Lanin National Park, Pehuen forest, El Escorial and Termas de Lahuen

When we got up the next morning, those ominous clouds from yesterday had formed into a full blown storm. With blustery winds and some fairly heavy rain at times, we reviewed our options and decided to keep to our plan and go into Lanin National Park to the border pass into Chile at Paso Carirrine. It is 160 km (100 mile) round trip but Mariano is ok with the drive. Lanin Park, established in 1937 to preserve the north Patagonian Andean forest is the 3rd largest park in Argentina, covering an area of over one million acres. It is bordered on the west by Chile and to the south by Nahuel Huapi National Park. As we turn west halfway between San Martin de los Andes and Junín de los Andes along a dirt road, which today is quite muddy, we head deep into the temperate rainforest of the park. The topography is interesting, transitioning from pampa to smaller, rolling hills and then the majestic Andes. One of the most notable peaks to be seen is the Lanín volcano. Its impressive height of 3,776 meters (over 12,000 ft) means it towers over every other nearby mountain, making it the focal point from every angle. The magnificent peak is further accentuated by its permanent covering of snow. As we climb higher we pass Lakes Curruhue Chico and then Curruhue Grande. With no break in the rain, we decide to stop and walk the dogs by a small waterfall which drains from Laguna Verde into Lake Curruhue Grande. This is also an Araucaria forest. Araucaria trees (also known as Peheun or Monkey Puzzle trees) are an evergreen conifer pine indigenous to the temperate rainforests of Argentina along the eastern slopes of the Andes. The species is officially protected in Argentina and is a little different from the national tree of Chile, which is also a species of monkey puzzle tree found in that country's south central regions. Threatened by fire, logging and grazing, the tree grows to about 45 meters in height (140 feet) and lives up to a thousand years in the volcanic soils. They produce edible seeds which are prized for their high carbohydrate content and were an important part of the diet of the Pehuenche people who once inhabited the area. Hence their name as the Pehuen tree. I happen to think that these are one of the most fascinating trees in the world. The foliage which stick out from all kinds of crazy angles hang exactly like monkey’s tails although these are thick, bushy and green, many with pods on the tip. By the time we had finished walking to the waterfall and photographing the trees, we were all thoroughly wet and cold. We quickly toweled off the dogs as best we could and scrambled back into the jeep, where Mariano turned on the heat and we thawed out a little. Our next stop is at El Escorial, an ancient river of petrified lava rock. Along the road there is a bridge built over the rock to show where the lava flowed over the road and down the canyon. From the car we can see it beneath us and all around us and there is still evidence of where it decimated everything in its path and then solidified. It was quite formidable and is a sobering reminder of the devastation an eruption can bring to an area. From this point it is only a short drive to the Termas del Epulafquen, the thermal hot springs. Access is down a rutted road which we missed the first time and it was only when we were a kilometer or so from the Chilean border pass of Carirrine that Mariano turned around and driving even more slowly than previous, eventually spotted a dilapidated sign pointing the way down a hill. Just a few years ago, this was a spa and resort hotel that offered luxury amenities. I am guessing it didn’t work out. Today, the hotel is abandoned and of the seven thermal pools, only two small ones remain, one of which was surprisingly inhabited by a local Mapuchean family. We walked over the rickety wooden walkway to the pools and Marcela took my photograph as I tested the water with my hand. “Would you go in if we had brought swimsuits?” she asked me. I told her I would. I mean we had come all this way and the water felt marvelous considering the cold, rainy weather. Besides the local family looked like they were having fun although I think they were surprised to see us. As we got back in the jeep to head home, we pondered on ways that would make the thermals into a successful business enterprise. Given the remoteness and the difficulty of getting there, we concluded that the only way to make money was to turn it into an exclusive high dollar resort whereby guests were flown in by helicopter and treated to a sumptuous, elegant retreat that only the very rich could afford. Since we do not have the funds for such an expensive venture, we laid the economics to rest and took on the easier task of deciding where to eat dinner. The night before we had eaten at La Tasca, a favorite of Mariano and Marcela. We had checked restaurants on the internet and talked about our choices. We decided on Ku, another upscale parrilla style restaurant. We arrived back at the cabana with plenty of time for Mariano to take a quick nap and Marcela and I to check out our emails and get ready for dinner. After such a long day and with plenty of walks fortunately even the dogs are content to relax as the rain and winds continue.

