We walked up to the bus station, loaded our cases on to the bus and settled down on what must be the most luxurious coach we have both ever travelled on. This was definitely NOT National Express. The seats were "semi cama" - half beds, and there was free, if sickly, coffee, and a film show. The bus was eventually going to Jujoy which is right in the north of Argentina, so a couple of days journey.
It was an easy journey. At El Bolson an English couple got on and sat behind us. He was telling the woman about a mountain ascent he had recently done. The bus stopped a couple of times but around 2 pm we arrived at the bustling Bariloche bus station.
We phoned the car hire company and they came to collect us in a tiny car which barely held our cases. Initially they tried to give us a Grand Vitara but it did not have the right documents to go into Chile. They were out of pick ups. After a phone call they located a Ford Ecosport, which we had to pick up from the airport.
This done, and with a petrol fill up, we headed north to the Villa La Angostura and then to the border. The border procedure was a little more organised. Previously one could have driven through without anyone noticing but here you received a slip which had to be stamped at the office to say that you had cleared customs and migration.
The scenery is less rugged here, the roads are paved and it feels a bit like the Tirol. The cloud was low and it was raining, so despite having volcanos either side of us, we couldn't see them. However we did see a fumarole.
We drove down to Osorno city and headed along what felt like a motorway with blue signs, dual carriageway and toll booths. However there were cyclists and pedestrians on the hard shoulder, as well as bus stops.
We decided to press on to Bajo Frutillar, a german village on Lago...... We booked into a cuckoo clock house, Hotel am See, overlooking the lake owned by Germsan speaking Andrea Lindemann. The rooms were typically German with lots of wood and white quilts.
She advised to eat at the restaurant "Gute Appetit", on the lakefront. Despite explaining that we were veggie they kept offering us meat dishes, and when we ordered a cheese platter, the main ingredient was sausage!
Back at the hotel, the rain continued to pour.
It was an easy journey. At El Bolson an English couple got on and sat behind us. He was telling the woman about a mountain ascent he had recently done. The bus stopped a couple of times but around 2 pm we arrived at the bustling Bariloche bus station.
We phoned the car hire company and they came to collect us in a tiny car which barely held our cases. Initially they tried to give us a Grand Vitara but it did not have the right documents to go into Chile. They were out of pick ups. After a phone call they located a Ford Ecosport, which we had to pick up from the airport.
This done, and with a petrol fill up, we headed north to the Villa La Angostura and then to the border. The border procedure was a little more organised. Previously one could have driven through without anyone noticing but here you received a slip which had to be stamped at the office to say that you had cleared customs and migration.
The scenery is less rugged here, the roads are paved and it feels a bit like the Tirol. The cloud was low and it was raining, so despite having volcanos either side of us, we couldn't see them. However we did see a fumarole.
We drove down to Osorno city and headed along what felt like a motorway with blue signs, dual carriageway and toll booths. However there were cyclists and pedestrians on the hard shoulder, as well as bus stops.
We decided to press on to Bajo Frutillar, a german village on Lago...... We booked into a cuckoo clock house, Hotel am See, overlooking the lake owned by Germsan speaking Andrea Lindemann. The rooms were typically German with lots of wood and white quilts.
She advised to eat at the restaurant "Gute Appetit", on the lakefront. Despite explaining that we were veggie they kept offering us meat dishes, and when we ordered a cheese platter, the main ingredient was sausage!
Back at the hotel, the rain continued to pour.
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