 3-4 hours to get to the top, where we were going to spend the night and then do a couple of short tracks up top the next day. Having gotten used to the nice temperate weather of Bariloche, I went up to Frey in my gym shoes, not thinking that 1000 meters higher there is snow and it is a lot colder. So…I only saw the lagoon of the Frey refuge (gorgeous), but not the overview of the whole area with all of the lakes and the stunning mountain peaks. When we go to the refuge I tried walking around the lagoon, but 3 minutes after walking on snow my feet were absolutely frozen, so there was no way I was walking even higher up the next day, especially considering the forecast of the ranger of the refuge, who was predicting -15C at night. Thank God we were not camping this time! Of course, when Emi got back to the refuge with some amazing pictures from up above I was very jealous, but I guess I only have myself to blame for forgetting my hiking shoes….
A full moon night in Villa Traful.
The mountains were beautiful, but I was happy to get back to the “borrowed” comforts of our Bariloche retro Mercedes-Benz motor-home. The last day was very family-like warm and relaxing, and I was sad to leave our new friends the next day.
After more good byes in the morning we departed heading north. Hitch hiking in Patagonia is what you do, and so, that is what we did. With a number of amazing characters who picked us up from the side of the road we made it from Bariloche to Villa Traful, through the Lake Region, to San Martin de los Andes and finally to Neuquen. Every person who gave us a ride added a special story to our trip, but there is one in particular that I want to share with you.
Edgardo, Paula, Caio & us.
So, when we were heading to Neuquen, we were picked up by this guy (Juan Carlos), who turned out to be a petrol industry engineer. He was very nice and chatty, and we became quite friendly by the time we reached our destination. In Neuquen, Juan Carlos drove us all over town only to discover that there was no camping and that our only option was the bus terminal if it didn’t close for the night. We were in luck and our lodging this time around was the tile floor of the bus station (thank God for the floor mat and my sleeping bag). As if he had not done enough for us already, Juan Carlos insisted on bringing us dinner to the terminal! We could not believe it when he and showed up with a bag of empanadas for us. It is really unbelievable the kind of people that cross your path in life, especially travelling. We only shared a couple of hours with Juan Carlos, but he will stay in our memory forever for his friendliness and generosity.
In the morning, after the night at the terminal, we were on a bus leaving Patagonia. This time we were off to the heart of Argentina, a city right smack in the middle of the country – Cordoba. This story, however, I will keep for the next time I have internet and time to share stories about our whereabouts….
Una nueva edición de la Cocina de Valeriano les trae esta vez no una receta, sino una curiosa manera de improvisación para asar algo de carne sin parrilla. Nos es muy habitual acampar en lugares agrestes, sin servicios y por ende sin braseros ni asadores. A su vez suele estar prohibido hacer fuego en estos lugares por un tema de preservar los bosques de posibles incendios forestales, pero si se tiene mucho cuidado y se cumplen ciertas pautas, podemos hacer pequeñas fogatas para cocinar algo a las brasas.
Primero que todo es imprescindible preparar un lugar sin pasto y armar un fogón con rocas de un tamaño no muy exagerado. A continuación, procedemos a buscar leña, la cual siempre debe ser proveniente de ramas caídas ya secas y nunca estar cortando arboles verdes en vida. Por último encendemos el fuego, controlando siempre que este sea bajo y nunca una fogata de más de 30 o 40cm de alto.
Churrasquito a la Piedra
Aquí es cuando llega la cuestión de cómo hacer para asar algunos trozos de carne si no tenemos parrilla. Primero podemos buscar algún alambrado cerca para usar a modo de asador de obra, pero si esto no funciona, a no preocuparse porque Valeriano les trae una nueva solución innovadora. Buscamos alguna piedra lo mas chata posible y de un tamaño no muy grande. Hacemos lugar en un costado de las brasas y la colocamos sobre ellas. Las piedras tienen la particularidad de mantener la temperatura de una manera excelente, por lo que luego de calentarla durante unos minutos, solo es cuestión de colocar la carne sobre esta plancha natural y asar estos Churrascos a la Piedra para disfrutarlos al plato o en sándwich, con el pan tostado bajo el mismo mecanismo.
