Crossing the Andes

A few long bus journeys have been undertaken: one leaving the slightly scary Santiago station overnight where we drove 10pm to 8 am to town of Pucon, arriving to see the snow-capped smoking volcano. I swam in the lake, cold but fresh.  We went to the beautiful thermal baths of Spa Indomito  very like Peninsula spa Mornington. We also had an Asado  bbq, at the home of local guide Padro. Next day caught local bus out of Chile through massive green pine forests, to cross the border into Argentina where the landscape changed dramatically to windswept steppes and high mountains in the distance. A long day 10 hours on two buses, we stopped to change to a private van and continued through the Seven Lakes District. The next day our beautiful ride from a gaucho station  accompanied by the gauchos and their dogs, we rode through a valley then up through pines onto the top of the steppes. Land stretches forever,  pampas grass, saltbush, Andes mountains glimpsed. Weather was perfect.  My horse was slow and steady. Now we’re leaving Bariloche a ski town for Buenos Aires.