La Combrecita Is Heaven, Too!

Tuesday, Feb. 1

It´s even colder this morning. It was 9 C (49 F) in Buenos Aires. It was probably colder here in the mountains. The sun makes it feel better, however, plus there is no wind today.

Breakfast tends to be simple at hotels in Argentina. Usually there is coffee or tea, a fake juice, dry biscuit (scone)-like rolls, croissants, jam, and butter. This morning there was also a nice sweet bread with nuts. They also had dulce con leche, a creamy sweet paste in addition to the jam.
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Wow! Maybe there is a better heaven on earth in Argentina than Tafi del Valle. I am now in La Cambrecita. It is a dead-end (the road ends here) village at the ase of the Andes. It is only 32 km (20 miles) from Villa General Belgrano, but it took 1 ½ hours to travel that distance over an unpaved twisting roadway through foothills covered in pine forests, beautiful grasses, and many small wildflowers. There was an eagle (or a close relative) that just continued perching on a limb as we passed within 15 m (15 yards) of him. And two pretty green birds swept up from the ground to a tree with their tail feathers spread wide. Butterflies were fluttering everywhere, and there was a sign that seemed to declare the area a butterfly sanctuary.

Right now I am sitting on a big stone in the sunshine as a mountain stream cascades down multiple levels around me. There is a light roar and a magnified ripple effect due to the multiple levels. It is a private place with a wide variety of trees, leafy and evergreen, and shrubs arounds. Two couples have passed by as I have been here; I had to help both up a steep incline. But they passed on and left me in peace.

The village is small and spread out. There are plenty of hotels, cabins, and residentials, so this would be an easy place to stay a few days. I wish I had brought my luggage so I could stay here tonight instead of returning to V.G.B. This is also a German village, but less kitchy. I think it was probably settled by Germans. It is remote enough that it may be where some of the Nazis came after WWII. Anyway, it seems more likely to be German by association rather than by design.
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I have been hiking until now (2:20 p.m.). I am now sitting at a window table of a restaurant where I have a view of the river, expensive homes along it, and the beginning of the center of town. I have been on mountain trails that took me along streams; past nice, old houses with beautiful flower gardens; to a chapel at the top of a hill; and to a waterfall. Since my arrival, many more people have arrived by car or bus, so some of the trails, especially the one to the waterfalls, were quite crowded.

This is the first time I have hiked mountain trails like these since last year in Alberta during the days just before Arne´s stroke. The trails themselves reminded me of those final days and the good times during them that we had together. He would have loved this place if he had lived to come here with me.

I have been writing as I have had lunch. I began with a meat empanada, but I think it was one that the restaurant bought frozen and then deep fried. It was okay, but not special. Then I had ravioli made in the restaurant with roast beef and a homemade tomato-onion sauce. It came with a small bowl of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. It was nice, but the sauce was too thin. The roast beef, however, was tasty and enjoyable. The best thing to do here, however, is to bring picnic supplies and have a picnic somewhere along the river or in the mountains. From my table, I can see at least four families picnicking below on the river.

The sky is more cloudy than when I arrived. It may rain again tonight. My bus departs in less than 1 ½ hours, so I don´t have to worry about getting caught in the rain.
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Our bus broke down on the way back to V.G.B. It was due to a broken belt. We had to wait 1 ½ hours for the next bus. I didn´t realize that anyone knew I didn´t speak Spanish, but when the other bus came with an extra mini-van, one woman said, “Welcome to Argentina,” and another said, “You come here.” They were watching out for me.

It was after 7 p.m. when we got back. I came to the room after buying a bottle of water.

Walking: 15,547 steps (6315 aerobic steps), 686 calories, 10.5 km (6.3 miles)