Ya no hace falta parrilla para hacer un pequeño asado. Solo un poco de maña e improvisación, y no solo para carne sirve la piedra, sino también para poder disfrutar de los mejores choripanes mariposa de la Patagonia. Como último dato importante, no olvidarse de apagar el fuego con abundante agua antes de ir a dormir o abandonar el lugar, ya que cualquier briza puede desparramar las brasas y causar un desastre.
En una nueva edición de La Cocina de Valeriano, esta vez les traemos a la mesa un fabuloso y económico Pollo al Disco Verdulero. Se trata básicamente de un pollo con verduras a elección cocidos en un disco de arado sobre fuego directo de leña.
Lo primero que debemos realizar es calentar el disco con bastante fuego y proceder a limpiarlo con las sobras mismas de la piel del pollo y sus grasas. Ya con el disco limpio y con una temperatura elevada, agregamos los trozos de pollo, dependiendo de la cantidad de comensales. Es muy importante colocarlos primeramente del lado del hueso y bajar el fuego a una llama pequeña, el cual debe ser controlado durante toda la cocción para que este nunca aumente ni disminuya. El disco de arado es de un metal grueso, lo que mantiene mucho el calor, por lo que con pocas brasas este no se enfría, pero si por el contrario nos sobrepasamos, luego tarda mucho en perder temperatura y la comida sale arrebatada.
Cuando el pollo está casi listo para darlo vuelta, agregamos en el medio del disco la cebolla, ajo, zanahoria y morrón para que se vallan dorando lentamente. Luego, al momento de dar vuelta el pollo, agregamos zapallito, berenjena y tomate. Condimentamos con sal, pimienta y ají molido a gusto y terminamos de cocinar tanto la verdura como los trozos del ave.
Ahora si está listo nuestro Pollo al Disco Verdulero, para deleitarse con quien quiera que se lo comparta. Un dato muy importante; si es posible, comer directamente del disco, ya que este conserva los sabores de la cocción y mantendrá la temperatura mientras uno acaba con el plato.
INGREDIENTES: Trozos de pollo (1/4 por persona), cebolla, ajo, morrón, zanahoria, zapallito, berenjena, tomates, sal, pimienta y ají molido a gusto.
Llevábamos casi una semana en Bariloche y el sedentarismo fomentado por la comodidad de la casa de los Coto, solo nos había permitido hacer algunas caminatas por el Lago Gutiérrez, y una recorrida por el Circuito Chico en bicicleta que no pudimos completar debido a fuertes vientos, lluvia, y claro esta… mi mala suerte con las bicicletas. Tanto Paula como Edgardo nos habían recomendado ir hacia el interior del Cerro Catedral, un poco a la parte más virgen y menos maltratada por el ser humano de este gigante atractivo turístico. Al parecer nos esperaban dos días muy fríos pero sin lluvias y pocas nubes, por lo que al fin volvimos a acomodar las mochilas con algo de comida y las bolsas, y comenzamos la caminata hacia el Refugio Frey.
La Luna en el Atardecer entre Agujas
Bajamos de la casa de Edgardo hasta la ruta y caminamos unos 2 o 3 kilómetros hasta el cruce con la ruta que va al cerro. Como era habitual en Bariloche (y en casi todos lados) haciendo dedo conseguíamos llegar a cualquier lugar de la ciudad. Así fue que rápidamente nos levantaron y en apenas unos minutos estábamos en la base del Catedral, donde en temporada el hormigueo humano es tal que las instalaciones no dan a basto para el movimiento de esquiadores y snowboarders. En el lado izquierdo y pasando casi inadvertido se encuentra el inicio del sendero, el cual en invierno se utiliza parcialmente para la circulación de motos de nieve.