San Martin de los Andes at Carnival

After saying a fond “adios” to Luis Felipe, Cristobal and the others, Mariano loaded our luggage into the jeep along with the dogs and we took off for our 4 days in San Martin de los Andes. Along the way, to better improve my Spanish, Marcela had me read from the newspaper about things to do and restaurant reviews for San Martin de Los Andes. I had to read and then translate what I thought I was reading. Pronunciation was corrected as was my interpretation of the article. Only when Marcela was satisfied, could I move on. I think both Mariano and I heaved a sigh of relief after the ordeal but I know that this is really the only way to move ahead in my Spanish. I was also distracted because of the amazing scenery. We were traveling along the road known as the “Route of the Seven Lakes”. Shortly after leaving Villa La Angostura, the road is unpaved gravel which gets quite sinuous as it climbs into the Andes. As we get higher in elevation, the views just get more and more outstanding. We can also see some quite ominous clouds gathering over the mountains which would seem to be a pre-cursor for storms in the next few days. Two hours of driving from Bariloche gets us into the small but bustling town of San Martin de los Andes. Founded in 1898 on lands that belonged to the Mapuche Indians, this charming mountain town of 35,000 or so inhabitants is located on the tip of Lago Lácar between high mountain peaks. The town is considered the tourism capital of the Neuquen province and that is believable judging by the quantity of arts-and-crafts shops, gear-rental places, restaurants and hotels that make up much of the downtown area. San Martin has grown considerably in the past few years, but a city law that limits building height and regulates architectural style means the town has kept its quaintness and mountain, village-like atmosphere. It is also the starting point for entering Lanin National Park where we intend to do some sightseeing in the next few days. It is way past lunch time and we can’t check into our cabana until 3pm, so Mariano suggests some lunch. We walk the dogs along the lakeside for a while and then eat at La Costa. The town is busy with tourists due to Carnival and although crammed, we are shown to a table and the service was attentive. Afterwards it is time to check into our cabana. When Marcela and Mariano had made the reservation, the first comment was that no pets were allowed. Then they said that small pets were okay. Mariano registered us and as we walked to our unit, the manager checked us out. “That” she said pointing to Pelusa who is a Jack Russell terrier “is a small dog and that” as she stared at Winston “is not”. The lady was very good natured about it and just reminded us to keep the dogs on leash through the grounds. The cabana was super. Three stories, with living area, dining, kitchen and a bathroom on the ground floor, a queen bed suite with sitting area and bathroom on the second and a third floor with 4 twin beds and bath. After checking out the place Marcela and Mariano wanted me to have the queen bed suite. “That’s nonsense” I said “Winston and I will be fine on the third floor”. It took a little persuading but finally they came to my way of thinking. As I settled into the room at the top, I was elated. Here I am with great friends who have invited me on a fabulous 4 day adventure of new sights, great restaurants and some relaxation and Winston got to come too. Fantastic!

