Bye bye Bariloche!

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So after 2 weeks of soaking up the deep blue lakes of Bariloche, I am off to Mendoza. My second week was highlighted by the fact that I switched language schools: I spent the week at a school called La Montana, which was very organized and also ran activities in the afternoons. It was a relief to have a schedule and to be around other students. Classes were Monday to Friday from 9 - 1, and by the end of the week, although it still felt like a struggle to communicated, I noticed that I was understanding the general gist of just about everything that was said to me - even by Juan (at home) who had a very thick accent.

Last Sunday I hiked up the Cerro Lopez with a friend from Calgary (another Spanish student.) At the start of the hike we met up with 3 others, so we all hiked together. I think it was the hardest hike of my life! We climbed approximately 800 metres in 1.5 hours! I was feeling pretty shaky by the time we reached the Refugio Lopez, a cute little pink-coloured house perched atop the cliff (photos to come...) I was just settling down for a snack when I discovered that the rest of the group wanted to continue climbing, up to the top of the rock! Another 600 or 800 metres... Not actual rock-climbing, but scrambling up the whole way for another 2 hours or so.

I feared that my legs wouldn´t make the trip (not the mention the way down!) So I stayed at the Refugio, did 1.5 hours of yoga in the sunshine overlooking the lakes below, and took a wee nap waiting for them to return. Sure enough, about 3 hours later they returned with tales of a beautiful view on all sides, including the volcano in Chile. Sigh. At least I saw the photos...

It´s probably better that I didn´t go up, because at teh end of the day I ended up with what I believe was my first migraine! 😞 Aieyaiey. Perhaps it was dehydration and too much sun during the mountain-top yoga. Anyways, I managed to sleep it off and miraculously, my legs were not sore teh next day! That´s the second time that´s happened in Bariloche - I think there´s something magical in the air that prevents muscle soreness!

The rest of the week I was busy with Spanish classes and also went out for dinner with the rest of the hikers. I tasted some fantastic steak at the famous Alberto´s, sampled the chocolate at Mamushka´s (reportedly the best in the city) and went to a wine-tasting evening where I learned how to evaluate the look, smell and taste of wines - all in Spanish! (Well, at least I was RELATIVELY sure about what all the words meant.)

On my last day in Bariloche, I visited Llao Llao provincial park and the famous Llao Llao hotel - I believe it is the highest-rated (and most expensive!) hotel in Argentina. It is surrounded by mountains, lakes, and its very own golf course! On my walk I met up with an American girl who is travelling in Latin America for 9 months, who was accompanied by her mother on a 2-week vacation. You never know who you´re going to meet - and it´s amazing how thrilling it is to meet someone with the same first language as you!

For my bus trip to Mendoza I purchased a FULL cama ticket, which means the seats recline even further back than the SEMI cama (which I took from Buenos Aires) and reportedly are even more deluxe!

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Photos

On the way up Cerro Lopez
See that tiny pink house? Thats where we were aiming for!

The view from the top of Cerro Lopez
You can see how tired I look...