Day 4 · Sunday

We left Río Tranqillo but not before finding an amazing bread at the pandaría. Still piping hot, fresh out of the oven. We drove up to Chelenko Hot Spring about an hour north back on the Carratera Austral.

We met Marcelo who gave us instructions on how to drive over to the hot spring son the property. The journey started with a rugged 4WD drive that took us across the narrowest bridge we've ever encountered. With the mirrors pulled in and only 3-4 inches of clearance on either side and the wood planks did not seem like they would hold the truck’s weight. From there, we navigated a rocky riverbed, a seasonal path revealed by low water levels left after the snowmelt swells the river.

We came to the second bridge. Previously had been another vehicular bridge to the hot springs area. That bridge was washed out with a landslide a few years ago. A new pedestrian suspension bridge has been out in its place - overly engineered to prevent a future washout . A 20-minute hike through the woods brought us to the springs, where natural pools have been enhanced into a serene retreat complete with a cozy building for seating and a kitchen (though currently without power).

After a soak and lunch of sandwiches made from that fantastic bread, we explored the riverbed further before heading back to the hotel. There, we chatted with Marcelo, who turned out to be the lawyer for the owner here for meetings while the owner is in town.

We also met two biking couples that were visiting the hotel as well. Hannah and Conrad are here from London on their honeymoon biking Patagonia for a month. We also met an Aussie couple from New Castle near Sydney, retired and doing almost 10000 kilometers over a three month period. These bike folks are tough.

Later, we met the owner himself—an interesting guy. This Korean-Argentinian-American dentist has big plans for the region, developing high-end experiences and hotels to showcase the beauty of Patagonia.

It’s been a fairly quiet day. Tomorrow we’ll head north again. There’s plans for a few more adventures to tell you about.