Laguna Toncek
Luego de los primeros instantes con un ascenso muy suave, el camino comienza a rodear el cerro, dejando a nuestra izquierda la vista del Lago Gutiérrez y Villa Los Coihues. El sendero se abre entre cañaverales y lengas ya rojizas que dan al entorno una imagen vietnamita de película de guerra. De a poco la nieve comienza a aparecer y a desplegar su alfombrado por los lados del sendero, para luego invadirlo por completo dejándose ser pisoteada por cuanto gringo transite los caminos. Así ingresamos en el Valle Van Titter para ascender a través de él durante unas dos horas hasta llegar al fin al Refugio Frey, una construcción de piedra de más de medio siglo fundada en las orillas de la Laguna Toncek.
Mas Agujas
El lugar tiene, como muchos de estos sitios especiales en medio de la montaña, una paz y un paisaje cautivantes. La laguna está rodeada por las agujas del Catedral, las cuales a pesar de no ser demasiado conocidas, son el motivo por el cual el cerro lleva su nombre. Como grandes pináculos eclesiásticos, las agujas de piedra rojiza se dispersan arbitrariamente a lo largo de la montaña como si fuesen caídas del cielo y hacen de límite a la gran olla de imagen volcánica en la cual estamos inmersos.
Frey en la Noche Estrellada
Habíamos decidido quedarnos a dormir dentro del refugio y no acampando, ya que en esas alturas durante la noche las temperaturas podrían descender hasta los 12, o 15 grados bajo cero inclusive, y más aun en días despejados cuando las heladas hacen de las suyas en la montaña y los valles. Así fue que nos registramos, tomamos un té caliente y me dirigí (yo solo porque Valeria se había olvidado las botas) hacia el lado izquierdo de la laguna, por el cual es posible un ascenso de unos 40 minutos a una hora, para introducirse entre las agujas de piedra del Catedral.
Laguna Toncek de Noche
Desde arriba el paisaje es bellísimo. Se aprecia la laguna desde un punto casi aéreo, y al otro lado del cordón, un valle nevado guiado por un rio que solo nos da las pautas de su existencia debido al sonido de su agua bajando las laderas del cerro. Decidí continuar subiendo hasta donde se torne peligroso y de a poco, sorteando piedras y nieve, llegue a introducirme en el medio de varios de los picos de piedra. No tuve mucho tiempo, porque comenzaba a oscurecer, por lo que luego de sentarme un rato a contemplar el paisaje, comencé el descenso, que cuando hay mucha nieve acumulada (como en este caso) puede ser incluso más lento que el propio ascenso.
Subiendo a la Laguna Schmoll
Pasamos una noche casi perfecta, la noche más fría del año según Giorgio, el encargado del refugio, quien nos afirmaba que rozamos los 15 grados bajo cero. La luna casi llena, iluminaba la montaña de manera tal que era totalmente factible, e incluso fácil, caminar por cualquier lado sin la necesidad de linterna. Su reflejo en la laguna incluso llegaba a molestar, como si se tratase del mismo sol en medio de las estrellas. Por suerte dejamos a Azul en lo de Edgardo, descansando, ya que se nos hubiesen congelado hasta las uñas durmiendo en carpa, y una buena pauta fue en la mañana observar y darnos cuenta que más de la mitad de la laguna se encontraba congelada debido a la fuerte helada nocturna.
Laguna Schmoll
Una vez mas solo, y luego de desayunar, comencé a caminar ahora por la derecha de la laguna, para subir esta vez a su hermana de nombre Schmoll, y luego intentar llegar a algún paso que me deje ver la cordillera desde su techo mismo. El camino estaba bastante complicado. Muchas piedras y nieve que por momentos castigaba mis pasos esquivos enterrándome hasta la cintura. A medida que subía, comenzaba a observar mas agujas, mas valles, mas nieve. Siguiendo huellas y dejando unas cuantas nuevas llegue a la laguna Schmoll. Esta tenia la forma de una nuez de cajú, también congelada parcialmente y al estar más alta, con mucho mas nieve en sus orillas. Giorgio me había dicho que siguiera subiendo por la izquierda, para tener una vista más panorámica no solo de la laguna, sino también de todo lo que la rodea, así que continué mi blanco camino húmedo, para luego de una media hora más llegar al techo del Catedral.
