Buenisimo!

That´s Argentine for wonderful! Or some exaggerated variation of the word `good.´ Am currently in Bariloche, the heart of what is known as the lake district. Turns out in addition to some beautiful mountains and forrests, there are a bunch of lakes! Go figure. I am heading out tonight on an overnight bus to Mendoza, the wine region of Argentina. With the large exception of the discovery of a parasitic larva hitching a ride in my shoulder for the past month since Peru (long and disgusting story, but all is ok now), the past few days have been relaxing and very nice. I had a fantastic hike yesterday, bonded with my hiking boots a bit more, up to a lodge a few hours up a mountain that was supposed to be open but wasn´t, which was just fine with me, because I was the only human soul on the mountain all day. The last bit of hiking was in several inches of snow. It was so nice! And the views were amazing. The area is made all the more beautiful at the moment because the fall colors are changing and vibrant, as you can see from the photo. The weather could not have been clearer, only slightly chilly but beautiful after the rains and snows of southern Chile and Argentina. The day before I did a short hike with an extremely talkative Israeli girl to a lookout which provided similar breathtaking views of mountains and lakes. Bariloche borders the Andes and Chile, and has very dramatic scenary all around. Ski season here starts up in July, but right now is the perfect time as there are no crowds and it is still sunny and clear, although cold. Anyway, not much more to report. T minus one week. Much love.