March 11, 2008
After three nights in Villa la Angostura we headed back around Lago Nahuel Huapi to Bariloche. But, not before driving up to a small ski area called Cerro Bayo. The Foder’s Guide says the name means bay-colored mountain, but we think the “Bayo” refers to the view of the bay.
The Fodor’s guide also did not indicate what a tourist trap this place is–you can rent ATVs, mountain bikes or mountain boards. Kids can jump on the blow up slide. We skipped that stuff and hopped on the chairlift to the top of the mountain.
Henry held on tight to Anders as we climbed to 1710 meters (about 5,600 feet). At the top we walked around a bit and Anders played with rocks. We got great views across the lake to the mountains, of the peninsula we had hiked and of Isla Victoria, which Anders and I will visit soon.
We took one lift back down to about 3/4 of the way up the mountain and hiked the 5km trail the rest of the way down to the base area.
Anyone who knows me well, knows I love plants. And I love their Latin names. So, I was quite pleased to find many of the plants I’d been looking at for a week clearly labeled. The next several photos will bore most people, so just scroll on through.
After we got to the bottom of the mountain, we headed in Angostura for a late lunch and then drove back to Bariloche to spend 4 more nights at Bungalows Capurro. Actually, Henry will spend one night before heading off to film and Anders and I will hang out for three days after that before heading to Esquel.
