El Bolson - First cycling update!

Arrived in El Bolson yesterday, after a stunning and hot days cycling. The landscape is truely stunning touring country. Snowcaped peaks, gentle passes, clean lakes and mountain streams and lot of great campspots. As we progresssed further forwards El Bolson, it got drier and much hotter. Getting out of Bariloche was a bit of mission, loads of traffic, but thankfully that died down when we left town. Roads are narrow but drivers pretty considerate, towards us at least, but not of double yellow lines. Today we had our first day off the bike. A bit slack after only one and a half days I guess, but there is great hiking here as well. Went up to a really cool refugio (hut) near Cerro Lindo, real rustic wood smokey place. Agentinias are into their camp fires! Every campground has fire places. We had great views over the valley, the peaks on the other side (which looked remarkably like the Remarkables), down the gorge. Lots of cool and weird looking birds around. Flora not unlike NZ, with quite a few mountain flowers in bloom. It is hot here during the day, but nights are pleasantly cool. We spotted the first clouds looming in the distance today, but hopefully wont come to much. Off tomorrow towards Trevelin, on the back road though the national park. Hopefully more awesome cycling and hiking to come. Will leave it here, tired from the sun and probably too smelly to sit in an internet cafe...Hope all is well with you. Happy new year! :)