| – from the Itinerary: This morning, we’ll experience an older side of Patagonia during a discussion with a member of the Mapuche, an indigenous, agricultural people native to southern Chile and Argentina. We’ll learn about their struggle for survival and their current relationship with the government. Then you can join our optional excursion to the Limay River, where you’ll experience the natural splendor of northern Patagonia from a different point of view by floating along Bariloche’s most scenic river. Flowing from Lake Nahuel Huapi, the tranquil Limay River provides our small group with a perfect path along which to capture close views of the pristine wilderness and wildlife of the steppe from the comfort of our raft. A popular site for fly-fishing, this river is home to an abundance of large rainbow and brown trout. In the afternoon, we’ll visit a local family in their home on the Patagonian steppe, where they live on land they have owned for generations. We’ll learn about their way of life, and mount up for a horseback ride that lets us experience this traditional local mode of transportation. This evening we’ll savor a lamb barbecue dinner. |
After breakfast, our group met with Cristina, a Mapuche activist, to discuss her people, culture and their struggles with the government. As with almost all indigenous people, they have been mistreated by their government. Cristina is also a silversmith and brought several of her pieces to show us.
Almost everyone then left for a float trip down the Limay River. (I was still nursing my cold and decided to rest.)
Those of us that didn’t go on the Limay River trip, then met up with the others, after lunch. Then it was off to meet the Haneck family at their ranch. This visit included horseback riding and a lamb barbecue.
