July Rains

Cheryl and I are officially back in Panajachel after three of the longest (and at times, scariest) days of traveling I think I've had this whole trip. The lake seems the same, though the heavy rains as of late have risen the level of the river and closed the main passage to the town from Solola. The waterfall on the main road is frighteningly large and there was a derrumbe, or land slide last night. It reminds me a bit of Agatha and the disaster that storm wreaked about this time last year.  I can only hope we won't have a repeat of that. Despite the rain, it's good to be back and we're off to Cafe Moka to do it up right :)

Belize This....

I know it's been a super long time since I last updated, but I couldn't resist considering Cheryl and my current situation. We are now in Belize City - in a "guesthouse" that smells of the 20932 pounds of garlic getting cooked in the kitchen while we sweat to death in their "lobby"... where I'm not sure whether I should have been more afraid of our one-toothed taxi driver, or his car with the stolen radio and no side mirrors while he talks about the "crazies. them crazies be killing people at night. crazies.", or the drunk, strung out men on the street murmuring "yea, let me sex ya all night long, all night long," Get me back to Guatemala ASAP. 

Salkantay to Machu Picchu

Upon arrival to Cusco one is inundated with travel agencies and aggressive people in the streets offering everything from massages to cheap travel packages to MachuPicchu. It can be overwhelming and while guide books can offer recommended agencies, it can be hard to ascertain why some companies charge $495 for the trek while others offer appearingly similar packages for a mere $170. After talking to a number of people, we decided to book through Loki, our hostel for their $250 Salkantay Trek ($230 with an ISIC card). The price was on the lower end of the scale and we found that companies offering the trek for anything less than $200 are screwing over someone along the way (having super large groups, saying you have a guide, cook, and porter when they all happen to be the same person, dated equipment, etc) - or including a ton of hidden costs you´ll just have to pay later.

The Salkantay trek itself is an alternative trek to the Inca Trail (The Inca Trail is limited to 200 tourists a day and can book up months in advance). Two other popular alternative treks include Lares (4 days easy trekking, more cultural/visiting small Andean towns) and Inca Jungle (4 day combination of biking, rafting, and trekking). Salkantay is catered more to the adventurous - claiming to be more difficult than the Inca Trail and offering an unforgettable five day journey through varied landscapes.

The first day we were picked up by Roger, our guide, from our hostel and brought to Mollepata, where we ate breakfast with the other two people on our trek (Alfie and Millie, a Brit couple on their gap year) and then headed up through winding valleys and hills until we had reached the temporary summit. We ate lunch there and took a brief siesta before continuing along a wider, flatter road for about 3 hours to Soraypampa, our campsite. Our tents, thanks to Javier and the horseman were already set up for us and hot drinks, snacks, and dinner ready. The first night is the coldest, as the campsite is wedged beneath the Salkantay and Tukarhuay mountains.


The second day was an early wake up call and everyone hiked from our campsite up to the summit, 4600 meters above sea level. The ascent takes about 3 1/2 hours and includes steep inclines and switchbacks but the hard work is constantly rewarded by the views of the Urnaytay snowcapped mountains. At the summit, you can opt to take a 20 minute detour to go see the beautiful lagoon of Yanacocha. If you are not feeling well or too tired, hikers can also opt to pay 80 soles to take a horse from the campsite to the summit. From the summit, its a gradual descent til you reach small houses where lunch is prepared and served by the cooks. Again, the walk down is gorgeous: with views of the mountains and accompanying glaciers.


After lunch, the climate drastically changes as you spend another 3 hours walking downhill to Colcapampa, the second campsite. Don´t be mistaken... the downhill is very rocky with steep descents and can be tough on the knees. There are also a number of rivers and streams that you have to walk through (and where a walking stick would have come in handy). The campsite on the third night overlooks lush green hills and a wide river, but its pretty infested with mosquitoes: make sure you bring insect repellent.

