Not being able to walk because of the bad weather, we headed north to Valdivia.   Here sea lions laze around on the banks of the river waiting for scraps from the nearby riverside fish market.

.

A short ferry ride away is Corral with its old Spanish fort.

.

We moved onto Pucón on Lago Villarica right at the foot of Volcan Villarica (2800 meters high).  The weather did not improve.  From here we visited a Mapuche village where we learnt about their culture and had a delicious traditional lunch of horse meat with puree of chestnuts and a soup made from pine kernel.

.

The island of Chiloé lies just off the coast of Chile and is accessed by barge from Puerto Montt. It is lovely and green and rains all the time.

.

It is known for the many World Heritage wooden churches, some with pegs instead of nails. They were constructed by boat builders and are mostly located close to the coast facing the sea.

.

The houses are covered with brightly painted wooden shingles and ox drawn ploughs can still be seen in use. Here they prepare an unusual dish of pork, chicken, vegetables and shell fish called curanto.

.

Leaving Argentina for the time being, we crossed the Andes into Chile via a series of lake crossings and bus transport over 2 days with an overnight in Peulla.

.

The blowing snow made for a very nice lake crossing and we could still appreciate the high peaks all around us.

.

The next day we arrived in Puerto Varas,  a pretty little town on Largo Llanquihue settled by Germans about 100 years ago.  Many of the houses are built with wooden shingles and there is a wonderful view of Volcan Osorno across the lake (on a good day).

.

After a 20 hour bus ride from Buenos Aires, we arrived in Bariloche in the Argentine Lake District as it started to snow and it was summer.

.

For a little bit extra we took the bus with beds and enjoyed the movies, meals and wine on the way.

.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We spent the weekend in the Delta north of Buenos Aires. First to Tigre by train, then by river ferry (the only way to travel) into the narrow channels amongst the islands. We stayed in a cabaña on stilts and spent the weekend kayaking and walking. The weeping trees hanging over the water and the lovely houses each with their private jetty made a pretty picture.

.

Back in Buenos Aires, we are enjoying the many Italian restaurants and shops selling fresh pasta, sauces and freshly grated parmesan cheese (an easy meal which we have every second night). The pizzas here are smothered with cheese and delicious.

.