Bariloche - 2nd Full day, Monday, 16 December 2019

Antarctic Adventure #4 - Bariloche, 2nd Day

This is all just getting better & better.  Let's get to it!

Got to sleep in a little today!  Didn't have to meet for our bus until 9:30am!  Of course we had to enjoy that buffet breakfast again.  George is still sick, but he slept pretty good, so we're off & running.  Our luck is still holding.  Our plan for today was a nice long hike in the Otto Hills Municipal park.  But there are 2 ways to get there - by cable car or by van.  This is a winter sports area, so this cable car is also a ski lift & it has strict rules for operation during the winds.  The group that went out yesterday had to take the van up because the winds were too strong for safe operation.  We had our finges crossed & YES!  We got to go up by cable car!

The 4 pax cable cars took us 6890' to the top of the hill which is 4610' above sea level.

 Here's a cool picture of the cars themselves that I found on the Otto Hill Recreation Center. 

Our guides were feeling pretty happy when we arrived at the top - after all, they had managed to provide us with an absolutely picture perfect day here in paradise!

We walked all around the outside viewing area & I took way way way too many pictures.  I think I'll finally have some pictures to replace our African Adventure from a couple of years ago.  This place is a photographers paradise.  Sheridan (one of George's harem that is retired from the Library of Congress) said "just how many pictures do you need?" as she & I continued to click over & over again!!

We walked by a snow making machine as we left the major complex to start our hike. 

The start of the hike was fairly steep & the dust was slippery, so we all just took our time & stepped very carefully.

Martha specialized in botany & she was constantly pointing out special flowers & plants.  This tiny orchid was exquisite.  We took turns tipping it's face towards us - it wanted to face the sun!

She pointed out this Spanish Moss that is neither spanish, nor moss.  It is actually in the Bromeliad (like the pineapple) family native to the area (not from Spain).  It has no roots & gets its moisture from the air.  It does not harm the plants (unlike mistletoe - owe you a picture about mistletoe from yesterday's hike - Maria hasn't shared it yet!).

As our hike continued, she showed us plants, trees, woolly caterpillars (she warned us not to touch this guy - said he could sting) & of course....birds.  Unfortunately the birds continued to be elusive & I never got any clear pictures.  They were singing happily though & during one of our quiet times that Maria insisted on, we heard many different calls all around us. 

Andean Condor

Chimango Cara Cara

Chimango Cara Cara

Southern Crested Cara Cara

Southern Crested Cara Cara

We saw lots of Condors (actually from the Vulture family) and both types of Cara Cara (Southern & Chimango - types of falcons) flying high above us/  I downloaded these pictures of them to share with you & me!!!

Another type of Orchid

Sweet pea

Hiked for a couple of hours.  It was heavenly.  Between the sights & the sounds, we were thrilled with our morning.

Lunch was provided at Berghof Refuge which is also a part of the Otto Hill Recreational Area.  It is also a small museum to Otto Meiling, the Hill & resort's namesake.  He was a German immigrant that promoted skiing in the area.  He started the first skiing school & established skiing refuges throughout the area.  As he got older, he became a hermit & had a reputation for being very frugal & for his desire to maintain the old ways.  He did not approve of the ski lifts for example!!  Guess he thought you were supposed to work harder for your downhill fun!

Fire Crested Humming bird - this is what Martha said we heard yesterday!  It is much larger (nearly twice the size!) than the Ruby Throat & Black Chin that we are most familiar with.

Our lunch was served inside the small cabin.  A young girl served us a drink (beer or wine or soda), a vegetable empanada (first we'd had & it was delicious!  stuffed full of carrots & potatoes & onions) & a big bowl of lentil soup (had some type of meat in it too?  Lamb?).  For dessert we had ice cream with Rose Hip Jelly.  Kerry shared with us that whenever someone says Rose Hip, they are supposed to wriggle their hips!  Too funny.  Gotta remember that!  The view from inside the cabin made everything taste even better!

After our lovely lunch, we walked a bit more, just along the slope below the cabin where we ate.  The flowers along the hillside were prolific.  All colors & sizes.  Spring is in full swing here.  Summer starts on Dec 21st!

We missed our cutoff & had a short scramble up to the road.  But our van heard us & he met us right at the top of the slope.

Back to the hotel & still impressed with the view from the room.  How can we be so lucky!!

Our controversial subject for the evening was about the Nazi's in Bariloche.  Our guest speaker, Hans was of German descent & had actually grew up with one of the main ones that was deported.  He explained how the environment had become conducive to their hiding out there.  3 main points - Many Germans had already immigrated there in the 1930's, Argentina was neutral during the war, & President Peron had established a conduit to Argentina from Germany when he invited many German scientists to come over & work.  Another subject that I won't get into was that there is an Atomic Scientific Research facility here in Bariloche!!  His explanation was certainly understandable & he was very open & expressive with his talk.  He is a history teacher & is simply amazing.  Really really enjoyed the talk.

After the talk, we went to dinner with Sheridan, Cynthia & Maria.  The restaurant was La Marca & it was quite good.  The specialty was an appetizer of grilled cheese.  Not a grilled cheese sandwich, but literally grilled cheese.  Our adorable young waiter brought it to the table in a hot cast iron skillet & scraped it out - divided the 6" skillet of 1" deep cheese onto 5 plates.  Heart attack on a plate - but boy was it good!!!!

We enjoyed walking back in the still light evening about 8:30pm.  Back through the square that is fully decorated now.  Sign up for the kids to visit Papa Noel - but he was not home right then - a young girl was knocking at the door & very disappointed!  We took another look at the hundreds of names decorating the square from the "disappeared."  That is the 30,000 men, women, & children that were kidnapped & mostly executed by the Argentine Military government in 1976 - 1983. 

Don't want to end on that note, so I'll add another of my panoramic photos from the top of Otto Hill.  Tomorrow will be another amazing day with lots of really exciting things planned.  Just hope the weather cooperates!  Thanks for joining us!