Bariloche...Mendoza...Goodbye Argentina

This blog is long overdue an update and I will rack my brains to try and figure out the right sequence of events since Ruta 40.

I arrived in Bariloche and stayed in a lovely hostel with views on the lake Nahuel Huapi. Bariloche is THE winter resort town in Argentina. It has a great location on a lake and is surrounded by foresty mountains. The town has a bit of a disneyland feel with St Bernards on the main square ( you have to pay to get a picture taken with them) and many many chocolate shops.

I had only one full day to spend there so I decided spend my time wisely and I couldn´t think of anything better than white water rafting. This was not my first time (re: Costa Rica) and I have tto admit that I much preferred the Bariloche adventure. The team was extremely friendly and safety conscious, the rapids were thrilling both in their power and the narrow paths we had to paddle through to overcome them without falling in. The water was crystal clear and drinkable (tested and tasted good!) which contrasted beautifully with the lush green forests surrounding us. We also all got to jump into the water and swim through the rapids (safely of course). In the end we were rewarded by having a huge asado (Argentinian BBQ) with heaps of red wine.

Next stop was Mendoza, the argentinian wine region. Backpackers always meet at least twice on a journey and that is exactly what happened to me at the Bariloche bus station. Clara is a franco german girl I had met previously in Chile and we got on so well that we decided to continue our journey together.

Mendoza is a pleasant city with wide tree lined avenues and a huge main square. I had decided to continue on my adrenaline seeking activities and thought it would be a good idea to go paragliding (the cheap factor was non negligeable). The idea also appealled to Clara so we decided to do it together. The feeling was quite exilirating. What we lacked in views (they were quite plain ...) we got back in the fear factor and the extremely odd sensation of flying feet up in the air!


All too soon it was time to say cheerio to Argentina, eat our last steak, drink our last glass of Malbec and head off into Expensive Chile.

Next stop: Rapa Nui (aka. Easter Island)

El Calafate and the mighty Perito Moreno Glacier

I arrived at my hostel aptly called the Marco Polo (makes you feel adventurous when you stay in a place called Marco Polo!), settled down for a few minutes, reading the traveller´s bible to figure out what this new place had to offer and how I would go about doing it. This is now my routine.

More than just a touristy small town in the middle of nowhere, El Calafate is the main stopover for anyone wanting to go see the Perito Moreno Glacier, one of the few glaciers in this world that is not retreating.


Unfortunately, I have now started to fall asleep almost immediately as soon as I get on a bus or plane so I didn´t actually hear anything of what the guide was jibbering on about while we were making our way to the glacier. I don´t think I missed that much.

As we were driving towards the National Park, I suddenly caught a glimpse of it. It was a little like the first time I saw the pyramids. Sheer surprise. It got even better as we got closer. It was only by standing by the viewpoint that I realised the sheer immensity of this natural beast. You would to if you stood face to face with a wall of ice that is 60m high and that is still advancing. I could actually hear the ice move. I could have spent hours there watching the ice and waiting for the next break (I was lucky enough to see one huge piece of ice fall off and hit the water).


Other than seeing the Perito Moreno, two cool things happened to me on that day both of them being random encounters.

Previous to starting my trip I had done a little research (as you do) mostly to figure out what to pack. I started reading a blog called Cinco Tierras, written by a belgium couple who were embarking on a 5 month trip across five countries in South America. I have sporadically checked their blog along the way but had no idea where they were. Yes, I bumped into them. I actually recognised them as I was walking down the stairs. Incredible...I was so excited I couldn´t resist going up to them and talking to them. Now looking back, I realised it must have been pretty weird for them. But anyone who reads blogs knows that you feel like you know these bloggers. That was a pure random moment. I might not remember names but nobody can say that I am bad with faces.

Story no. 2 is also a good one especially for the francophone. I had started to talk to an old argentinian couple while in the queue (I wish I had taken pictures of all these people!), as we go about the usual introductions (who you are, where you´re from etc..) it so happens that one of their sons lives in Sardinia and that they have family in Nice (sweet eh!). Although this is cool it gets better. As they tell me about their son is Sardinia they mention that they were extras on a french film while they were on holiday visiting their son. Ah, really...which one ? .... none other than Les Bronzes III !!!! These films and the respective actors are a true french institution. I mean how cool is that!!!!

Ushuaia, Tierra Del Fuego

Although I had been warned about the weather conditions in Southern Argentina, I was completely unprepared for what was about to hit me. I had arrived from Buenos Aires which baked in 35C heat and was shocked to find myself standing in flip flops on the airport tarmac in 5C temperature and complete day light at 11 pm.

So here I am, the tip of South America, El Fin Del Mundo. I was pleasantly surprised by Ushuaia. Images of a grey bleak port city quickly dissipated as I walked about town checking out the main street and the port beautifully set against the backdrop of snow-capped Andes mountains.

Having purchased a beanie hat to cope with the freezing temperatures I was ready to brave the conditions and go explore the Beagle Channel, its Lighthouse and the many sea lions and cormoranes that inhabit the area. The boat trip was extremely scenic and despite the strong winds we were lucky to get enough sunlight to have nice views of the coastline. It´s an odd feeling to look at the coastline and realise that well, that´s it...there´s nothing now until Antartica.

Talking about Antartica I had told myself before getting to Ushuaia that if there was an opportunity for a last minute deal I would take it. That is exactly what happened on my last day here. As i walked down to the reception of the hostel, a poster advertising an 8 day Antartica cruise for $1800 was there staring at me. A regular cruise goes for $5000 so the deal looked pretty sweet. Oh..what to do ?

(...)

Naaah....I am not in Antartica...but at the Perrito Moreno Glacier next to El Calafate. Cheeky I know :) although tempted I decided against Antartica. Instead I bought a flight to Easter Island for the end of February (I would much prefer to spend time checking out the hot Easter Island men! ).