Patagonia

After having numerous 90F days coupled together with thunderstorms/road blockages/river crossings etc. north of Mendoza, then traveling south some 700 miles, we had unknowingly traversed in latitude from hot desert to the cool mountains & winds of Patagonia. It is like someone threw the switch & we are now into October like weather in the mountains yet it is still just late August in SA. We are now in Villa La Angostura in the lake region of Patagonia. We rode the 'Ruta de 7 Lagos' today thru the mountains...stunning views that reminds us of Switzerland lakes, New Zealand fauna & Canadian Rocky mountains....all combined. This area was settled by Swiss & Germans, so we had to stop for a latte together with 'to die for' pastry... Just to strengthen us for the journey thru the mountains...don't you know!

We treated ourselves to a lakeside hotel with a view overlooking the lake & a swimming pool(heated of course) & a jacuzzi in our room (you people need to understand the sacrifices we have made camping with all your favorite barnyard friends, air mattresses that won't stay inflated, riding our butts off 'day after day after day'). We deserve a little special treatment!!!

We intend to rest a full day before riding west(35 miles) to the Chilean border, then into the town of Osorno, then south to Puerto Montt...more on that later. The main message here is we have now experienced a great deal of Patagonia, we have penetrated as far south in Argentina as we intend, we are heading west to Chile, & life is pretty damn good!

Since the early 1970's, I have wanted to visit Patagonia...it is all I had envisioned!