Nahuel Huapi National Park & Bariloche on Nov. 2

Our local guide, Santiago, Santi for short, was a knowledgeable, humorous gentleman. The first stop in the National Park was a chairlift to the top of Cerro Campanario (Bell Tower Hill), 1050 m above sea level about 350 m above Lake Nahuel Huapi.

This part of the national park presents many more native plants than our last hike, like a vertical arboretum! Identifying signs are made of wood, and many are easily read from the chair lift. Magnificent!

Friends on the chair lift
The chair lift is not for skiing, just hiking or biking.
A few plants are exotics, like this lovely lilac-like one.
One of the identification signs
Chair lift ticket

Views in 360 degrees were beautiful! Again, our group was lucky with clear, sunny weather. Most of the water is one big glacial lake with many bays — named the same as the National Park.

The large building in the distance is the Llao Llao Hotel, originally opened in 1938.
Tall poplars are planted for a windbreak.
Notice how calm the lakes are, many reflecting the mountain summits.
Panorama from the top
A sign with many peaks named (Co. is the abbreviation for Cerro).
Tiny house. Perhaps gnomes live here?
Chimango Caracara
Heading down
Many in our group noticed this device on each bus wheel. This is an auto-inflation system that uses compressed air to overcome deflation caused by a small puncture or leak.

On the way to a local family-owned brewery and restaurant, we stopped in the forest for a nature walk. Santi told us about a mushroom named Llao Llao (pronounced shao shao) meaning sweet sweet (the way to say very is to repeat the word in the indigenous language of the area). When he first moved here, he was excited to try it. But, unknown to Santi, before European invasions, the native plants were low in sugar, so what to the people here at the time was sweet was almost tasteless to him.

Santi, our local guide.
One of the largest trees in this forest is named nothofagus because it is not in the fagus (beech) family.
The mushrooms make the trees grow strangely, like burls.
More mature mushrooms on a burl.

Lots of beautiful flowers greeted us on the short nature walk. We listened to many birds as well.

Spanish Broom
Scotch Broom
Quitral, Red flowers are not common; this plant is parasitic.
Walking back to the bus.

We stopped again for another nature walk where walking sticks were recommended.

On the beach of the lake
Ashy-headed goose near the beach
Mama with goslings
Trail sign to direct hikers to the views
The beach where we started
Many views of Lake Nahuel Huapi

At the Gilbert family brewery, the son explained the process he used to make his beer as well as the history of his family’s presence. There was a Patagonia brand brewpub just down the road; we were told this was placed for tourists and the brand is owned by Anheuser-Busch.

The building and signs; we had a delicious lunch with all beer included!
Brew kettles
Aging vat
Oak barrels for longer aging of Tangerine IPA (9%)
Many beer-related stickers.

Our guide, Santi, explained that Bariloche is the center for atomic physics in Argentina. The program, promulgated by a German scientist, to construct a research nuclear reactor on an island in the lake failed. But the Center for Atomic Energy is here, the premier institution for nuclear energy research in Argentina.

Back in the town of Bariloche, we walked to the central plaza where the grandmothers were celebrated again, for their protest of the disappeared.

Obelisk at the west end of Bariloche
The city sign by the lake
People painted white scarves with the names of their loved ones who disappeared.
The government did not want anyone to know how many people disappeared.
Big city building with native symbols on it.

Closeup of the native symbols on the city building.
Disappeared person’s name.
Symbols from the local native people’s flag.

After walking with our group for a while, we split off to go back to the hotel along the lakeside.

A museum dedicated to the Falkland Islands war
Outdoor display from the museum
Another outdoor display
We dined at “American Sushi”
Not much raw fish, only salmon, but nicely prepared
California poppies
Electronic advertising signs above the McDonald’s on the Main Street

It was a blessed day, and Brian enjoyed a local craft beer with dinner.

Leave a comment