Desde el Filo del Catedral
No esperaba para nada encontrarme con lo que me encontré en esa mañana. Luego de llegar arriba y ver la panorámica de la laguna y los cerros que la rodeaban, continué caminando unos 5 minutos más y luego de pasar unas grandes rocas se abrió ante mí un cordón llamado Andes el cual parecía estar completamente a mis pies. Todos los cerros con sus picos blancos estaban a mi altura, e incluso el Tronador, que es el más alto de la zona, debido a su lejanía parecía igual de alto que la piedra bajo mis pies. A la derecha era posible ver el Lago Nahuel Huapi en toda su inmensidad y el mismísimo filo del Catedral que dejaba ver algunas de las aerosillas y confiterías de su cima, la cual se encontraba incluso por debajo de mí. Me sentía dentro de una foto de esas de revistas de montaña, donde el escalador luego de alcanzar la cima, congela esa imagen reveladora a modo de prueba de que el objetivo estaba cumplido.
El Nahuel Huapi desde el Filo
Comencé a bajar con una sonrisa de oreja a oreja, y entre varias patinadas y enterradas en la nieve, llegue una vez más a Frey para luego de un pequeño almuerzo y entre una fina nevisca, comenzar a bajar nuevamente a Bariloche, sintiendo que con esto ya podía dejar la Patagonia y encaminarme al norte, habiendo alcanzado el techo de los Andes ya en varios lugares y llenado mis pulmones de su aire de sacrificio y paz para el resto de la expedición.
Hace un par de años mí tío se había conocido con un barilochense por la Costa Atlántica y unos días después me pidió que le enviara un sistema de calefacción que utilizaban los camiones, para que Edgardo, el hombre en cuestión, lo instalase en su motorhome. Así fue que accediendo al pedido puse todo el equipo en una caja y lo mande como encomienda por Vía Bariloche. Desde ese momento que llame por teléfono a Edgardo, para pasarle el número de guía y comentarle que ya había mandado el bulto, me invito a su casa y a conocer su familia cuando quiera que sea que ande por su ciudad.
Vale, Caio y Emi
Esa noche llegamos un poco tarde a Bariloche y no queríamos molestar, pero al día siguiente luego de unos minutos sobre el colectivo 50, nos encontramos a orillas del Lago Gutiérrez con alguien de quien haríamos un amigo con el cual nos sentiríamos inmersos en una gran familia, dentro de una casa de cuentos de hadas erigida entre lagos y montañas encantadas. Edgardo era, o mejor dicho es, un tipo con el cual se puede compartir charlas, comidas, escuchar algo de música, y recibir consejos de hermano o de padre. Junto a Paula, su repostera mujer, forman una pareja que hace ya unos años decidieron dejar de lado lujos y comodidades de la burguesía para poder tener más tiempo del cual disponer y vivir de una manera más autentica, mas familiar, disfrutando de los momentos de la vida y la crianza de sus hijos Caio y Manu.
Vista del Catedral desde la Casa
Sobre la ladera del Cerro Otto que da de frente al Catedral, Edgardo compro un terreno donde construyo su casa de madera hace mas de 10 años. Como si se tratase de una casita de cuentos de hadas, esta tenia de troncos no solo las paredes, sino también las mesas, sillas, mesadas de la cocina y lavatorios de los baños. No parecía muy real, mas aun viéndola con el esplendor y la paz de su entorno. Sin ruidos de autos más que algún vecino que no sale más de una vez al día de su casa y con los picaflores dando vueltas por el jardín, cualquier sitio era bueno para descansar la vista, los oídos y la mente.
El Motorhome en el Garaje
Mate va, mate viene, Edgardo nos ofreció quedarnos esos días que estaríamos en Bariloche en su motorhome en el garaje. Nosotros nos conformábamos con armar la carpa en algún rincón del jardín, pero al final nos quedamos en la casa rodante, con lujos de los cuales no veníamos muy acostumbrados. Con el solo hecho de tener una cama, cocina, baño, mesa, y como si todo esto fuera poco, un inmenso jardín, ya hacía de Bariloche y la casa de los Coto, nuestra mejor residencia del viaje, solo comparable con el barco donde nos hacían la cama y preparaban la comida; pero acá había algo más que un lugar para estar cómodos y poder dormir confortables, acá había una familia que nos hacía sentir como en casa. Incluso cuando salían nos dejaban las llaves de su casa por si necesitábamos algo o para darnos una ducha.
