Barbecue smoke on the water

The view from Julio's boat, Lake Lolog, Sunday 2 October 2011

Our send-off from Argentina last week came in the form of a wonderful and memorable weekend with our Couchsurfing host Julio in San Martin de los Andes, a small town separated from Bariloche to the south by a road called The Seven Lakes Road. The name gives a clue as to the beauty of the area. They don't call it the lake district for nothing.

On our first afternoon in San Martin, after a few hours' hitchhiking and before we met up with Julio, we trekked up high over the lake the town faces on to, to eat our lunch with the view. But it was the next day that we truly experienced lakeside life to the full.

I can't think of a more perfect way to have spent a last day in Argentina. Julio retired early, two years ago, and his life is now firmly dedicated to the pursuit of happiness. A man after our own hearts, he recognises that happiness usually lies somewhere between amazing scenery, friendship, food and drink. And so he hooked his speed boat to the back of his car and drove us 15 minutes from his mountainside home to Lake Lolog. Another 15 minutes whizzing across the water - and did I mention the weather was perfect? - and we reached a tiny beach that can only really be accessed by water.

It was at this point that Julio showed us the boat's small 'emergency kit' door set into the bench we were sitting in, and opened it to reveal a bottle of red and two glasses.

On the beach we ate crusty white bread with wild boar pate made by Julio's fishing guide friend (of course he hunted the boar himself) and, beers in hand, took a wander along the shore. Julio constructed an asador barbecue pit and over the next few hours we talked, drank lager and ate incredible chorizo and the most enormous slab of steak. Julio does not like to spend time in the kitchen - but my God does he know how to asado.

It was a very special day and a great example of the unbelievable hospitality we witnessed all over the country. Argentina was my first Couchsurfing experience (though Chris has plenty) and I have been floored by the willingness of strangers to share their lives with us completely for a day or three. It is nothing but remarkable, and humbling, and we cannot wait until we are able to repay such extreme kindness by hosting others.

SARAH