Patagonia, Estancia BBQ, Tuesday, March 15, 2016

BBQ at the Ranch.

After the French Valley hike yesterday, Jac and I decided to lay low at the hotel this morning and enjoy a nice breakfast.  What a place to just hang out!  The ever changing view of the mountains is addictive.  One of the girls on this trip tells me whenever one is transfixed on something for a period of time ... that's actually a form of meditation.  Well, hell!!  I'm digging this meditation stuff!! 

Ranch BBQ spot.  

Even this BBQ spot has a great view!  To quote my dad, "We've been looking for something ugly, but can't find a bad view anywhere!"  

Roberto cooks.

At noon, we left the hotel to meet the group for a BBQ at a typical Chilean Estancia (ranch).  A brother and sister team rustled up some grub for us and cooked a whole lamb on a spit. 

It's supposed to be a whole lamb on the rack ... 

... Hmmmm!  Oh surely NOT!

In addition to the lamb, they cooked fish, chicken, beef and chorizo sausages.   When the sausages were ready, Roberto and Maria sliced a piece of home made fried bread, filled it with the chorizo and a delicious salsa. 
 

This tasty Chorizo sandwich was incredible!

Oh my gosh!  This may have been the highlight food of the entire trip.  The chorizo was light, seasoned perfectly and cooked on the open fire just right.  Wow!  I'm not a real lamb lover, so I opted for another chorizo and salsa for lunch. 

Jac said this is the best lamb she's ever eaten.  Unlike lamb in the U.S.  this was lean and had no game taste.

After lunch, we saddled up the horses and went for a ride around the ranch.  We navigated forests, streams and hills to reach a plateau overlooking the ranch and Lake Sarmiento. 
 

An after lunch horseback ride rounded out the afternoon.

Tonight was the last meal at Tierra Patagonia.  We leave tomorrow for our five hour drive back to Punta Arenas to catch a flight to Santiago, Chile.  So time to go pack the bags.  More later.

These are the racks that Roberto uses to BBQ the lamb.  They looked like crosses on graves.

Girls meet Gaucho.