The third day gives relief to your sore body and blistered feet as it is almost all downhill til La Playa. Note that we followed the main road as the traditional path had been washed away in parts from landslides two months ago and was unpassable. This could change as they do renovations on the path. You´ll pass through valleys with views of small coffee plantations built into the hill and some stunning waterfalls. We stopped in La Playa for lunch, a small town, before taking a bus to Santa Teresa, the first place on the trail for showers (1S for a cold shower, 5S for a hot one), real bathrooms, and cold beers.


The fourth day is a lazy one... we woke up late (7am) and started hiking to Hidroelectrica, along the road again. I thought it was the least asthetically pleasing day of them all, as we followed a large gravel river to the town. The path was easy though, with some slight inclines, but mostly downhill. We stopped in Hidroelectica for lunch and bid farewell to Javier, before hiking with all of our gear, along the train tracks up to Aguas Calientes.

If you don´t wish to hike, you can take a train from Hidroelectrica to Aguas Calientes but the trip will cost you a whopping US$18. The first 10 minutes of the hike were difficult as its a pretty steep incline through the trees, but once you get to the top, the road is flat, as you walk for about 2 1/2 hours with all your gear to touristy AC. We arrived to our hostel around 1:30pm and took showers and rested, before meeting with Roger for dinner, and then heading back to bed.

The last day we awoke at 3:45am in order to beat the crowds to Machu Picchu. We wanted to climb Huayna Picchu, a mountain that boasts glorious, postcard-esque photos of Machu Picchu but only 400 tourists are allowed to climb up daily - 200 at 7am and 200 at 10am. We started our walk in the pouring rain, and debated standing in line for the bus, but here´s the clincher. The first buses leave at 5:30am and arrives to MachuPicchu around 5:50am. The hike up however takes about an hour. So ideally, you want to beat the buses before they arrive, to guarantee your spot for Huayna Picchu. Leaving so early, we didn´t think it would be a problem. What you should know though is that the bridge to start the hike up doesnt open until 5am, so you have to scramble uphill ASAP in order to beat the buses. It was pretty miserable. After 5 days of hiking, my body was about ready to give out and the rain and humidity didn´t quite help the situation.
But we made it to the top right before the buses and managed to get tickets for 10am (which is considered better timing because most of the morning fog and clouds have cleared up to offer better views).

We toured Machu Picchu, set at 2,430m above sea level with our guide for about 2 hours (he showed us some of the most important parts of the Inca City such as the Sun Temple, the Intiwatana (Solar Clock), the schools, etc) before wandering around for a bit on our own and then doing the hike up to Huyani Picchu. The hike up to Huayna Picchu is again, an hour of straight uphill, with some frightening parts such as the stairs at the way top which are so small only your toes can really fit on them. The top however affords some of the most impressive views of all of Macchu Picchu, showing the wider landscape of the tropical mountain forest and the gorgeous eastern slopes of the Andes. 



In the afternoon, Jed and I took the bus down (8US) and then a train that evening from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo, where we boarded a shuttle back to Cusco (arriving close to 11pm), to take hot showers and rest our bodies. Overall, I could not have asked for a better trek - the variety of landscapes, the challenge, the people, everything... just wonderful. Though it´s an alternative to the Inca Trail, I´d argue it´s a better one.

Copacabana and Isla Del Sol

Jodi, Adam, and I left La Paz on a 2pm bus to Copacabana. Other than having to get off the bus to embark a small boat to ferry across the lake, and reboarding the bus on the other side (Lonely Planet does not inform you of this, and we thought the bus driver wanted to drive off with all of our bags), the whole trip was pretty uneventful, lasting about 3 hours and offering nice views of Lago Titicaca.

Upon arrival, we checked into Hostal Sonia for a mere 30 bolivianos per person for the night, and though the room was nothing to write home about (the beds are a bit saggy), it was clean, the room had cable tv, and the hostal had a rooftop patio with a gorgeous overlook of the city and lake.

