After non-stop action in Torres Del Paine & El Chalten, I was due for a letdown. And I don’t mean I was let down at all by San Carlos de Bariloche in Argentina Patagonia’s Lake District. Not at all. I loved Bariloche. Perhaps that was part of the problem. What I mean is every now & then when traveling, you need a break or a vacation from doing anything. At least I do. And I found myself in the perfect place to do nothing. I stayed for a week & did nothing for the first 4 days but sleep in, aimlessly wander the city taking in the gorgeous lake & mountain views, sit in cafes & read non-travel books, eat at delicious restaurants, drink beers at various cervecerias, you get the drift. I think I was also pretty physically exhausted so both a mental & physical rest was called for. 
After lazing about for a bit, I then finally found my motivation to visit the surrounding lakes & mountains, super excited to do some trekking. Only then, my body decided that it had enough trekking. Specifically, my shitty knee. In true Scarlett O’Hara fashion, my knee threw itself on the ground dramatically & refused to go on. It actually felt like a sadistic hiking partner was at the same time repeatedly stabbing & sledgehammering my knee with every bend & step (a slightly less intense version of this is what finally forced my dumbass to stop running years ago). Unfortunately, this happened 2.5hrs into a 9hr trek. I stubbornly continued on for 30mins before my sensibilities took over. Thankfully, the trek was a wonky “Y” route & I had just passed the intersection, so after a brief rest, I reversed track & hobbled back down to take the different (longer) leg back (I may be in pain but I’d still rather limp past different scenery than backtrack). My knee performed rather valiantly & significantly better than anticipated for 3wks as I beat the shit out of it so I really can’t complain. It unfortunately meant I skipped another difficult hike I had my heart set on & a long biking circuit. Bummer. Instead I joined a little tourist minibus which isn’t necessarily how I prefer to explore an area, but oh well. Limitations are a part of life. And Bariloche is beautiful.