Llao Llao
Varias noches nos quedábamos en la sobremesa, cuando Caio y Manu ya se habían ido a dormir, charlando un largo rato mientras degustábamos alguna de las tortas o budines que hacia Paula. Durante el día, salíamos a recorrer algo de los alrededores, como algunas caminatas por el Lago Gutiérrez, una recorrida al Circuito Chico o una caminata por el centro con cerveza de por medio con Vandria, la compañera de casa de Valeria en Buenos Aires que andaba por la zona con una amiga, y Page, la americana que habíamos conocido en el barco, pero siempre regresábamos por la tarde para unos mates, jugar un rato con Caio o responder las mas locas preguntas intelectuales del “atómico” Manu para terminar todo con alguna cena que casi siempre compartíamos todos juntos. Un día Vale hizo unos Pilmeni (comida rusa), otro yo un pollo al ajillo en el disco, Paula unas pizzas caseras y siempre alguna torta o budín, y el ultimo día nos despidieron con un asado al mediodía del domingo y empanadas, también caseras, por la noche.
Mas de los Jardines y la Casa
Lo único que podemos decir sobre nuestros días en Bariloche, es que quizás recorrimos poco, pero conocimos una familia que no solo nos recibió con las puertas abiertas de su casa, sino que nos brindo una amistad incomparable y el calor de un hogar que siempre es necesario cuando estamos fuera del nuestro ya hace bastante rato. Solo podemos decir gracias a cada uno de ellos; Edgardo, Paula, Caio y Manu, y está más que claro que nos volveremos a ver en Bariloche, Buenos Aires o cualquier otro lado que nos cruce, y que así como nosotros encontramos una familia en ellos, sepan que también ellos pueden contar con un porteño y una rusa para lo que necesiten, en cualquier momento y lugar.
Un abrazo fuerte para todos, y como dice Edgardo… “ME RECONTRA CAGO DE GUSTO!!!”
It was about 3 months before the trip when Emi began talking about an alternative way to make our way from Southern to Northern Patagonia – via a boat. His choice was with “Navimag”, a marine transportation company that takes cargo and curious tourists from Puerto Natales to Puerto Montt, covering some 1500 km in 3 days and 3 nights. Even though, this sort of an all prepaid (room and board) excursion seemed to be out of our budget, all I cared about was seeing these islands separating the coastal waters of Chile into thousands of canals. Those canals or fjords were not always water. At some point, probably during the last Ice Age, the whole southern part of Latin America was frozen. When the glaciers along the coast of Chile melted, they left trails of their retreat, in a form of web-like, deep canals, separated by many islands with virgin flora and fauna.
Miniature islands.
One way or another, we had to find a cheap way to get on that boat and see those fjords for ourselves. With an application of a couple of manipulations we had 2 off season student tickets for a 16 person dormitory cabin. The luck continued to be on our side and at the time of check in we got an upgrade to a 4 person cabin with a window and a private bathroom! Originally, when we bought the tickets, the date of departure was the 5th, but then it was rescheduled for the 6th and on a different boat called “Puerto Eden”. The explanation we were given at the time for this change was that “Evangelista” was out of commission due to a minor crash with one of the “moving islands”! Apparently, in Chile islands can move unexpectedly and cause an accident… Later on, one of the crew members told us that the real reason of the crash was negligence of the captain assistant on duty. According to roomers, instead of monitoring the navigation of the boat, the guy had the vessel on auto pilot and while he spent his time flirting with one of the passengers on board… Who knows the real truth, but we got an upgrade out of this whole mess, so we were happy.
Travelling cows and horses.