In the morning we took an 8:30 boat to the north side of Isla del Sol (15 bolivianos).



We walked up the hill to some of the historical sites on the north side including the Labrinth and Sacred Rock, and Jodi and I both received Incan blessings from a man atop the hill.

 From the northern side you can take a boat to the Southern side, but we opted to walk. It wasn´t easy... the hills and high altitude get to you, but it was definitely worth it and doable for any reasonably in shape person. It took us just over two hours to get to the Southern side where we settled in to a gorgeous hotel overlooking the lake for just 60 bolivianos per person.

Practical notes: Make sure to bring small change with you for the island - you will want to buy cold drinks and snacks along the way, especially if you do the trek from the Northern to Southern side. You will also need about 20 bolivianos to pay random fees along the route - 10 to head up to the sites on the Northern side, and two places along the trail to the Southern end where you will have to pay 5. The boat back to Copacabana leaves at 930 and 1030 in the morning (from opposite sides of the Southern island) and costs 20 bolivianos for the return. I recommend sitting on top or in front of the boat, to avoid the gas fumes. The boat from Copacabana to the Northern side takes about 2 hours and from the Southern side to Copacabana only about an hour and a half.

Salt Flat Tour

Salt Flat Tour

Let me start by saying that a 4-day tour of the Salt Flat Tours like all the agencies advertise is EXTREMELY misleading. It is not a four day tour of the Salar de Uyuni, the largest salt flats in the world. And honestly, you wouldn’t want it to be. Rather, it is a four day tour of Southwest Bolivia with the last day offering a morning at the Salinas (or salt flats). There are many ways to do the tour: From San Pedro de Atacama in Chile, from Uyuni, Bolivia, or from Tupiza, Bolivia. We opted for the latter option, considering we were already in Tupiza. Most tours will pass the same sights but depending on where you start will determine the order in which you see them. A huge benefit of starting from Tupiza for me, though it is more expensive than starting in Uyuni, is that the salt flats are saved for the last, rather than the first day. Considering they are the main attraction of the tour, I wanted to save them for last - a finale if you will. After all, who likes to see Macchu Pichu and then hike the Inca Trail after? It just seems wrong.

Tours often consist of four tourists in a land cruiser (though your trip is slightly cheaper if you add a fifth person, I highly recommend against it. You will spend a ton of time in the car, and want all the space you can get). You will have a guide as well as a cook and often travel in a caravan of other cars of the same agency. For example, Tupiza tours, the agency with whom we booked, had a caravan of five different cars. While this might appear to detract from the experience with more people, I actually liked it. When we got a flat tire (twice) or our engine overheated (once) there were always other cars around to help us.

Like I said earlier, most agencies offer identical tours in terms of sights. Here is a brief overview of our four days:

Day 1: We headed out for the Quebrada de Palala, a spectacular red rock formation resembling spikes. Afterwards, we continued El Silar or Valley of the Moon where, because of erosion effects, the landscape appears like the moon with peaks and landscapes. We spent lunch in a large flat field full of llamas. After taking pictures with them and commenting on how absolutely adorable they were, we were served sandwiches and tamales with a mysterious meat inside. When we asked our guides what the meat was, we were told llama meat. I wanted to vomit. Everyone else really enjoyed it though. We then continued to Nazarenito, a small gold mining village and Chilcobija, another large mine. We spent the first night in San Antonia de Lipez, a tiny town where we played soccer with some of the neighborhood kids and played cards til going to bed.

Day 2: Today was the longest day of the trip. We departed San Antonia de Lipez early in the morning and headed to San Antonio, an eerie, deserted town that used to be populated with families of men working in the mines. We continued through small villages until Kollpa Laguna, where people had the option of swimming in the hot springs of Rio Amargo before lunch. After, we headed to Salar de Calviri and Laguna Verde. We then headed to a geothermic land known as "Sol de Manana" which has intense volcanic activity and craters of lava and mud in a constant boiling condition. We continued on to El Desierto de Dali, which had strange rock formations in the shapes of trees that we had fun scaling.

