Day one - Cycling - the start

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From San Carlos de Bariloche - Zona Llao Llao - Hotel Gran Panericano - Cabañas Buena Vista

35 km , elevation = 427m , 120 bpm


  1. Lago Nahuel Huapi


Met at cafe blanco y negro cafe at 1000 for briefing in Spanish . Got the gist but missing insect repellent and towel as we'll be camping one night . 


Then as a group we went to size and test out the bikes . That was good as it tested out my sore lower back . 


Normally this counts as Day one with other but this was Day 0 here . 


Needs must . Hated doing it but a text on my cycling group indicated they were taking fruits for almuerzo (lunch ) . I had jacobs orange or ginger biscuits from home . So took some danish pastries and apples tart for my lunch from the hotel breakfast buffet plus the orange …. Sorted . 


Trying to sort out kit for cycling . My rucksack will be transported to San Martín de los Andes . Booked accommodation in Villa la Angostura for Tuesday . Don't you just love these place names , 

They do laundry . That will be my two week rest and clean up . 






Pickup from hotel at 0900 gives me time to write up notes as it's now 0924 ! 

Well there was a reason for a late pickup the car wouldn't start battery issue and I think there's a change of vehicles. Diego picked us up  . Only enough for the bags so we had to walk to the bike rental start point . 


A nice ride of 35 km . It's not like my Wednesday ctc ride but this is more about the scenery and enjoying the lakes of Patagonia . Did that and more . 


There are some dangerous rides here as we are riding on the roads with no cycle path and have to get out of the way of lorries and trucks . 







But we go along tracks that I would not have discovered on my own . Right dirt tracks. 


We leave San Carlos de Bariloche and go towards our hotel near Llao Llao parque. ( pronounced shaw shaw) because ll here is pronounced sh . Stopped for baño and water fill at Colonia Suiza. 


One of my group described the Gauchito Gill story. I thought it was just a statue of a gaucho .  But a lot more . 


https://es.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gauchito_Gil


Also need to read about difunta Correa. 


https://es.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Difunta_Correa







Some hilly climbs but the bikes have good low gears . It's difficult to cycle in a group at times when you want to climb the hill and the leader and everyone is in the saddle in low gears . 








Finishing up for rest at the hotel . Dinner and I discover that bife de chorizo has nothing to do with chorizo but means sirloin steak . 


A good start with a nice group . 

Fernanda - 30 years old. The leader . 


Cin - 27 years old . Travelled here from Cordoba . A doctor for emergency accidents . 


Daniel - 50 years - programmer of apps for Dutch company 

Dina - 48 years old - web designer. 

Celeste - 13 years old . End of the two month winter break from school . Starts again next Monday . 

They live in the delta just north of Bs As. House is on stilts and travel by boat between their houses . 


Diego - 64 years old . Been working 30 years in tourism . Bus tours as a photographer. Now support driver for Fernanda . 

Good chats re Malvinas , the views of Argentinaians re Saes. Luckily I was Galés. 








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