Day 220 - Parque Nacional Los Alerces

This morning the temperature was still pleasant. We passed Paso de Indios, Pampa de Agnia and Teka. Slowly but surely, the Andes Mountains came into view on the horizon, but there wasn't much else to see but dry, dusty Pampa for an incredibly long distance.

As the road climbed to a higher elevation, the landscape changed. Suddenly there was green grass, horses, and trees again. What a salvation.

Esquel was a tourist resort at the foot of the Andes. The gas tank was filled, and Ursula purchased enough supplies for a week. Then we made our way to Parque Nacional Los Alerces.

Funny story: I used the movie camera to capture the change in landscape and road winding through the mountain valleys. Only to realize this evening that there was no film in the camera. Oh no! I could have slapped myself.

Inside Parque Nacional Los Alerces was an idyllic place on the shore of Lago Futalaufquen. It looked like a postcard from the Swiss Alps. November, December, and January are the summer months here in the southern hemisphere. We heard the pleasant rushing of water from the brook next to us. The lake water was cold, blue, and crystal clear. I'm hoping to catch a few trout tomorrow.

We planned to rest and recover here for a few days. I built us a stone fireplace and started grilling steaks. After the early dinner, we enjoyed the mountains' views and changing light while the sunset.

At 8 PM, it was getting nippy. We moved inside the cozy camper. Ursula is writing a letter to her parents while I'm updating the journal and start writing a letter to Mr. Pilet of Piaget, something I wanted to do since we left Buenos Aires.

Stats: Miles 271, Expenses $16.85Read more