Day 3: Another morning of waking up early (all mornings on this trip are) and a sunrise at Laguna Colorada, a bright red lagoon, located in the foot of a black mountatin. Afterwards, we visited another of other lagoons, most with beautiful flamingos walking and flying about. We arrived in Uyuni around 3pm, our first night with real showers (hot water too!) and eating delicious food at Minuteman Pizza (yes, it's as good as it sounds in the guide book)

Day 4: Left Uyuni while still dark, and drove out to the Salar de Uyuni, the largest salt flat in the world, just in time for sunrise. Unfortunately, we were there during the rainy season and a couple inches of water covered the entire salt flats, making taking some of the awesome photos you see, pretty difficult. It was also REALLY cold there. Be sure to bundle up. But the flooding didn't take away from how magnificent the salt flats are. We took the traditional photos, ate in the Salt Hotel, and then headed to the train cemetery for a quick stop before returning to Uyuni where our tour ended. 

The Wild Wild West

Tupiza - the infamous wild wild west:  the land of red rocks, cowboys, dusty roads, and the setting of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.  I didn’t know such places still existed in the world... seemingly so untouched by outside influences. Jed and I spent the day horseback riding through the canyons, in the dry, scorching heat of midday, and admiring the tall rainbow rocks and cacti that towered over us (even while sitting on our horses)

We did a 5 hour loop of the area... 3 and 7 hour tours are also available but I was happy with our decision. 3 hours would have been just long enough only to get out of the town, and not much further, and 7 hours would have had me falling off my horse, dying of dehydration and overheating. 5 hours was perfect... our guide was a boy possibly half my age, who enjoyed running the horses and the galloping provided an invaluable breeze. And even though we didn’t have the cowboy hats that the tour agency promised the guide would give us, I’ve never felt like such a cowgirl. Lonely planet got it right when they wrote that Tupiza is one of those places you just want to “throw your leg over a horse, brandish your spurs, and say ‘ride ‘em cowboy!’”

I recommend the riding  to anyone with an adventurous spirit, with the knowledge that your riding will be just as wild and rough as the neighboring territory. If you’re nervous, tell your guide you’ve never ridden before, even if you have. He’ll at least take it a bit  slower with you.  But it’s some of the most scenic riding I’ve done, at the cheapest cost: a mere 30 bolivianos an hour. We booked through Tupiza tours at our hotel whichdid a fine job and were very accommodating in terms of times.

Border Crossing: Salta to Tupizia

Crossing borders? Not so much fun. I had heard horror stories about the Bolivian border but it would take trying to cross it to realize what a bureaucratic nightmare some crossings can be. Jed, Matt, and I had taken an overnight bus from Salta to La Quiaca, the last stop in Argentina. We had followed all possible advice from locals and fellow passengers: getting my yellow fever shot and having the accompanying yellow card as proof of my vaccination, having photocopies of our passports, taking a midnight bus from Salta to arrive at 6am, just in time for the border to open, and crossing before things got too crazy, etc. Things went according to plan until we arrived to La Quiaca. From there, it all just started to deteriorate.

First, there are no signs from where you deboard the bus in La Quiaca, Argentina, to the border crossing with Villazon, Bolivia. So for anyone who might happen to read this before doing this crossing, here are some clues. When you get off the bus, walk to your right - downhill on a dusty road filled with hostels and hospedajes. At the end of the block, go left, walking straight til you hit some sort of high guarded military looking point. Don't be confused like we were... this is NOT customs. If you are facing this military base, walk to your right towards the gas station. When you reach the gas station, go left, walking straight and you will eventually hit customs. One might argue its easy... just follow the crowds. If you're sleeping on the bus, out of it, happen to lose your luggage ticket, and be the last one to leave the area (like me), it's not so simple. 