Blessings in Disguise

I settled into a routine that worked for both Winston and me. He could not be let off leash at the campsite, so I would walk him in the morning and then after breakfast we would walk to the local tiendas for groceries. After that we would hang around the campsite with forages to the beach and local parks. The campsite is busy and we have plenty of people camping around us. The one good thing happening is that my Spanish is improving by leaps and bounds. One couple Daniel and Ana, after learning that I was alone invited me to an assado at their campsite which was really enjoyable. I spent a delightful evening with them over a wonderful meal that Daniel cooked. Nahuel and his wife Sofia, Val and Alexandra, the workers at the campsite and Juan the owner are all solicitous in checking on Winston and me and making sure I do not get too lonely. Mariano and Marcela called and let me know that there is vacation time approaching. Carnival, the five days before Lent is a huge holiday in Argentina, so they have time from work. Their intent is to go to another town in the mountains, San Martin de los Andes and Winston and I are invited. They emailed and called the campsite for me to be ready. They will arrive Saturday and after spending the night we will travel to San Martin where they will rent a cabana for all of us, dogs included. I checked in with Juan to be sure all is ready for their arrival. During that week, a group of five guys arrived at Petunia and set up their site next to mine. From their car I knew they were from Chile and they seemed good natured and introduced themselves to me. A couple of days later I needed to go into town to the post office to collect a new electricity converter that Tom had sent from the States. My new Chilean neighbors offered to drive me. Luis Felipe and Cristobal would take me while the other three stayed at camp with Winston. Driving to town we chatted about family and background. They knew about Tom and asked if I had children. I said that we have two, a son Daniel and a daughter, Nicole. Making conversation, I then commented that I presumed they were single since they were vacationing with friends. There was a distinct silence and then Luis turned – he was also driving, by the way – and said “yes, I guess you could say we are single, we are priests”. More silence while I took a few seconds to mull this over. “Um, priests, like Catholic priests? I finally asked. Luis laughed and then said “well yes, though actually not all of us. I am a deacon with a parish in Santiago, Cristobal will be a priest in a couple of months and the other three are friends from the seminary”. Now, I am trying to think back and hope to heck I haven’t cursed in their presence. “But seriously, you are priests, I never would have guessed” I think I was stuttering. In all sincerity, I have never hung out with priests before and they definitely did not look like priests. They are young and dressed in shorts, T-shirts and well, are just like regular young men. After assuring me they were indeed truly priests, I admonished them. “You guys have to give people warning, like wear a priest collar or something, just to give us lay people a heads up”. Both Luis and Cristobal were laughing really hard by the time I was finished with my warning spiel. And so was I. And so started a great friendship. Both Tom and I are Catholic and over the next few days I broached many subjects with my new friends – the role of the church with our young people, the evolving nature of the church and the controversial issues of Catholics who choose to live together but not marry (of whom we know many), gays who are committed to one another and who are Catholic but trying to find their place in our religion (being from the Bay Area we know some) and on whether priests should be allowed to marry. I can only say from the responses that these are dedicated, reasonable men whom the Catholic Church should be honored to have in their midst. They are smart, educated and tolerant and understand that changes will likely happen within our religion albeit slowly. That Saturday, Marcela and Mariano are due to arrive and I will barbeque for everyone. Now, in a country of barbeque (parrilla) cooking, Tom has always done the outside cooking, so it was only after I grandly announced my intentions to cook that I realized I was not even sure how to light the fire. Priests to the rescue. Cristobal, as it turns out is a master at the grill. Thank goodness. After the grill was lit and we had opened some wine, they asked if I knew what time Marcela and Mariano would arrive, “Not sure”, I replied. They are coming from Comodoro Rivadavia, and that is 10 hours driving time, or so. It was then Luis shyly came up and said “We have a gift for you”. They then presented me with a small statue. “It is blessed,” said Luis Felipe, “and also we would like to bless you and the motorhome”. He produced a small bottle of water. I am not going to blame the wine but before I could stop myself, I started laughing “Gosh Luis, thank you but to bless me and the motorhome maybe you should bless the lake and run a hose here and douse us both” In my defense after all the mechanical problems we have had, the lake seemed more apropos. Luis also laughed but assured me more was not better and proceeded with the blessing. And so it was that as I was standing still and with Luis Felipe doing the blessing and incantation, Mariano and Marcela arrived. “What’s going on?” asked Marcela as she checked out Luis and me. “Shh!” I admonished her “Me, Winston and the RV are getting blessed”. Nonplussed comes to mind. Maybe she thinks I’m losing my mind with Tom being gone. I then introduce her to Luis Felipe, Cristobal and the others and explained the situation and the circumstances leading up to the current events. A glass of excellent Malbec also helped her – it had been a long drive. “Well, that kind of explains it, I guess,” she begrudgingly gave me. In the meantime Mariano was helping Cristobal at the grill. Pretty soon, everyone was chatting and behaving as comfortable friends should, although Marcela could not resist one last dig. “Only you”, she said, “only you could attract such a diverse group of people and by the way…are these really priests?” I could only laugh. We enjoyed a fabulous assado accompanied by plenty of excellent Argentinean Malbec. Tomorrow, Marcela, Mariano and I, with the two dogs will go to San Martin de los Andes and so will Luis Felipe and the others but since we will be staying at different places, we may not see them again. Well not this time but soon. Luis Felipe will be ordained in April at the Cathedral in Santiago to his new parish and I have told him that we will try to attend. In the meantime on this beautiful star-filled night I can only truly Thank God for providing me with the gift of returning friends and the meeting of new ones. Friendships really are life’s blessing in disguise.

