I gotta see it for myself!

When we did the math, we couldn't quite believe that we'd actually spent five nights in the same place! Lago Puelo was a real gem. I could imagine that given masses of people it would be a zoo, but the fuel shortage, rumours of volcanic ash and mixed weather kept a lot of people away. Lucky us. It was an unspoiled gem and we enjoyed our time there very much.

Today it was time to hit the road again and we began our drive north to Bariloche shortly after noon. The drive was incredibly beautiful. I can see why this region is so well known. Bariloche is apparently THE tourist destination in Argentina.

Despite that title, we were advised NOT to come to Bariloche. The winds from the north and west were blowing volcanic ash from Chile and apparently the visibility in the area was poor. That argument worked in reverse for me. I wanted to see it more, not less, for four main reasons:

1. I've never seen volcanic ash and as a geoscientist I was rather curious to see it.

2. That news may in fact keep the crowds away and the town may not be as crazy which is appealing.

3. My plan was to hit the spa as a treat. If it was crummy outside all the better, I wouldn't be missing anything.

4. They might be wrong.

And they were wrong. Or maybe they were right for the day before. The ~50km/hr winds were fierce and what little ash there was was quickly clearing out!

It was certainly the wrong day to wear a dress with all the wind but all my other clothes were in quarantine! The first thing we did as we pulled into town was look for a lavadero to take care of nearly two weeks' worth of stinky camp clothes.

As we pulled up to the fancy-schmancy 'Llao Lloa Resort and Spa' , 25km west of Bariloche town, I wondered out loud if they'd even let us into the lobby. This place features in the 'Leading Hotels of the World' book. It's expensive but after 35$ (~$8) per night of camping for 10 nights, it averages out quite reasonably.

Guille has the most amazing luck/karma out of anyone I've ever met. Things just happen for her. I've christened her 'Horseshoe Willy'!!! I can't go into all of the examples I've witnessed on this trip but she has a charmed life and she is deserving of all of it. So it came as little surprise that we got upgraded to a suite with a balcony overlooking the lake!

Once we walked into our room and saw how gorgeous it was we literally did a happy dance! This place is a real treat and we were so appreciative of being here. Pictures can't do it justice but here are a few attempts:

The front of Llao Llao Resort and Spa:

The view from our room: