Bariloche: Cerro Otto

With just one morning left to enjoy the town of Bariloche and its surroundings, my travel companions and I opted to visit the nearby peak known as Cerro Otto.

Cerro Otto (4610 ft./1405 m) is named for Otto Goedecke, one of the first European settlers in this area. Goedecke, originally from Germany, arrived in Bariloche in 1892 and settled on roughly 600 acres (250 hectares) at the foot of the mountain that would later bear his name. He raised numerous crops and animals on his land until his untimely death in the 1920s, when he was murdered at the hands of an apple thief. Learn more about Cerro Otto and its namesake [link in Spanish].

In 1930, Goedecke's countryman Otto Meiling made Cerro Otto his home. Meiling – a nature-lover, skiing enthusiast, and something of a hermit – lived up on the mountain, strapping on his cross-country skis in winter whenever he needed to go into town. He built both his home and a mountaineering shelter, Refugio Berghof [link in Spanish], on the slopes of Cerro Otto. The mountain played host to the first ski school in South America, where Meiling gave classes and hand manufactured skis.

We took the easy way out and ascended Cerro Otto aboard aerial cable cars made, not so surprisingly, in Austria. In just 12 minutes, we were whisked from the foot of the mountain to its summit, enjoying a wide-open view of Lago Nahuel Huapi and the city of Bariloche below.

[View of Cerro Otto from the base of the mountain]

[Vince, my stepdad, enjoying the aerial cable car ride]

As we stood admiring the view and trying to do it justice through the lenses of our cameras, we noticed a group busily arranging some sort of lines and parachutes. Some minutes later, as a pair leapt off the face of the mountain into the wide expanse of nothingness, we realized that they were tandem paragliders.

[Lago Nahuel Huapi from atop Cerro Otto]

[Here's where my sister Marianna and I pretend to fall off the mountain (moments of silliness are important, you know). The imposing ridgeline of the mountain behind us belongs to Cerro Catedral.]

There's actually quite a bit to do up there on the mountain besides jumping off of it. Cerro Otto offers hiking trails, mountain biking, and horseback riding; cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling in winter; a revolving café with 360º views of the breathtaking landscape; and even a modest art gallery. Since we were pressed for time, we didn't take advantage of any of the outdoor activities, although I did hike the trails with Daniel when I visited previously.

[Cerro Tronador (the snow-capped peak) visible in the distance]

[Click here to enlarge this panoramic photo taken from Cerro Otto.]

It's a well-known fact that the mountain air makes you hungry, so we claimed a table in the revolving café to continue enjoying the view while tucking into our final meal of the trip. [Check out this cool time-lapse video taken from the revolving café.] A few spins in the café and one sandwich de milanesa later, I packed up my camera and said goodbye to Bariloche…and my family.

[Time to head back down the mountain]

View photos of my previous visit to Cerro Otto with Daniel in 2008.

Next up…the final installment: Patagonia From My Window

[Patagonia Series: Intro 1 2 3 4 5 6]

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Lakes Crossing: Bariloche to Puerto Varas

The Cruce Andino/Cruce de los Lagos or Lakes Crossing, a marathon boat-bus-boat-bus-boat-bus ride from Bariloche, Argentina to Puerto Varas (or Puerto Montt), Chile took the entire day and substantially lightened my wallet, but the experience, in my opinion, was worth every peso and then some. We made the voyage across the Andes on Easter Sunday, which turned out to be a fitting date for the tour, as I was continually reminded by my surroundings that only a divine hand could have wrought the spectacular natural beauty we saw that day.

In the faint morning light, we set sail from Puerto Pañuelo in Bariloche. After discussing the details of the day's itinerary with one of the tour coordinators, we ordered a few medialunas and cups of hot chocolate from the boat's snack bar. Vince, my stepdad, and I climbed the stairs to the upper deck, where we marveled at the mountains looming on all sides of the expansive Lago Nahuel Huapi, while my sister Marianna snoozed down below in typical teenage fashion.

[Vince on the first leg of the journey over Lago Nahuel Huapi – Puerto Pañuelo to Puerto Blest]

[Signpost at Puerto Blest]

We stopped at Puerto Blest with its lovely pink hotel [photo] for a few minutes before boarding a bus to Puerto Alegre, just 15 minutes away.

