Patagonia
is a geographical region that encompasses the southern end of South America, governed by Argentina and Chile. The region comprises the southern section of the Andes Mountains with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and glaciers in the west and deserts, tablelands, and steppes to the east. Patagonia is bounded by the Pacific Ocean on the west, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and many bodies of water that connect them, such as the Strait of Magellan, the Beagle Channel, and the Drake Passage to the south.
El Bolson
is the farthest south we are going in the Patagonia region. What a side trip from Bariloche this turned out to be. Surrounded by the Andes Mountains, El Bolson is a postcard perfect spot to enjoy hiking and amazing vistas.
Cerro (Mountain) Piltriquitron
Popularly known as "El Piltri" is the custodian of the El Bolsón valley. Always imposing, always present, it acts as the guardian of the valley. A 13 km hike/drive up to the area called the platform will get you to a location where paragliders start their flights to see the valley in a unique way. From here the final hike through the Bosque (forest) Tallado begins. The 1km hike up steep terrain takes you through a forest of Lenga trees to the incredible Open Sky Museum.
In 1978 and 1982, two fierce fires hit this forest killing many of the giant Lenga tress. For years, a cemetery of giant Lengas gave the forest a gloomy appearance. That was until in 1998, when Marcelo Lopez brought forward a new proposal for this devastated forest. He invited 60 wood sculptors from all over the world to come to El Bolson and make the charred Lenga trees come back to life. El Bosque Tallada would become a magical place that creates a new guardianship over the valley. Now everyone can enjoy the sculptures and the views of the valley from the Open Sky Museum.
Good Bye (Adios) Patagonia
This is the farthest south we are going on our trip to South America, and a good place to wrap up my blogs of this amazing trip. So many interesting and beautiful places we visited. But I have to end it with a comment on the amazing, helpful, honest and sharing people we met along the way. Argentina is struggling with a difficult financial crisis causing people to struggle, but they were some of the kindest. To our friend in Uruguay (Alejandra) - mucho gusto.
