Bariloche, Argentina
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Llao Llao Municipal Park Bariloche, Argentina |
March 9
After an unnecessary hour-and-a-half bus ride into town and back due to faulty information and an inexplicable refusal to let us board a bus with a perfectly valid pass, we have opted for a forest stroll among a few of the thousands of lakes. Both of us could use a gentle outing after the torture we foisted upon ourselves yesterday at Refugio Lopez.
The heavily traveled road west from Bariloche parallels the shore of Lake Nahuel Nuapi, which is inside the national park of the same name. The bus route ends at the giant Llao Llao Hotel up on the hillside, where the richies hang out. No one is on the golf course, however, on this nice day. Go figure.
Right here is the boundary to a beautiful city park. Our one option
is to walk about a quarter-mile up the small road to a trailhead.
It is pronounced, "jow-jow"
The first thing one notices here is that, with the exception of a few dandelions, all the flora are different from anything seen at home. The beautifully maintained trail makes for easy walking through the forest.
What a pleasant path
The trees give way to a nice view of Lago Moreno, the area's biggest except for Nahuel Nuapi itself.
We hiked just behind that mountain yesterday
A bit farther on, we encounter a spur to a unique little forest.
This 300-year-old stand actually is a national park of its own, inside the
municipal park. In retrospect, I wish that we had explored it a bit more.
In two places we must use the little road to access the next trail segment. The last section begets the end of our walk.
Lago Escondido, aka Hidden Lake, is a mellow place. We lounge on the pier for half an hour or so, as numerous other visitors come and go.
Lago Escondido
That guy is too far away to provide a decent shot
She is somewhat camera-shy
Across from the Llao Llao Hotel is a big pier from which boat excursions are
launched. One of those had been considered for today, but the wake-up
alarm came too late. Perhaps we will try again in a couple of days.
That could be the boat that we missed
§: This very pleasant walk fit the bill for today.
Other trails are available in this park as well.
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