Our boat “Puerto Eden” was scheduled to leave at 6 am on the 6th of April, but passengers were allowed to board the night before. I could not wait to get on board and have a real bed all to myself, especially with the flu that I had caught in the days after the Torres del Paine experience. The cabins and the whole passenger part of the boat reminded me a lot of the river ferries that we have in Russia. The only difference is that in Chile there was also a cargo part for cars and trucks. Out cabin window was overlooking just exactly that part of the boat, which this time around, was full of animal transportation carriers. Even thought we were assured that the cows and the horses were given water and food and were not suffering, it was quite a sad seen to be watching them stand right next to each other for 3 days straight, no matter the cold rainy weather.
Emi, Margarita (Portugal), Massimo (Italy) and me.
We were not exactly lucky with the weather again. It only got better the last day, which ended up as perfect as it could have possibly been. It was sunny, relatively warm and not windy at all. It felt as if everyone on board woke up from hibernation, and was out and about on the upper deck enjoying the sun and a variety of drinks from wine to pisco, which all of a sudden appeared in almost unlimited quantities. By that day we had already made friends with a number of people and had an opportunity to practice all of the languages we spoke and the ones we didn’t. Our new friends were from Portugal, Italy, France, Brazil and Canada. Between the drinks and the conversations we also managed to see some dolphins, sea lions and even a number of whales (actually, just the water fountains that they jet up in the air swimming by).
Fantasy islands.
It is actually very difficult to spot those water fountains and most of the time it was the captain of the ship that told us where to look for them. Surprisingly enough, the captain and the whole crew were very friendly and answered every stupid question we and other tourists had for them. Emi, being obsessed with all means of transportation, took advantage of this disposition and interrogated those guys about every switch, gauge and radar he could find on the control panel. Unlike my Russian river ferries experience, here we were allowed to enter almost every part of the boat, and especially the captain’s control deck. It was really cool to watch “how to drive a marine ship” standing right next to the captain.
More islands.
The majority of the trajectory of the trip is in between the islands, so it is very calm and almost feels like going through a river. Nevertheless, there is a 12 hour period when the ship goes out to open waters… Supposedly, we had perfect weather conditions with only 3-4 meter waves – not a big deal. Well, it is not for some people, but I was far from being perfect. Since I was already taking medicine for my cold I didn’t want to add more to my system by taking a motion sickness pill, and so I had to just suck it up. When feeling nauseous, eating doesn’t really help, but in this case when the food was prepaid there was no way I was going to miss out on that dinner. At dinner I discovered that it was beer that was a secret remedy for sea sickness! One can of German-Chilean beer just did the trick for me, after which I could eat and sleep through the whole night without any problem.
Fishing boats in Puerto Montt.
We arrived to Puerto Montt at 6am on April 9th. Even thought the Navimag experience was very relaxing and comfortable, I was anxious to get on going and continue our trip up north. Without much of a plan we went to the bus station to check our next possible destination. Since we had to decide between spending more time in Chile (spending more money), or going to Bariloche, Argentina, where we had already prearranged a free stay with Emi’s uncle’s friends, we ended up voting for Argentina.
Seafood wanders!
There were about 3-4 hours that we had at our disposal before boarding the bus, so we went to the famous Puerto Montt’s fish market Angelmo. Chile is known for its fish and seafood, and I was not going to lose an opportunity to taste its marine delicacies. The market was small and charming, and full of strange looking seaweed and shellfish. Naturally, I was going to try whatever I could get my hands on. This time, they were picorocos that crossed my path. These unusual shellfish creatures were the best seafood I have had in my life so far. Freshly steamed and with a little lemon they are absolutely delicious! If you are not a vegetarian and have an opportunity to try these things, do it! You will love them!
Ghost islands.
On the way to the bus station I also made sure to buy myself a freshly smoked salmon to enjoy it in Argentina, where fish is regarded as nothing more but food for cats. Thankfully, Emi doesn’t eat these kinds of things, so I had it all to myself and did not have to share.
At 5pm, our passports were stamped again and we were back in Argentina to now explore Northern Patagonia - the ski Mecca of Argentina.