Los Arrayanes National Park, Isla Victoria and Llao Llao Hotel.

To say that Winston was thrilled to see me would be a huge understatement. The boy went crazy. It took me a couple of days to settle in and recover from jetlag, the arduous flight back and finding a routine that worked for myself and Winston. It was strange after 3 plus years of togetherness not to have Tom around. After all we had gotten used to just the two of us, in a small space and moving to another city whenever we felt like it. Marcela and Mariano knew I had returned alone so I received an email saying they would visit the following weekend. Our goal is to visit another national park and to have dinner at the Llao Llao Hotel. I am looking forward to seeing them again and immediately booked one of the cabanas for their arrival. Los Arrayanes National Park and Isla Victoria are only accessible by boat or by hiking 13 miles from the town of Villa La Angostura, located about 60 miles from Bariloche on the other side of the lake. It did not take too much thought or time to decide that we would opt for the boat ride, which leaves from Puerto Panuelo. On our way, we passed the small capilla of San Eduardo. The beautiful log and stone chapel with its gorgeous stained glass windows depicting religious scenes was built in 1938 by the architect Bustillo, who also designed the nearby and equally amazing Hotel Llao Llao. The chapel is considered to be one of the most popular places to hold a wedding in the country. We also pass the sumptuous Hotel Llao Llao where we intend to have dinner later. There are a couple of boat companies that run the tours and we chose the Cau Cau simply because it fit into our schedule. The boat is also called Cau Cau, which I think means a type of large gull. On the way to Los Arrayanes, the boat company invites people to the open top deck and to attempt to lure the seagulls which are following us, with pieces of bread and crackers. The idea is to hold your hand up and a gull will swoop down and take the offering from your hand. Naturally they have a couple of photographers ready to catch this, so they can sell you the photo. Hmm. It did not take us long to realize that statistically the odds of catching a gull in the act, so to speak was slender. Yep, you probably guessed – Photoshop!! They capture the person holding up the food and then from an assortment of gull photos, do a “cut and paste” job. Gimmicky, touristy, kitschy but from the number of people who ordered one, profitable. We can only hope the rest of the boat trip is better. First stop, Los Arrayanes National Park. This small park, located on the Quetrihue Peninsula was established to protect the Arrayanes trees, a type of cypress. The bright, cinnamon colored bark and the extraordinary shape of the trunk and branches are what make these trees so unique. The park, itself has easily accessible walkways and the self guided tour was enjoyable. This is also the same forest that is rumored to be the area where Disney perceived the idea for Bambi. This is story is perpetuated throughout the area and many Argentineans believe it to be true, including Marcela. She was quite disappointed when the tour guide announced that this is just a myth, a tale that somehow came about and just won’t go away. Despite that, we all enjoyed our walk through the forest, admiring the centuries old trees. From there, it was back on board to Puerto Anchorena on Isla Victoria. We were treated to a walk with an English speaking guide through a part of the island. The guide was fairly knowledgeable as long as you don’t ask too many questions! That threw him off his learned speech and outside of that, he could not answer some of my questions regarding the history of the island, native birds, trees and the like. I finally stopped asking and let him just conduct the tour. I can always look things up online later. From some of the higher elevations though, we did get fabulous panoramic views of the lakes and mountains. There was also a coffee shop to get drinks and snacks. The 40 minute ride back to the mainland concluded the five hour tour. All I can add is that for the cost, the tour was just like the seagull photos. Very touristy and expensive and with so many other things to see and do in the area, not really worth the time and money. Pelusa and Winston have been alone for much of the day and were very glad to see us return to Camping Petunia. That excitement diminished substantially when they realized we were leaving them again to go to dinner at the Hotel Llao Llao. The hotel is located to the west of Bariloche, in the foothills of the Andes on a hill between Nahuel Huapi and Moreno lakes and has quite a history. The original hotel was destroyed by fire soon after its completion in 1939. A year later Bustillo rebuilt it out of reinforced concrete and stone. The hotel was closed down in 1976 due to lack of funds to maintain it but in 1993 was bought, renovated and reopened. In 1999 the hotel became a member of “The Leading Hotels of the World” and has won many awards since its re-opening, including "Best Hotel and Resort in Argentina" in 1999. When you see this hotel the term “location, location, location” comes to mind. The setting, the grounds and the views from the large windows throughout the lobby and ground floor are truly spectacular. The entrance is massive and made from stone and wood. Adjectives like lavish, opulent, grand and sumptuous come to mind to aptly describe the interior décor. Huge wood beams and columns dominate with gorgeous couches and chairs strategically placed to better enjoy the views. We had made reservations to eat in the restaurant “Assador”. As the name suggests, this is their parrilla and the food and service were outstanding. Mariano ordered the wine and we toasted our good fortune at being in such a beautiful place. The whole experience was so delightful that we decided to eat at one of the other restaurants in the hotel “Café Patagonia” the following night. If you go, you must order the ciervo (venison) empanadas. Without a doubt, hands down, the best empanadas – ever! The three days with Mariano and Marcela went by much too quickly and Monday morning found Winston and me by ourselves again but with more good memories of time spent with our friends from Rada Tilly.