That's just to make it to the border. Crossing it is another story. To leave Argentina is just a matter of time. A slow line that doesn't seem to make much progress and locals that can bypass the line because they are just that - locals. But all in all, not the worst. Getting into Bolivia, especially as an American citizen is a bit more frustrating. To make a long, painful story short, Jed and I were told that we would each have to pay a $135 fee to enter Bolivia. Unlike in Argentina, this fee could not be paid using a credit card and Jed was told he could cross the border into Bolivia in order to use the ATM and draw out money for us, $135 in Bolivianos to be exact. After a good 30 minutes, Jed returned and we re-entered the line only to reach the window and find out that we could not pay in Bolivianos (the currency of their own country) but rather in US dollars. Jed once again crossed the border to the ATM, this time to draw out money in US dollars. Seeing how easy it was to cross without having to deal with their bullshit, I was tempted to do the same. When we had $270 in US dollars, we thought we were good to go. But no - a good two forms later, handing in copies of our passport pages, answering questions, and a bunch of hassling, we were finally given our temporary visas and passport entry stamps. No one ever checked my yellow fever card, but I hear that can also be a hit/miss so I wouldn't show up without it. 

Matt waited for us the entire time. The Australian gent that he is, he guarded our bags while we dealt with the border police and when everything was settled, we took a taxi up to the bus terminal. Trying to enter the terminal we were bombarded with women trying to get us on their buses to Tupizia, offering fares for the 2 1/2 hour ride for as low as 10 bolivianos (1.50). Instead, we opted to go with a taxi for 25 soles a person, too tired to waste anymore time in such a dingy town. 

The taxi, though tight with 5 of us, was a great decision - even with having to wait for some rubble to be cleared for about 20 minutes - we arrived at El Mitru hotel about an hour before the bus even arrived. By that time, we were already in our room, showered, watching cable TV and happy to just be settled again. 

Salta

My blog entry on Salta will most likely be disappointing as Jed and I used Salta as our place to go out and then recuperate... not really exploring much of the city beyond the artisan´s market, teleferico up the hill, a kinda shady government clinic, and a delicious (and I mean, INCREDIBLE, steak house). So I´ll tell you about the things I do know:

1. Salta itself: A city with colonial architecture and a great base for exploring the surrounding valleys such as Quebrada, Jujuy, Cafayate, etc. Large selection of restaurants, great nightlife. Some beautiful plazas.
2. Hostel 7 Duendes: Not a super nice place, but good enough to rest for a couple days. They definitely made an effort to try and keep the place clean, and it was in a pretty central location of the city.
3. Artisan´s Market: An indoor shopping area where you can buy anything from alpaca sweaters, jewelry, and rugs to homemade jams and postcards. About 20 blocks outside of the city.
4. Teleferico - Gondola ride up the hill for views of the city and surrounding area. Runs until about 8pm, and the cost is 15 pesos one way, or 20RT. You can also walk up and down the hill if you´re looking to get some exercise.
5. Viejo Jacks - An unbelievable steak house that offers massive portions (each dish can serve 2-3 people) at very good prices. Its pretty hidden with no large ign outside, so make sure you take the address down before heading out. Also beware that it doesnt open until 7 or 8 pm. Its located on Virrey Toledo 145.
6. At the last minute, I realized I needed a yellow fever shot and proof of it with the yellow card to enter Bolivia. Though I had read account of paying a small fine (100 Bolivianos), I thought it would be safer to just get in in Salta. After a ton of online research, I found a large government health clinic located at 125 Guemes (the large building on the corner) , where on Tuesdays and Thurdays from 9am -12pm you can get the shot and card for free. Just make sure to bring your passport with you.