Luego de nuestro desembarco en Puerto Montt, debíamos decidir nuestro próximo destino y de qué manera continuarían las próximas horas de Valeriano. Las opciones eran varias; la isla de Chiloé, Puerto Varas y Frutillar, o por ultimo cruzar directamente a la Argentina; a la ciudad de San Carlos de Bariloche más precisamente. Luego de estudiar costos, tiempos y demás, esta última opción fue por la que optamos, pero antes queríamos recorrer algo de la ciudad chilena. Algo que siempre queremos conocer estemos donde estemos: los mercados.
Mercado Angelmo
Uno de los sitios más visitados y turísticos de Puerto Montt, es el mercado Angelmó, el cual se caracteriza por la venta de verduras y quesos, pero su principal atractivo es el de la gran variedad de pescado y marisco fresco que puede encontrarse entre sus puestos. En el exterior de las construcciones portuarias de dos pisos de madera y techos de tejuelas, primeramente uno es atraído por los naranjas de las zanahorias y zapallos; los verdes de zapallitos, acelga, lechugas y repollos; el rosado de los rabanitos y el rojo de los pimientos. Como encausado entre las vendedoras uno es conducido casi instintivamente hasta el interior del mercado donde además de seguir viendo los colores de la verdura, comenzamos a olfatear el olor a pescado.
Venta de Pescado
Los ejemplares cuelgan de ganchos como racimos de uva, como cachos de banano recién cosechado, y los trabajadores con sus delantales blancos destripan cuanto escamoso se les cruce delante del cuchillo. Los salmones ahumados también son parte de las especialidades y los mariscos más extravagantes son exhibidos en canastas para quien quiera comprarlos. Una gran variedad de conchas, almejas, erizos y picorocos son de los que más nos llamaron la atención, y atraídos por un puesto donde se podía comer de estos últimos, gastamos 1.000 de los escasos 5.000 pesos chilenos que nos quedaban en los bolsillos. Otros 3.000 se fueron en una sopa de mariscos y los restantes en un salmón ahumado que se vendría con nosotros a Bariloche.
Botes Pesqueros
Así se fueron los últimos 5.000 pesos chilenos y así agotamos nuestras últimas horas en Chile y Puerto Montt. Caminando por la costanera, atravesando el mercado de artesanías entre viejísimas construcciones de madera pintadas de vivos colores, volvimos a la terminal. Solo restaba recorrer los últimos kilómetros dentro de territorio trasandino, para volver a cruzar la Cordillera de los Andes y ya definitivamente del lado argentino comenzar a recorrer la región de los lagos.
On March 24th the collection of stamps in our passports grew by one more. This time, it was Chilean Patagonia that welcomed us with its furious winds and deceitful sunshine. We discovered that the town of Puerto Natales (where we arrived hitch-hiking from Argentina) was a charming little port town, mostly surviving on incoming tourism, as it is a gate town for all of those wishing to experience the Torres del Paine National Park. It was quite a relief to find it strikingly contrasting to its depressing Argentine neighbor - Rio Turbio, a dieing mining town, where we had to spend the night before crossing into Chile. More importantly, there were lots of hostels and campings in Puerto Natales, and we needed to have a place for at least 2-3 days, while getting ready for a week in the mountains.
A real kitchen!
A family guest house Jasmar2 provided just what we need, a backyard with plenty of grass to set up our tent and a real industrial kitchen to cook our meals. As it turns out, on a trip like this, you end up with periods of time when you just have to wait and stay put in one place for a while. Since you are kind of removed from your normal world, and your normal habits, you end up rediscovering simple joys of life like cooking, reading, writing, talking or simply day dreaming to fill up your days. I am sure this gets boring after a while, but I have not gotten to that point yet.
Torres del Paine and Lake Peohe.
