Lakes District

Megan:
After our time in the south, we took our longest bus ride of the year (28 hours) to the Lakes District of Patagonia. We spent a few days in El Bolson, an incredibly charming little town known for its microbreweries, chocolate and ice cream - could you ask for anything more? From there, we set out on our final backpacking trip with Molly and Andy. These three days were filled with a variety of climates, some of the most poorly constructed trails we've ever seen (these people don't believe in switchbacks), unbelievably rickety bridges, glacier-fed crystal clear swimming holes, and some spectacular scenery. Jon and I decided to take a different approach on this portion of the trip and instead of bringing our tent, we stayed in small artfully crafted log-cabins along the way - each complete with hand-made furniture, playful kittens and a cozy wood burning fire. These welcoming refugios ended up being one of the highlights.

We finished our trek in the wilderness on December 24th, just in time to spend Christmas day back at our quaint, family run hostel in El Bolson. The four of us enjoyed cooking some delicious meals together in their well-outfitted kitchen, and even found time to enjoy a picnic in a nearby park where, in the heat of the southern hemisphere sun, it was difficult to remember what holiday it was.

From there, we enjoyed a few days in San Carlos de Bariloche - the capital of the Lakes District. It only took a few minutes of gazing out at the amazing blue lakes that surround this town to understand where this region's name came from. We spent some time in the town wandering through the beautiful Bavarian architecture-lined streets, and felt like we had been transported to a ski village in the Alps. We also put on our hiking shoes one last time for an incredible day-hike to the top of Cerro Catedral where we were able to see an awesome panorama of multiple rows of mountain ranges fading into the distance.

It was bitter-sweet returning to Buenos Aires because although Jon and I were very much looking forward to having time to explore the incredible cultural capital of Latin America, it meant that our time with Molly and Andy was coming to an end. Not only did our time with them make us forget just how far from home we were, but their passion for natural beauty was contagious. Jon and I pushed ourselves to do longer and more intense treks than we ever would have done on our own, and it allowed us to experience Patagonia on a whole different level. Thank you both so much for everything you shared with us this past month.