Biking the ´Little Circuit´ in Bariloche

As I breezed down one of the many hills of the Circuito Chico (meaning small circuit) of Argentina´s Nahuel Huapi National Park, I wondered why I didn´t ride bikes more often. Blue metallic lakes--almost the color of an Orbit gum package--glittered through the trees on both sides of me. My cheeks were rosy and my stray hairs blew back in the breeze. I felt like a kid at her birthday; I couldn´t help smiling. I was descending from the park´s most renowned panoramic view that overlooked deep blue lakes tucked into Andean valleys. The mountains themselves rising high until their snowy peaks disappeared into the cloudy horizon.

Two hours later, my attitude could not have been more altered. As I struggled up the rocky dirt portion of the path, I sweated, panted, and repeated ´I love cycling´and ´this is so much fun´ to myself in sarcastic encouragement. Finally, slightly delirious, I opted for the (embarassing) option of walking my bike up the hill.

I did not make it far. A few meters ahead, a large cow munching on the roadside brush was blocking my path. Hardly in the mood for herding cows (and as I said, slightly delirious), I said to the cow, ´Ok Mr. cow, I don´t have the energy to turn back, so I´m going to walk my bike behind you and go on my merry way.´ The disinterested cow looked at me and returned to his munching. I slipped quickly behind him, too tired to be fearful of his horns or hooves.

Without a doubt, cycling, like most everything, has its ups and downs and sometimes the effort of going up makes you wonder whether the ride down is worth it. But I have found--as in my trip around the Circuito Chico--that in the end the memory of the thrill overshadows that of the difficulty, and that´s what keeps us at it again.

For more pictures from the Circuito Chico (Short Circuit) and others from the Cruce de Lagos boat ride from Chile to Argentina, click here.