The early morning temperatures in Bariloche hovered around the freezing mark, and we were cautioned by the crew to watch our step as we boarded our second boat at Puerto Alegre, as patches of ice had accumulated on the deck.

[Cerro Tronador reflected in the waters of Lago Frías – Puerto Alegre to Puerto Frías leg]

The boat glided over the milky green waters of Lago Frías en route to our next destination. The lake's unique color, which can be appreciated in the photo below, comes from minerals suspended in the water.

[Thank goodness we didn't have to row all the way to Chile – rowboat outside of the border checkpoint at Puerto Frías, Argentina]

After exchanging some Argentine pesos for Chilean ones, we were successfully stamped out of Argentina at the Puerto Frías border checkpoint before continuing our journey by bus. The actual Argentina-Chile border crossing at Paso Vicente Pérez Rosales is located deep within the Patagonian forest with nary an official in sight.

[Vince and Marianna saying "chau" to Argentina and "hola" to Chile!]

[Cerro Tronador from the Chilean side – Puerto Frías, Argentina to Peulla, Chile leg]

The bus ride from Puerto Frías to Peulla through the national parks (Nahuel Huapi in Argentina and Vicente Pérez Rosales in Chile) offered fantastic vistas of the forest, the Andes, several small waterfalls, and the Río Peulla.

[The village of Peulla, Chile]

*We now interrupt this regularly scheduled blog post for a public service announcement.*

How My Stepdad Almost Caused an International Incident

The only hitch we experienced the entire day came when we passed through the border checkpoint in Peulla, Chile. Marianna was first up to the plate with the stern-looking Chilean carabinero. She presented her passport to the officer and waited patiently as he reviewed the details on her photo page. The officer looked up from the passport, unsmiling, and asked in broken English if Marianna knew how to speak Spanish. She shook her head no and beckoned to me for assistance.

The officer asked whom Marianna was traveling with, and I replied, "Her father and me – her sister."

"And her mother? Where is she?"

"She died almost four years ago."

"Do you have proof of that?"

I turned to Vince and asked him if he just so happened to be carrying a copy of my mother's death certificate. The obvious reply came, and I responded with a tinge of worry in my voice, "No, I don't."

After establishing that we didn't have any other documentation such as a birth certificate or consent form for international travel with a minor (Vince had traveled several times before with Marianna, and no one had ever asked him for such proof), the carabineros made us sweat it out as they busily typed away at their antiquated computers.

A few minutes later, having somehow determined that, indeed, my stepdad was not attempting to abduct his own child from his deceased wife, they waved Marianna on through, followed by me and then Vince. We were lucky this time, but we easily could have been denied entry into Chile. For the record, Argentine border officials never requested any sort of documentation to this effect.

Moral of the Story

Minors traveling internationally with just one parent should carry a notarized document granting written permission from the other parent. In the case where the parents are divorced or one parent is deceased, the traveling parent should carry a notarized affidavit of sole custody and legal proof such as a death certificate or custody order.

OK, now back  to pretty photos of flowers, glacial lakes, and snowy volcanoes.

[Flowers in Peulla, Chile]

After (barely) getting stamped into Chile, we sat down to lunch at the Hotel Natura, whose dining room features floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the surrounding meadow and mountains. Following our meal, we set out on foot to take in the scenery and shoot some photos before the next leg of our journey, a ride on a catamaran that would take us past not one, but two, volcanoes.

[More boats!]

[Cascada de los Novios, Peulla, Chile]

[The dock in Peulla, Chile]

[Chilean flag with the Andes Mountains and Lago Todos Los Santos serving as the backdrop – Peulla to Petrohué leg]

[Volcán Puntiagudo (at right), Lago Todos Los Santos, Chile]

[House on the shores of Lago Todos Los Santos, Chile]

The people who make their homes along the shores of this lake lead a life of relative isolation. As there is no road between Peulla and Petrohué, anyone living in the area must rely on boats as the principal means of transportation. A couple of passengers used our catamaran as a sort of water taxi to get them close to their homes. A pair of smaller motorboats pulled alongside, and the passengers hopped off and went on their way!