Stateside for the holidays

Our trip back to California from Bariloche was long, almost 26 hours total travel time via Buenos Aires and Dallas but needless to say, well worth it. There is, quite frankly nothing like being with family at the holidays. Since Tom’s mom had already been moved into his sister Kathi’s home, we were able to stay at mom’s place. Tom’s mom was certainly frail but knew and recognized us and was aware that we had come home from Argentina. However she is now extremely forgetful and it was obvious that she can no longer live alone. That first night, we were joined by Jeanne and Bruce, Kathi and mom and went to Bruce’s favorite Chinese restaurant. My choice as Asian food, specifically Chinese and sushi, are the ones I miss most during our travels. The next day, Danny flew in from Utah for a week and after picking him up from the airport, we shopped and Tom did some cooking for a Christmas block party to be held at Jeanne and Bruce’s home. It was so exciting to see everyone and it seems like everyone came home this year. Our nieces: Erin who lives and works in Paris, Alyssa who just graduated from the University of Arizona, Haley who attends USC and Amanda who goes to UC Santa Barbara all came to the gathering as did Brigid and Jordan who are still in high school. Nephew Ryan and Nicole had to work unfortunately so we won’t see them until Christmas Eve. And we will have to wait to see the gold and silver Olympic medals that Alyssa and Haley won in London, they forgot to bring them! The party was a huge success with what must have been about 150 of Bruce and Jeanne’s neighbors visiting, some bringing appetizers and all enjoying the wine and drinks that were provided. Bruce made an excellent eggnog batter that we enjoyed. Yummy. We spent the next couple of days before Christmas shopping and visiting our favorite restaurants. Nicole got her time off from work and drove down from Redding and we took her and Danny shopping for clothes. Christmas Eve, we took mom to mass and then the party was at Colette and Randy’s home where we finally got to see, hold and wear the Olympic medals. Alyssa had won the gold as part of the women’s 4 x 200 relay team and Haley, silver in the 10K open water marathon. They are bigger and much heavier than I had thought they would be. Everyone is so proud of them, Alyssa and Haley that is, not the medals! Christmas Day we spent at Jeanne and Bruce’s home once again and once again ate and drank our fill. Mom held up really well throughout the festivities but it is obvious something needs to be done. Kathi and Jeanne have already acquired the help of an agency to come in and stay with her whilst Kathi works and Tom and I helped out as much as possible but with everyone’s busy work schedule and Tom and I leaving again some other sort of long-term care is necessary. After lots of research by Jeanne and Kathi, they found a residential care home, Eskaton that seemed like it was a good fit. Very close to all of Tom’s sisters and it looked well managed and clean and the people there seemed happy and well cared for. She would have here own small studio apartment but with 24 hour care and anyone can visit whenever they please. The three weeks home flew by and in January it was time for me to leave and return to Bariloche. Because of some prior commitments that Tom has in February, he will stay in Sacramento until March but that is too long to leave Winston and the motorhome so I will spend the next couple of months in Argentina with only Winston for company. Hopefully Mariano and Marcella will break the monotony and visit me. It was sad leaving everyone but we are coming back again in May and I was looking forward to seeing Argentina again.

