Bariloche and the Lake District

We left Pucon for a long day of buses, borders, and fabulous views, arriving in Bariloche about 10 pm. There seems to be no easy way to get here, so we used a combination of public bus and private van. We passed amazing views of volcanos and gorgeous lakes along the way. We are now in Argentina, in the foothills of the Andes mountains.

Estancia

The next morning we set off for an estancia, or ranch, outside the town. After breakfast, our host talked to us about mate, the national drink that everyone in Argentina drinks, and its social importance. Everyone has their own mate cups, and shares the straw with friends, family, and strangers. I’ve seen them carry a whole set of pot and cups on family outings to the beach.

After breakfast was the main event, riding with the gauchos, the horsemen of South America. We were treated to horses in great condition, a blanket on the saddle, and great mountain scenery. Border collies and other dogs followed us around for the two hour ride.

We were all a little shaky getting off!

Then we were fed a wonderful asado meal, meaning slow cooked over a fire. Beef, chorizo, and malbec wine is a great combination for hungry gauchos!

Bariloche

Back in Bariloche, Javi took a couple of us for a walk down the block to the city center, just above the lakeside with city sign, beach area and volleyball courts.

In the square, some women were dancing with handkerchiefs, symbolizing the “disappeared” from a few decades ago. After the 1976 coup by dictator Videla, tens of thousands of people were killed or disappeared. In the capital Buenos Aires, a group of women protests every Thursday while questions remain about the fate of the missing. The women here are following that lead.

We continued to the main shopping area, which was mostly huge ice cream and chocolate shops. The ice cream was very good. The chocolate, which Bariloche is famous for, was good, but I couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about. These stores were busy all day long and in to the evening, with mostly latino tourists. There are many Swiss and Germans who settled here after world war II, starting the trend.

ice cream – it tasted better than it looks

It’s really hot here, which is unusual for this area. Our room’s windows faced the sun, with no air con. We had to ask for a fan. After that was arranged, we went to a food truck area for dinner. The mural there, of the football gods Messi and Maradona, inspired some imitation. Football heroes are depicted everywhere in Argentina.

Along the shopping street, I went in to change money with a shopkeeper. Using $100 American bills to exchange is the best way to get a good rate for Argentine pesos. Charges from ATMs are ridiculously high, and there are men and women changing money on every corner.

Lake District

In the morning we went on a tour of the lake district. Just beautiful! The stunning vistas included a resort hotel built in 1938, “in the Canadian style”. There are ski resorts here, and in winter the residents call it Braziloche since the resorts are filled with Brazilians. And yes, this place also reminded me of areas around Banff, Canada.

We went up a gondola up to a sightseeing point, but views were just as good from out driving stops.