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Published: January 13th 2008
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Bariloche
View from our casita We were as excited as kids waiting to open their presents on X'mas day and Bariloche was our X'mas gift which we quickly "unwrapped"
the moment we landed on the runway 3 days before X'mas.
Most times, it's the people that help make a certain place you travel to a memorable one and other times it's the place you stay in that sets the tone for the whole holiday. This time round, we hit jackpot as we found a really lovely little casita or cabin located 23.4kms out of Bariloche town. Casita Llao llao (www.barilochehouse.com) was built with care and attention to detail and is owned and managed by Jamie and Shannie, a hospitable and enterprising young couple from California.
Clean and modern amenities like DVD, 29inch TV, skype phone, WiFi and a fully equipped kitchen truly made us feel like our home was transported from Buenos Aires to Bariloche, but with an added view of the mountains, lake and big beautiful blue skies which we woke up to every morning. Their local knowledge helped alot as they provided us with valuable tips on the best places to visit for sights and local fare to try during our stay in
Bariloche.
Before heading to Bariloche, we took time to read travelblogs written by other travelers who had spent X'mas in Bariloche in the past and learnt about how erratic the weather in Bariloche is and how it could rain and get really cold without warning. We hoped for the best and the best is exactly what we got as we enjoyed sunshine, blue skies and even a full moon to light up the lake at night.
We arrived in time for summer solstice and experienced the longest days of the year. Most days, the sun would set around 11pm and that gave us additional daylight to explore and enjoy this beautiful place.
We rented a car throughout our stay and that gave us "wings" to venture farther away. We booked the car way in advance and paid only $700 Argentinean pesos for 8 days and that was a indeed a real bargain.
For eight days, we took things easy, drove around, hiked and explored little trails that led us to beautiful streams and "beaches"
We stopped along the way and took a dip in the lakes which were pretty cold as the waters come from melted
Bariloche
The view from our little casita where we stayed..... ice of the mountains which was crystal clear. (We tasted the lake water and it tasted like bottled Evian water).
We drove miles on dusty dirt tracks ( some of the routes were real rough and rugged terrain as one mistake could have been fatal) which took us around Circuito Chico, Circuito Grande (the seven lakes), and the little towns of Villa Angostura, El Bolson and Los Martin de Andes. It was fun having wheels again after traveling for almost 15 months. It took some getting used to as I was not accustomed to driving on the right side of the road with a left hand drive! Sometimes I did forget........oops!
Our favourite place had to be El Bolson, quiet and yet alive with colour, interesting bohemian people, great food and gorgeous scenery.
We practically ate "the entire town" as we greedily tried empanadas (some of the best I have tried so far), freshly made waffles with fresh raspberry fruits, raspberry juice, chocolates and trout, all in 1 hour!!!!
We also got a whiff of "happy leaves" in the air as we walked through the local markets....perhaps it was why everyone seemed so calm and happy here.....ha ha
For Christmas, we bought fresh and smoked trout (which bariloche is famous among other things like Patagonian lamb, chocolates and ice cream) from a trout farm in Colonia Suiza and cooked it on Christmas day and had champagne and wine to celebrate this special and peaceful X’mas. Opened all our presents and listened to Xmas carols as we soaked in the view of the lake and amazing views of Andes from our little casita.....
Places we ate at worth mentioning are....
A parilla place El Boliche Alberto which we got to try Patagonian lamb.
Our favourite place Las Cartas, a little tavern like restaurant located in Circuito Chico which served us amazing fresh trout and dessert. It felt like we were eating in someone’s home.
……a really cool Cerveceria which had tasty pizzas and locally brewed beer.
……a must try hot chocolate at the top of Cerro Campanero.
Just a stone's throw away from our casita, is Cheddar restaurant which had a great view and nice home cooked pot casserole dishes which we liked a lot.
Bought some delicious chocolates from Mamuschka in Bariloche town reputed to be the best place to buy chocolates.
On the day
Bariloche
Katharine and I up at Campanero cerro at the top with the view of the lakes with Lago Nahuel Huapi behind us..wow we had to head back to Buenos Aires, we were surprised when Jamie the owner of the casita told us that time in Argentina was now an hour ahead as the government decided (for the first time in its history) to add an hour in order to save energy during the summer solstice. That's Argentina for you.....
We rated Bariloche as our favourite place in Argentina and hope that we would be able to find a place like this to make a home someday. It is a peaceful place, clean and a perfect place to take time off to remember how good life is and should be.....
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