Blogs from San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina, South America - page 7

There was a whole day to kill before we set out on our trek, and most of it was spent getting ready. I first had to go to the Aerolineas office in town to change my flight on Saturday to a later time. That took about an hour and a half, and it wasn't even busy. Still, job done, and I met with the girls to get groceries. I also gave in and realized I needed hiking pants. Jeans weren't going to cut it if it was going to be even a little bit wet. So I picked up a pair at one of the many outdoor clothing and gear shops in town. They were not exactly inexpensive, so I'd better get some mileage on them back home after the trip. The day of our hike, ... read more

We arrived in Bariloche around 8am after the most hellish bus journey yet! 30 hours on a squashed bus with minimal legroom and arctic temperatures. We got off the bus and headed straight to the taxi rank, there was no way we wanted to get another bus to the hostel even if it was only 10 or so minutes away. Our hostel (Tango Inn Downtown) was pretty nice and we had our own room again with a view of the lake and a BATH!!! I was sooooo excited, the first bath I'd had since leaving in February. The hostel also had a jacuzzi which we could use for free as we had a double room which was a real luxury. The breakfasts were also incredible; pancakes, scrambled eggs, toasts and cereals. Nice change from just bread, ... read more

Woke up to a gorgeous day, with not a cloud in sight, and no sore legs, suprisingly after the previous days walking. The legs must be getting used to the mileage. Mike, Emiliano, Jo and I are keen to tackle a hard trek today, with Bruno skipping out. We decide to walk up the Cerro Catedral, the mountain we caught a gondala and a chairlift up on our second day. After getting the bus out there, Emiliano chats with a local who runs a cafe, and he recomends that we trek the Condor instead, which is black/blue ski run next to the Catedral, and apparently has better views. So after feasting on some chocolate, we head off. The climb starts at around 1100 metres and tops out at just under 2000 metres. Instead of following the ... read more

Quiet day today, as the weather has set in and the legs are sore. No-one is in the mood to do much during the day. The five of us grab some lunch at morfies and then make our way back to the hostel to chill out before heading out for the night. By now we have gotten over the jetlag, and are used to eating dinner after 9pm, usually around 10pm, which is the time we venture out tonight to De Alberto's, a famous steak house in Bariloche. Once again the steaks are amazing, as we share 3 massive cuts of meat between the five of us, along with some ensalada and papas fritas (salad and chips). Plus a great bottle of malbec. Dinner is finished after midnight, from where we head off to a the ... read more

After a 2 hour delay getting out of Buenos Aires we arrived in Bariloche, and we were greeted with a Patagonian cold front. The wind was howling, and the mountains had been recently dusted with the first snowfall of the season. Spectacular, but bloody cold and a shock to our system after coming from summer in Sydney and similar weather in B.A. Bariloche is famous for its skiing in winter, and trekking in summer. It is also well known for its chocolate and micro-breweries. So it has Jo's and my name written all over it for respective reasons. Got to our hostel, Home Hostel, and were taken in with open arms by the owners (Gaby and Santiago). We were starving after foregoing breakfast and only getting a pack of chips and a chocolate bar on the ... read more