The next day, a guide takes me to the Torro lakes, where I brave the arctic temperatures and plunge knee-deep until my legs are completely numb. Feats such as these are rewarded back at the lodge with steaming cups of cocoa as we listen to a guide give fascinating talks on the local history and geography in the lecture room.

The last day ends spectacularly. I join some of the other guests from the lodge at a gaucho ranch nearby. Here, two lambs are strung up around a central fire in a crucifixion pose, empanadas are being baked and gauchos in leather boots and jaunty berets at right angles are busy deftlycarving meat off with the knives that are ever present in their finely woven belts.

After a delicious feast, it is time to saddle up. I am going for a gallop with Maria, a beautiful, rosy-cheeked gaucha who slaughters sheep and tends to the sick horses with the best of her fellows. Bella, my steed is one of Patagonia's long-distance endurance champions, a reassuring fact given that you can go for days without seeing any sign of civilization in this terrain. We set off on a path next to a valley.

As we gallop, our hair flying in the wind (no hard hats here), our horses expertly negotiate the windy paths and come to a stop next to a ravine with a clear river rolling by, the mountains glistening in the distance. As I take in this immense view and silence, alone except for a condor circling overhead, I wonder whether it is possible for a 32-year-old Londoner to pack it all in, wear a jaunty beret and run off with the gauchos forever.

Jemima Sissons

• barely [´beəli] ad.公开地；仅仅 (初中英语单词)


• saddle [´sædl] n.鞍子 v.装鞍(于) (初中英语单词)


• remind [ri´maind] vt.提醒；使记(想)起 (初中英语单词)


• planet [´plænit] n.行星 (初中英语单词)


• operator [´ɔpəreitə] n.操作者；接线员 (初中英语单词)


• mixture [´mikstʃə] n.混合；混合比；混合物 (初中英语单词)


• collar [´kɔlə] n.衣领；(狗等的)项圈 (初中英语单词)


• account [ə´kaunt] vi.说明 vt.认为 n.帐目 (初中英语单词)


• amount [ə´maunt] n.总数；数量 v.合计 (初中英语单词)


• rainfall [´reinfɔ:l] n.雨量 (初中英语单词)


• delicious [di´liʃəs] a.美味的，可口的 (初中英语单词)


• blessing [´blesiŋ] n.祝福 (初中英语单词)


• slumber [´slʌmbə] v.&n.睡眠；沉睡状态 (初中英语单词)


• valley [´væli] n.谷；河谷；流域 (初中英语单词)


• stomach [´stʌmək] n.胃；胃口，食欲 (初中英语单词)


• charming [´tʃɑ:miŋ] a.可爱的；极好的 (初中英语单词)


• instantly [´instəntli] ad.立即，立刻 (初中英语单词)


• challenge [´tʃælindʒ] n.&vt.向….挑战；怀疑 (初中英语单词)


• recommend [,rekə´mend] vt.推荐；使受欢迎 (初中英语单词)


• welcome [´welkəm] a.受欢迎的；可喜的 (初中英语单词)


• relief [ri´li:f] n.救济；援救；减轻 (初中英语单词)


• altitude [´æltitju:d] n.高度；海拨 (初中英语单词)


• flight [flait] n.逃走；飞行；班机 (初中英语单词)


• achievement [ə´tʃi:vmənt] n.完成；成就，成绩 (初中英语单词)


• dramatic [drə´mætik] a.戏剧的；戏剧般的 (初中英语单词)


• plunge [plʌndʒ] v.插进 n.投入；冲击 (初中英语单词)


• fascinating [´fæsineitiŋ] a.迷人，使神魂颠倒的 (初中英语单词)


• gallop [´gæləp] n.&v.奔驰；急速行进 (初中英语单词)


• civilization [,sivilai´zeiʃən] n.文明，文化 (初中英语单词)


• immense [i´mens] a.广大的，无限的 (初中英语单词)


• overhead [´əuvə,hed] ad.当头 a.在头上的 (初中英语单词)


• so-called [´sou ´kɔ:ld] a.所谓的，号称的 (高中英语单词)


• rainbow [´reinbəu] n.彩虹 (高中英语单词)


• educational [,edju´keiʃənəl] a.教育(上)的 (高中英语单词)


• depict [di´pikt] vt.描写；描绘 (高中英语单词)


• muscular [´mʌskjulə] a.肌肉的；强有力的 (高中英语单词)


• lining [´lainiŋ] n.衬里；衬料 (高中英语单词)


• brightly [´braitli] ad.明亮地；聪明地 (高中英语单词)


• collapse [kə´læps] vi.&n.崩溃；病倒；衰败 (高中英语单词)


• landscape [´lændskeip] n.风景；景色；风景画 (高中英语单词)


• comprehend [,kɔmpri´hend] vt.了解；领会；包含 (高中英语单词)


• literally [´litərəli] ad.逐字地；实际上 (高中英语单词)


• arctic [´ɑ:ktik] a.北极的 (高中英语单词)


• geography [dʒi´ɔgrəfi] n.地理(学) (高中英语单词)


• finely [´fainli] ad.美好地；精细地 (高中英语单词)


• endurance [in´djuərəns] n.忍受(耐)；耐力 (高中英语单词)


• seeing [si:iŋ] see的现在分词 n.视觉 (高中英语单词)


• canyon [´kænjən] n.峡谷 (英语四级单词)


• arduous [´ɑ:djuəs] a.费力的；陡峭的 (英语四级单词)


• spectacular [spek´tækjulə] a.壮观的；惊人的 (英语四级单词)


• utilize [´ju:tilaiz] vt.利用；使有用 (英语四级单词)


• staple [´steipəl] n.&vt.(用)钉书钉 (英语四级单词)


• trusty [´trʌsti] a.可靠的 n.可信任的 (英语四级单词)


• energetic [,enə´dʒetik] a.精力旺盛的；有力的 (英语四级单词)


• embark [im´bɑ:k] v.上船；装载；开始 (英语四级单词)


• trying [´traiiŋ] a.难堪的；费劲的 (英语四级单词)


• towering [´tauəriŋ] a.高耸的；强烈的 (英语四级单词)


• glacier [´glæsiə] n.冰河，冰川 (英语四级单词)


• eventually [i´ventʃuəli] ad.最后，终于 (英语四级单词)


• warming [´wɔ:miŋ] n.暖和；加温 (英语四级单词)


• coincidence [kəu´insidəns] n.巧合；符合；一致 (英语四级单词)


• carving [´kɑ:viŋ] n.雕刻(术)；雕刻品 (英语四级单词)


• knives [naivz] knife的复数 (英语四级单词)


• negotiate [ni´gəuʃieit] v.谈判；解决；转让 (英语四级单词)


• ravine [rə´vi:n] n.沟壑；深谷 (英语四级单词)


• normally [´nɔ:məli] ad.正常情况下；通常 (英语六级单词)


• inability [,inə´biliti] n.无能，无力 (英语六级单词)


• retired [ri´taiəd] a.退休的；通职的 (英语六级单词)


• delightfully [di´laitfuli] ad.大喜，欣然 (英语六级单词)


• abandoned [ə´bændənd] a.被抛弃的；无约束的 (英语六级单词)


• fluffy [´flʌfi] a.绒毛似的 (英语六级单词)


• piercing [´piəsiŋ] a.刺(贯)穿的；尖刻的 (英语六级单词)


• taking [´teikiŋ] a.迷人的 n.捕获物 (英语六级单词)


• deftly [´deftli] ad.灵巧地，敏捷地 (英语六级单词)