And yet another plan change

Back in December, after a great three days with our Rada Tilly friends, we received news from the States that Tom’s 91 year old mother was not doing well, health-wise. Up until now she has been living independently in an apartment close to Tom’s sisters but now it seems she is getting forgetful and since she refuses to see a doctor for any kind of diagnosis, we can only surmise what is happening with her. On the advice of Tom’s sisters, we began to realize that we had to head home, at least for the holidays. The big problems are Winston and the RV. We talked with Nahuel who manages the campsite and he started to check local places for Winston to stay. The RV is no problem. For a very small fee, we can leave it at the campgrounds. We began to make flight arrangements for California and travel plans for our kids to also be in Sacramento for Christmas. In one aspect, we are pretty excited. We will see the kids and the whole family will be home for the holidays. We have not had Christmas at home for two years now, so the chance to celebrate will be fantastic. However, Nahuel is not having any luck in town for a decent place where Winston can stay. There are places but he would be caged most of the time which is not an enviable situation for him. We consider taking him back with us but the total travel time from Bariloche to Sacramento is around 29 hours, so we would rather not put him through that either. Finally Nahuel suggested a plan which seemed perfect. We would leave Winston in the RV and Marcelo, one of the guys that work here, will live in the RV with him. They would make sure he got walked and fed and during the day he could hang around the office area with Nahuel whilst Manuel worked. At night, Marcelo would sleep in the motorhome with him, so he would have company most of the time. It seemed the best situation for everyone. We would pay Marcelo for his time and Winston already knows and likes the people who work here. In addition, Alexandra an English lady and Val her Argentinean husband manage the restaurant at the beach and live on site. They will also check and help out if necessary. Now with great relief, we make plans in earnest for the trip home. I will stay for three weeks and return in early January. Tom who had to be in the States for the month of February for personal reasons will now just stay there until the beginning of March. It will mean that I am by myself for two months but Camping Petunia is very safe and the town and local sights are easily accessible by bus. It might also change our schedule for heading north as we will essentially miss summer (in the southern hemisphere) and by the time Tom returns in March we will be looking at autumn and winter, Patagonia style. So we will have to wait and see what happens there. We aren’t worried. If our progress is slowed down again due to winter, it is ok. Right now we are just excited about some time spent back home.