From other travelers, I have heard that the white water rafting is a lot of fun, but the bungee jumping a complete bust (they advertise it at 40m, but its only 20)

Return to Argentina

As if we haven´t already spent enough of our trip in Argentina, Jed and I returned to Mendoza today, this time opting for the morning bus, to admire the views across the Andes. We left at 8am and had arrived to Mendoza by 3pm. And while most of the ride was pretty normal, there was one section of the 30-45 minutes leading up to the Argentinan border crossing that was just spectacular - as we did 180 degree turns around the staggering Andes.

Once again, the border crossing was pretty uneventful - you need nothing other than your passport and they didn´t xray our bags like they had done when leaving the country. We called Will when we arrived to Mendoza, a friend and co-worker from Tobacos y Vinos, the wine and cigar shop I worked for in Antigua, Guatemala. And together, the three of us grabbed lunch on the popular Calle Sarmiento before grabbing beers and drinking in the Plaza Independencia.

Then, Jed and I boarded yet another bus to Salta at 830pm, splurging for the bed seats, and arriving in Salta (Northwest Argentina) around 2:30pm the following day.

Practical Information: You can catch direct buses from Valpo to Mendoza (about 8 hours depending on how long tyhe border crossing takes) and buses from Mendoza to Salta (422 pesos for Cama, 17-19 hours). Both routes have buses that leave either in the morning (usually 830 or 9, and in the evening (from 6:30 on)

Valparaiso

After a pretty painless overnight bus from Mendoza to Valparaiso, Jed and I arrived at our hostel around 6am, settling into the lounge and napping on the sofas there, until the hostel guests woke us up as they came in for breakfast. After our quick nap and morning earthquake scare, we walked around the city, seeing Pablo Neruda´s Casa Sebastian on top of Cerro Bellavista, aptly named with beautiful views of the city. We also took the city´s oldest box elevator up the hill to Cerro Independencia, where we looked took in views of the ships and port.

Valparaiso, though artsy, is definitely a run-down port town and while I enjoyed the two days we had to walk around, I don´t think you need much more time there than that unless you plan on doing some of the many day trips offered from the city.

Practical Information: Exchange rate is about 480 Chilean Pesos to the dollar. Elevators range from 100-300 Chilean Pesos, the latter being the more popular ones. To enter Pablo Neruda´s house is 3,000CP but with a student ID, it´s half the cost at 1,500. The jail, which tends to offer a cultural and grafitti museum, was closed while we were there.



Photos from Valpo... written update to come later.

Beach Day in Vina del Mar

For the first time, Jed and I went separate directions today. The reasoning? He wanted to go to the naval museum. I... did not. It was great to be able to talk and have each of us fine to do our own thing, so while he went to spend his afternoon at the museum, I hit the beach with an English guy and Bermudan girl from our hostel. We took the metro to Vina del Mar, a mere 9 km from Valparaiso and I spent the day walking around, and just lounging on the beach and admiring the random jet show in the skies. 

Photos from my lazy beach day yesterday in Vina del Mar...  

Practical Information: Vina del Mar, though there is not much to do there other than beach it, is a great and super easy day trip from Valpo. You can either rent bikes and ride them there (again, only 9km) or you can take the metro like we did. Its a short, probably 7 minute ride, and will run you 350 chilean pesos each way. Depending on what you want to go, check the various metro stops as there are a number of stops in the Vina del Mar area, though the Vina del Mar one is definitely most central. Beaches can get crowded... be on the lookout for pickpocketers and have someone watch your stuff if you plan on getting in the water. 

Wine and Bikes in Mendoza

Imagine a flat countryside, roads shaded by lines of gorgeous trees and fancy vineyards tauting beautiful grapes and an even more stunning setting in the valley. Now imagine biking from vineyard to vineyard on a bike, receiving generous tastings and tours at each over the course of 7 hours. Welcome to Lujan (right outside of Mendoza) and the Bacchus Bike and Wine Tour - how Jed and I spent our first full day in Mendoza. 