On Monday the 28th, we were off to the park on a 7:30 am bus. 3 hours later, having paid a generous entrance fee ($33 USD) at the ranger station we were off to do the famous “W” trail, and may be explore some less touristy hikes. At that same station, the weather report was promising, predicting partly cloudy/sometimes rainy weather with moderate winds and tolerable temperatures. The first day, as promised, was cloudy at times, and sunny just when we needed to see things. We somehow managed to hike up to the “Torres” mountains and enjoy their monumental beauty during the 2 hours that the sky was clear that day. They say that this 5,3 hour hike is the toughest part of the “W”, but after our adventures in the Argentine mountains we did not feel that it was that difficult at all. Nevertheless, that night we decided to stay at a camp site only about an hour away from the “Torres”, so that we could get some rest and prepare for the 2d leg of the trail we were going to do the following day.
Valle Frances.
That night, it began to rain….In the morning, woken up by the noise of the raindrops on the roof of our tent, we wrapped up and set off to the next camp site. The rain did not stop, but it took on a new form of snow. The mountains that were green with vegetation the night before were completely white, when we began walking that morning. It was kind of exciting to walk in the snow, so we started off with some good energy and positive spirits. Well, shortly after, the snow intensified and turned into rain once again…. 9 hours later it was still raining and we were still walking…The camp was just around the next tree, and the next, and the next, until we could not see any longer and had to walk with a flashlight through those Lenga tree woods. By 9:30 pm, wet, exhausted and frustrated, we reached our destination. If not for the help of the Patagonian Mountain Gods, and the perfect distraction of the “Suite Francaise” audiobook, that John Kachtik left with me, when he visited, I would have not made it that day. On top of all of the climate inconveniences, my hiking boots turned out to be not exactly what my ankles liked. The last 2 hours I had to walk with shoe laces untied, which in turn gave me some nice blood blisters on both feet.
Snow, more snow...
That night, at some point when it was already dark, we finally arrived to the campsite to stay there for 2 days waiting for the rain to stop. Well…it never stopped. A number of our new camp-friends that we made were x-ing their “W” plan and returning back to Puerto Natales. We, instead of giving up, decided to squeeze our way into the park ranger’s house, which had already been shot down for the season. Emi, a self proclaimed McGyver, in 2 seconds opened the window, and as we were about to take our backpacks inside, we heard someone chopping wood behind the house…. It turned out that the park services sent a volunteer to watch over that ranger station….Since breaking into the house was not an option any longer, we had to befriend the new ranger to get ourselves inside and out of the rain. Quique ended up being as friendly as one could be, and invited us to have mate, let us dry our clothes and boots, and even gave us a super comfortable mattress to sleep on that night. It was the first time in a month that we slept on a real mattress….It felt like heaven, almost, if not for the unexpected visitors, who chewed up a million little wholes in our tent. As we found out later, mice were a plague in all camp grounds in Torres del Paine, and there was no way to protect our belongings from them. The strangest thing is that they did not care for anything that had food of smelt like food. Those mice were addicted to plastic and ate anything from tents to water bags. Eventually, we just gave up and just ignored the damage, hoping to do some repair projects when we got back to civilization.
Lenga Trees.
During the next few days, despite the weather that never got better, we decided to get our money worth and stick with the “W” trail. We went up to all of the main observation points and enjoyed what we could. The best hike was to the “Britanico” refuge, which is the middle part of the “W”. The trail was covered with knee-deep snow and we had to follow puma tracks (we are convinced it was a puma) to find our way to the top. It was fun and exciting to be in the snow, however, wet boots made us get back down and mobilize towards the next campsite pretty quickly.
Special deals for Russians!
Our time at the Torres del Paine National Park of Chile was quite an experience. I would do it again, but I’d make sure I went during the dry season…. In reality, there is no such thing as dry season in that part to Chile. Chilean Ands is a natural barrier for the precipitation brought from the Pacific Ocean. All the rain and snow gets dumped on the Chilean territory, which makes Argentine’s hiking trails much more attractive. I thought we just had bad luck with the weather in Chile, but apparently we got to experience those wet mountains just how they are most of the time.
By April 4th, we were back in Puerto Natales, happy to be warm and dry, and preparing for our next adventure. This time it was going to be a luxury (by our standards) 3 day trip through the Chilean Fjords taking us to a town of Puerto Montt in Northern Patagonia.