[Volcán Osorno (at left) by the shores of Lago Todos Los Santos]

After the breathtaking views along Lago Todos Los Santos, we disembarked at Petrohué for the final leg of our day-long adventure through Patagonia. We boarded a bus bound for Puerto Varas, and we zipped alongside the Río Petrohué and dense forest before the majestic Volcán Osorno and the neighboring Volcán Calbuco came into view. We hugged the shores of Lago Llanquihué as we sped toward the city of Puerto Varas with nightfall fast approaching, and the snowcapped peak of Osorno glowed in the evening light.

[Volcán Osorno by the shores of Lago Llanquihué, on the final leg from Petrohué to Puerto Varas, Chile]

About 12 hours after leaving Bariloche, we arrived at our hotel in Puerto Varas. I slept like a Patagonian rock that night.

Next up: Puerto Varas, Chile

[Patagonia Series: Intro 1 2 3 4]

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Bariloche: Cascada Los Alerces and Cerro Tronador

Day three of our adventures in Bariloche required a very early wake-up call, as our tour to Cerro Tronador was scheduled to leave not long after sunrise. In the feeble light of predawn, we trudged our way to the pick-up point about a mile (uphill) from our cabin.

Our efforts were soon rewarded when we paused at our first stop to drink in the view of Lago Los Moscos, with the sun hanging low in the sky and the morning fog still hovering over the lake's waters.

[My sister managed to look rather awake in this photo.]

We continued onward to Cascada los Alerces, a small but powerful waterfall set among a lush wood containing old-growth cypress trees. An otherworldly feeling permeated the fog-shrouded forest, and I heard very few sounds apart from our footsteps as we ambled along the wooden boardwalk and the rush of the vibrant blue-green Río Manso coursing past at our left, just beyond the trees.

After admiring the waterfall and the haunting beauty of the forest, we headed back to the site's parking area at the entrance to Cascada los Alerces, where a tiny rustic café run by a spry 94-year-old serves up tortas fritas and hot chocolate to visitors. The warm tortas fritas and the café's roaring fireplace helped drive away the chill. Before piling back into the van, we stopped to fuss over the resident cat and giggle at the hen scratching away in the café's flower garden.

As we made our way to Cerro Tronador, we stopped at El Balcón (The Balcony) overlook to take in views of Lago Mascardi and Isla Corazón. By the time we arrived here, the morning fog had burned off and the nip in the air had mostly disappeared.

Further down the road, we also took a few minutes to admire Cerro Tronador from afar, because you begin to lose perspective of the mountain as you get closer. At 11,453 feet (3491 m) tall, Cerro Tronador claims the title of tallest mountain in this region of the Andes. It has three peaks: the Chilean, the Argentine, and the International, the tallest one in the middle.

We headed onward to the base of Cerro Tronador to visit this dormant volcano and home to seven glaciers.

While most of Cerro Tronador's glaciers sit atop the mountain, the Ventisquero Negro or Black Glacier is located at its base. The Black Glacier, which is actually more of a chocolate brown, is simply a normal glacier that has accumulated dirt and small pieces of rock.

[Large chunks of ice that have broken off from the Black Glacier]

[Here we are listening for "thunder" after a small avalanche.]

Tronador means "Thunderer," a name that refers to the frequent rumbling sounds that emanate from the mountain as ice and snow fall away from the glaciers. In this video, you can see and hear a pair of small avalanches and then an enormous one that's truly impressive.

[My stepdad Vince doing the shutterbug thing.]

After our visit to the Black Glacier, we hopped back in the van for a brief ride to a rest area and small restaurant a short hike  from a waterfall called Garganta del Diablo (Devil's Throat). After refueling with a hearty lentil stew and sandwiches de milanesa, we ascended a rocky path to get a better view of the water pouring down from Cerro Tronador. The waterfall and additional glacial melt from Tronador feed this small stream, Arroyo Blanco.

[Arroyo Blanco with Garganta del Diablo in the background]

At the conclusion of the tour, we doubled back on our previous route for the two-hour return trip to Bariloche, and it's possible that someone might have taken a snooze in the van on the way back to the cabin…

Next up: The Lakes Crossing: Bariloche to Puerto Varas

[Patagonia Series: Intro 1 2 3]

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Bariloche: Lago Moreno, Bosque de Arrayanes and Isla Victoria

On our second full day in Bariloche, we awoke to sunshine and cottony clouds, a stark contrast to the start of the previous day. After a light breakfast consisting of a pot of Cabrales coffee and a few pastries, we walked about ten minutes down the road from our cabin to Lago Moreno.