The day was lovely and our group for the tour even better - Maeve and Shane (an Irish couple whom we had shared a room with in El Chalten), Simon (the Brit), and Becca and Holly (two awesome girls from British Columbia). A bunch of us from the hostel had gone out for steaks and wine the night before, ending in drunken debauchery of sorts, and I wasn´t quite prepared for drinking wine so early in the morning. But the ride was easy, and the wine tours informative and fun. In total we visited 4, including a stop for lunch: Alta Vista (wonderful premium Malbec!), Weingart (not a huge fan... my favorite was their non-alcoholic grape juice), Cerro Chacras (delicious lunch stop, wine included) and Pullmary, a small, organic vineyard. 

Practical Information: Wine tours are a must if you´re going to Mendoza, and you have two options when it  comes to the bike tours. Going to Maipu or doing what we did, going to Lujan. Both are probably about the same distance from Mendoza (40minutes or so on public bus) The Maipu tours are full of drunken backpackers, offering a large quantity but shitty quality of wine. Lujan offers nicer wines and super small groups, but you won´t get as drunk as the first option. Since, I did the Lujan Bacchus tour, I can offer better information on that. To get to the Bacchus wine tour office in Chacras, you need to take a public bus (#1, sub division 15, 16 to Chacras) and get off at Chacras Plaza. From there the office is right around the corner. The bus costs 1.80 and only accepts change. Bacchus will charge 35 pesos for a full day bike rental, and they arrange all the tours for you prior to beginning. (You must book your tour the day before!) Upon arrival, they´ll give you the bike as well as a map, outlined with your tour times. You then pay each winery, as well as whatever you order for lunch. Winery tours and tastings run 10-35 pesos each, and lunch is about 65 pesos unless you do their pasta option for 30pesos. With a good lunch, plan to spend about 150-170 pesos on the entire day. 

Photos from our bike and wine tour in Mendoza... Write up to come later.

Bariloche: Circuito Chico and Cerro Companario

Getting out our picnic lunch

Running short on time, and wanting to make it up to Mendoza sooner rather than later, Jed and I decided to spend only two days in Bariloche (referred to as the Switzerland of the South). We arrived at about 10am to our hostel (Hostel Bariloche) and had breakfast, unpacked, and then took the bus out to Cordillera bikes where we had rented bikes for the afternoon to partake in one of Bariloche´s most popular activities – biking the Circuito Chico, a 35km ride that offers stunning views of the numerous lakes and mountains. The ride was an absolute killer – we´re talking constant uphills and then downhills, but the views you were rewarded with were definitely worth the work.

Enjoying a nice break at Gilberts Cervezeria

Towards the end of our ride, Jed and I detoured to Gilberts, a brewery with an awesome ambience of high ceilings, wooden beams, and great beers for pints and a delicious chocolate and waffle covered raspberry.  I also have only wonderful things to say about the father and son that run Cordillera bikes – they were professional, helpful, and offered insider tips about places to stop, and were willing to pick you up should you run into any problems on the road. The son even gave us a ride back to our hostel when we had finished!

More photos from the two days:

One of our many detours...Playa Trunca

Beers and waffles... what more could you want after 30km of biking?

Mirador lookout

At the mirador

cafe lookout at Cerro Companario

Beautiful sunset over Lago Huapi on our way back

Chairlift ride up to the top

View from Cerro Companario

view from Cerro Companario

At the top of the Cerro Companario lookout

Practical Information: Bus from the bus station to most hostels (3pesos), bus from hostel to place to rent bikes (6 pesos, one way), full day bike rental (70 pesos, 65 during off-peak season), chairlift to Cerro Compananrio (40 pesos, roundtrip). The bike ride of Circuito Chico is said to take a max of 3 hours moving, but definitely allow yourself more time for that - you will want to make some detours from the main route, as well as make stops for food, drinks, and photo ops. I would say 6-7 hours to be safe.