Go Fish in Bariloche

This is our friends last full day in Bariloche and we decide to spend it together fishing. Well, the others are going to fish; I am going along as official photographer. Although Martin and the boys had no luck yesterday, we are convinced that today we will catch at least one fish between us. Bariloche has gained a reputation for high quality fishing on the lakes and rivers within Nahuel Huapi National Park. These Andean ice-cold lakes provide excellent conditions for an abundance of various trout and salmon species. The fishing rules are fairly easy to follow and fishing licenses are readily available. Fishing can be done from piers, lakeside or from a boat and although many people come here to fly fish, we are going to use spinners and also troll. Before leaving Rada Tilly, Mariano had obtained our licenses and had purchased a ton of gear for himself and Marcela. We have also met and spoken with Juan. Juan owns the campground and he is also a local fishing guide. Since we do not get up early and apparently the fish take a siesta through the day, we are going in the evening. Mariano, Marcela and Tom will get dropped off at a small uninhabited island in the middle of Lake Nahuel Huapi and fish with spinners, flies and whatnot, whilst myself, Martin and the boys will stay on the boat and troll with Juan who will doing the driving. To prepare for our great expedition, we had a lunch of pizza, empanadas and beer, followed by a short nap. Then it was time to get ready. Let me say, there are people who fish on a regular basis who have less gear than us “city slickers”. There were poles, reels and tackle boxes; fishing jackets, special “fishing pants” and waders. There was two large canvas bags obviously filled with whatever else the skilled fisherperson needs. Marcela was color coordinated in a very pretty sea green whilst Tom and Mariano were in tan and black respectively. Viewing the pile, I commented that we would probably only fish for 3 hours or so, but they were undeterred and the mound of equipment continued to grow. Once it was all collected on the dock even Juan was amazed. “How long do you think you will fish for?” he questioned, eyeing all the stuff. He immediately began to stow some of his own gear under the benches to make room. With everyone there was 8 on board and the boat was only licensed to carry 6, so when Juan saw the policia checking off shore, he made the decision to take Tom, Marcela and Mariano to the island first, then come back for Martin and the boys. I would travel on the boat with him back and forth. The minute we were on the lake, the policia chased us down with their lights flashing. They studied the boats paperwork in great detail, questioned Juan about us and finally begrudgingly let us continue on our way. Once at the island, there was no dock and it was simply a question of Juan maneuvering close enough to the rocks to let them off, without scraping the bottom of the boat on the rocks. Tom and Marcela got off first and Mariano passed them the gear. It took three passes with Juan muttering “dear God” at intervals before all the fishing paraphernalia was disgorged and Mariano was with the other two. As we pulled off, leaving them standing on this deserted island, Juan asked me jokingly “Think they have enough stuff? And we both laughed as we headed back to pick up Martin and the boys. Our goal was to troll in the open waters on the far side of the island. As we passed by, we waved at the others who had all picked out their respective spots and were studiously fishing, cast and reel, cast and reel. They were easy to spot because each person had scads of fishing stuff surrounding them. Trolling is easier. Once Juan and Martin had all 5 lines set, it was simply a question of sitting back and waiting. Martin pulled out the mate (mat –eh) cup and a flask of hot water and he and Juan shared in the traditional custom of passing the cup back and forth, sipping the mate through a straw. Similar to an herbal tea, yerba mate is an ever present custom between the Paraguayans, Uruguayans and Argentinean with only a few slight differences in how it is drank. The scenery out on the lake is beautiful and I got some great photographs as the sun began to set. The boys however quickly got bored and with the setting sun it got quite cold and they huddled under their jackets, until….a fish hooked. Excitement! As Juan handed the pole with the fish on to Martin, he quickly reeled in the other lines so they would not get tangled and then it was the task of bringing in the fish. It was a trout and huge maybe 12 pounds or so and that is not a fish story! Once on board, Martin and the boys all had their photograph taken with it and then it was placed in the cooler. We passed over the same area a few times but had no more bites, so decided to call it an evening. We went back to the island to collect the other three. They were waiting in the same spot as we had left them and looked happy to see us. Despite all the equipment they had not caught a single fish but they had tried, they assured us. Martin proudly showed them his trout and they were very happy for him even though there were comments about who really caught it, since Juan had set the lines and the boat had depth and fish finders and well, many other reasons that were too vague to mention. Martin and Mariano are brothers so there is much friendly sibling rivalry between them. The bottom line is – we have fish for dinner. It took a few trips before all the fishing gear was back at the cabin and as Martin cleaned the fish the others packed their gear away. All that stuff for a couple of hours. Oh well, there will be a next time. Energized from catching one fish, the boys stayed on the dock with their poles to try for more. With the dogs playing around us and the fish on the grill, we opened wine and toasted Martin on his catch.