Just One Big Trip: Bikes and Bugs!

Ahhhhhh, what a lovely week we've had here in Bariloche, and now we are nearing the end of our time here *Sob Sob!*

We've loved this little hotel we've been staying at, Hosteria Selva Negra, we've pretty much had it all to ourselves :) Vegging out to films in bed after dinner and enjoying the living room area when blogging, it's so homey :)

Jack full after dinner

Lovely little lounge

These last few days we've been bike riding, trekking, visited a Hippie town called El Bolson, taken a ski lift up to an incredible vista point called Cerro Campanario and frequented various yummy restaurants :)

The day of the bike ride was really fun, but within mere moments I was screeching for Jack to come and help me as I didn't understand the gear system (I've never known a bike to have gears on BOTH sides!) Oh and then my chain fell off. Jack spent most of the time laughing at me and looking over his shoulder to make sure I hadn't been squished by a passing truck.

I was the one laughing later on that day however as Jack tried a 'cool-man' move and almost catapulted himself over the front of the handlebars! I was not the only witness either. Classic! He managed to fall off the bike without actually falling on the ground himself, but the bike went flying. I just stood there saying "What ARE you doing!?!"

He claimed the brake was on the wrong side to what he was used to and that he'd managed to lock the front wheel. I'm somewhat skeptical about that story I must admit.

We had been shown various cycle routes that we could take around the mountains and lakes, and one led to a little waterfall (nothing will ever compare to Iguazu Falls now though of course). We cycled along the main road for a while and then headed over dirt tracks until we came to a forest. It looked enchanting, light filtering in through the branches of the trees casting sun spots upon the forest floor. Just beautiful.

Picture perfect forest

Until that is, we cycled a little further in. BUGS!! Jack hates bugs as it is and I can't say I'm their biggest fan. We got chased all the way by big ass flies! Big buzzers, some of which I swear nipped me! They wouldn't leave us alone, I think they liked our sweat, nice. We squawked and squeaked all the way to the waterfall, with Jack getting steadily angrier. We had to navigate over huge knobbly tree roots on a narrow sandy path, while trying to escape the wrath of the bugs!

Finally reaching the waterfall, which failed to impress due it's little trickle compared to Iguazu, and due to our irritance, I snapped a photo as quickly as I could, screamed (again!) and then we jumped back on our bikes and flew outta there! It seemed the water made the bug situation SO much worse. Jack almost encountered a swarm I'm sure! He swore at them at kept yelling at them to F*** off!