Introduction to today's journey
Today's journey takes us from Futaleufu continuing upstream to another border crossing into Argentina. From here the mountains quickly ease off into prairie land where we continue heading north bypassing most of the mountains. Eventually we do return into the mountains into Patagonia's Lakes District, where most valleys are filled with pristine lakes. We follow the valleys through rain until eventually reaching Bariloche, Patagonia's largest city. The rain clears just in time for a quick walk along the spectacular foreshore of Lago Nahuel Huapi.
Today's Journey
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Spectacular Milky Way view in the early morning before first light at the remote Futaleufu. |
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We leave shortly after sunrise, passing Lago Lonconao about half an hour later. |
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Following the Rio Esplon upstream shortly before reaching Futaleufu village. |
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One of many solid timber buildings in Futuleufu. |
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Heading eastward away from the mountains near Bagle. The forested mountains gives way to grassy farmland. The triangular shaped Patagonia has been getting wider as we've headed north, and the Argentine coast is now 500 kilometres to the east whilst the Chilean coast is still less than a hundred kilometres away even though we are east of all the mountains. |
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After a couple of hours passing through hilly prairie land, we begin to return into the mountains near Epuyen as the weather begins to turn for the worse. |
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Climbing the long winding road after passing through Rio Villegas. The rain begins falling as we begin passing numerous lakes deep in the mountain valleys. |
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The rain is falling heavily when we reach Bariloche, the largest city in Patagonia with a population of 108,000, about 5% of Patagonia's population of 2 million people. The rain clears shortly after our arrival but the wind is still very cold. |
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The port at Bariloche at the Nahuel Huapi (a large glacial lake at 890 metres above sea level extending eastward from the Andean main divide to the start of the Argentine prairie about 20 kilometres away. Storm clouds linger around the mountains. |
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The historical square in Bariloche just above the lake. The buildings here are made from stone It is already getting dark so I get some dinner and decide to explore the town tomorrow afternoon as we are based here for two nights. |
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