Yes, you read it right Hutchae was in Bariloche(pron. Baril-o-ch-ay)
He was travelling with the beautiful Jessae
Sometime in Autumn, probably mid-May
When it was time, Hutch did say
To do some exercise, a cycle around the bay

They hopped off the bus round mid-day
And to their great dismay
They got off early about 5 k
Walk walk and walk the rest of the way.

Arrived tired and sweaty at the bus bay
Grabbed some bikes and set off for 30k
They met some freaky deaky dutch along the way
Firkin knackered Hutch did say
The dutch replied Oh Touche’

3 hours later back at the bus bay
They arrive knackered and willing to convey
That this was the hardest bike ride on a highway
But it was stunning on such a beautiful day

Later that night they sat down at a buffet
With the freaky deaky dutch and a waiter Jose’
They had earned dessert, a great sorbet
Retired to bed listening to Ricky Gervais.

The Tour De Bariloche was a 30km ride on bitumen up and down some big hills around some of the most spectacular lake’s and forrest we’ve ever seen. Here are some photo’s of our great little Tour De Bariloche:

A lake on route to the first hill:

A cute little cafe:

Please read on below.

Panoramic of two of the four lakes:

Jesse onya bike son:

More lakes:

Top of one of the smaller hills:

Beautiful Autumn colours:

How’s the serenity:

Bariloche itself is a pretty uninspiring city. Not a cute little town or ski resort on the Argentinian lake district that we’d hoped for but a thriving metrolpolis of 80′s east berlin apartment buildings. Still the pubs and restaurants are lively and shops busy. But what makes Bariloche fantastic lies outside of Bariloche, the ski fields, the lakes, the forrests and the glaciers.

We’d just come from El Calafate so glaciers werent on the top of our to do list. But the hostel had cars for hire, cheap and pretty new. So we hopped in a little Renault Clio aptly named Cleo and drove off to a “black glacier” named aptly Gray Glacier.

Liek all of our road trips it starts off getting lost. Say 30 minutes past the turn off, down some dirt road, we arrive not at a glacier but at a lookout to another lake.

Jesse at another lake:

The autumn colours of Argentina:

You would think a major tourist attraction might have a sign or at least a road. Nup, not this one just a limestone path that twists and winds it’s way up and around hills to the glacier. Passing along the way some absolutely amazing untouched scenery.

Cleo, she climped and jumped down every hump and dip in the road so well and even slipped around the odd corner taken too fast. Halfway to the glacier, we found out later the road was closed due to a public holiday, we got hungry. We bumped into a deli, well a little house, which was closed but the owner opened it up and sliced us a loaf of bread and some home made chorizo sausages.  It was the tastiest chorizo sandwhich ever!
As we were leaving, in the middle of a vacant national park, a local drunk Argentinian on a bike falls in through the door. Off his trolley, he climbed back up the door frame, slurred something in some kind of pissed spanish to the owner he told him in clear spanish to piss off! As we rolled laughing into the car, the owner was off walking to the bridge where the drunk had ditched his bike to help him out.

The deli:

Cleo, Jess and I continued our twisting way to the glacier. Along the way enjoying the views.

View of the waterfall and at the top the main glacier:

As better represented here:

We finally sucessfully fight through the european looking forrest and arrive at the black glacier which looks like a giant chocolate milkshake or coco pops:

After taking in the bowl of coco pops we take the small hike up to the waterfall:

We drove back down the path under the cover of darkness. Spent another night in Bariloche and headed off to San Martin De Los Andes.

Until next time viewers, stay not too shabby.

Hutch

Related posts:

1. San Martin De Los Undies
2. Wildly Dramatic
3. Snowboarding Diary 26th February 2011