[Overlooking the west branch of the lake]

[The pristine waters of Lago Moreno]

The expansive Lago Moreno is split into an east and a west branch with a small bridge [photo] spanning the shallow waters at the dividing point. A number of homes dot the lakeshore, and I must admit that it wasn't difficult to imagine myself living in one of them, spending all of my days enjoying the majestic views of the lakes and the Andes.

[Teros (Southern lapwings) wading in the east branch]

[Marianna contemplating life, the universe and everything]

For the afternoon, we had scheduled an excursion to Bosque de Arrayanes and Isla Victoria. We returned to Puerto Pañuelo, near the Hotel Llao Llao and Capilla San Eduardo, to board the historic Modesta Victoria for our first excursion on Lago Nahuel Huapi.

[The Modesta Victoria at Puerto Pañuelo]

After cruising along for about an hour, we arrived at our first stop. The Bosque de Arrayanes manages to maintain an air of serenity despite the hundreds of visitors it receives daily. Although arrayán trees, a species of myrtle, exist in other locations, this forest on the tip of the Quetrihué Peninsula is believed to be the only place in the world where you can find such a large concentration of these trees in one spot.

The arrayán trees' dappled, cinnamon-colored bark feels surprisingly cool to the touch, and their tiny leaves are only visible if you crane your neck to view the treetops. Their twisted trunks have a sculptural quality about them, with gnarled branches that seemed to reach out to us as we wandered past on the boardwalk path that winds through the forest.

The allure of travel lies in making connections to undiscovered places, to unfamiliar cultures, and most of all, to new friends. One of the most humorous and enjoyable moments of our entire trip came when we struck up a conversation with a group traveling together from the province of Córdoba. The cordobeses were a hoot! They were bowled over when they found out that Vince loves to drink mate, and they immediately proffered their mate to him in friendship. Vince was slightly hesitant at first, but with a bit of coaxing, he was soon sharing mate [photo] with our newfound amigos.

[Vince sampling his first Fernet con Pepsi with our friends from Córdoba]

Next, they asked Vince if he'd ever sampled Fernet, a spirit that is popular throughout Argentina but even more so in Córdoba. As soon as they discovered that Vince was a Fernet virgin, Fede (sitting to Vince's left in the photo) headed to the bar on board the ship to order up a Fernet with Coke. Returning with drink in hand, Fede declared this drink to be an inferior version since it was made with Pepsi, but it would do under the circumstances. Vince took a swig and gave the beverage a thumbs up. I also took a sip, as I had somehow managed to go all this time without ever trying Fernet, but I was less enthusiastic about the herbal-tasting concoction. After a brief time chatting, laughing and merrymaking with this bunch, we felt like we'd known them our whole lives, and we now have a standing invitation to visit Córdoba at any time.

The minutes flew past as we made conversation with the cordobeses, and we soon docked at Puerto Anchorena on Isla Victoria, the largest island within Lago Nahuel Huapi. When given the option, we decided to head to Playa del Toro – a quiet, pebble-strewn beach – on our own instead of going along with the hordes on the guided tour through the heart of the forest. Strolling along the path skirting the lake, we took in views of Lago Nahuel Huapi, the late afternoon sun glistening off its deep blue waters.

 [Chief shutterbug and shutterbug-in-training at Playa del Toro]

Estimated to be some 700 years old, Tehuelche cave paintings [photos] are also visible near Playa del Toro. The simple figures painted on these rocky walls demonstrate the close relationship that existed in the past between the daily life of the indigenous people, the environment and the sacred world.

We'd just finished checking out the cave paintings and were about to return to the port when we spotted an alien spacecraft!

[Citizens of Bariloche, we come in peace.]

Ok, so it's not really a flying saucer. It's actually a lenticular cloud, a type of cloud that forms at high altitudes when moisture-laden air travels over a mountain. A few minutes later a second cloud formed, and we considered the possibility that our vacation might be cut short by an extraterrestrial invasion. You can bet we hightailed it out of there and back to the boat pronto.

Next up: Cascada de los Alerces and Cerro Tronador

[Patagonia Series: Intro 1 2]

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