We joked all week that Hoolie was really going to have us help him build his barn which he needs to get started on after we leave…but in effect we were all his & Kellys slaves to build & repair a trail that ends just above the lodge & goes up the mountain along the Rio Azul. So we grabbed tools & walked up to the beginning of the trail. We spent a few hours changing the trail to make it easier to ride & also cleaning up branches, roots & rocks & clearing brush. We even had to chop down a few trees to build a little bridge across a tiny stream. We did a solid job thats gonna take them a while to get it done all the way to the top…but someday people will be able to enjoy biking, hiking & horseback riding up it.
Pizza for lunch & then we were off to the hopping metropolis of El Bolson…a town of 35,000 people, many of whom are hippies. Every Saturday there is a feria (fair), which is basically a long row of booths set up with people selling their art, jewelry, clothing, etc. The smell of patchouli & marijuana was lingering everywhere as we walked around. Esteban & I did a slow stroll thru the fair & the town. My stomach pains were still coming in hard & really bothering me so we stopped by a grocery store to find anything cold to drink & to hopefully soothe my stomach…especially a Gatorade or Sprite…no Gatorade so I grabbed a cold Sprite. We continued walking & then sat outside a bar to enjoy a local brew. It was another gorgeous day with temps in low 80s but felt nice. Bonus was they had their music playing outside and about every 3rd song was Oasis.
El Sol Cafe
El Bolson
We met up with the rest of the group, hit 1 more store & then drove back to the lodge. I was beat from this illness so hit my bed & crashed for an hour or so until it was time for dinner.
Tonite was a change in dinner…there is a small cabin just a few hundred yards down from the lodge on the Rio Azul where we cross in the truck. Its set up for hikers & everyone during the day & also has dinner so we had arranged a parrillado (where they bring out plates full of different meats) for all of us: Esteban, Robert, Johanna, Hoolie, Cailen & myself. Had some wine & brews & talked about our favorite moments of the trip, movies, funny stories, etc.
Back to the lodge where we checked out the amazing sky filled with stars probably as bright as just about anywhere in the world. A good ending to a great week…just wish I didnt have to battle whatever I got for multiple days.
