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Published: February 16th 2012
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My first stop after crossing the border into Argentina was the picturesque village of San Martin de los Andes, which is one of the plethora of villages located on the shores of stunning mountain lakes in this region of South America. I only really had one full day to spend there, so I made the most of my time by eating chocolate, ice cream and wandering up to the lookout that provides a mesmerising view of the lake. I ended up staying in this secluded spot for a few hours to do some reading and just unwind in the peace and quiet after what had been a fairly busy but enjoyable final few days in Pucón.
The hostel I was staying in provided not only breakfast, but also dinner each night. This is a great concept as it gets everyone together and I ended up having one of the more interesting group conversations of my travels thus far. I was sitting at a table conversing with a magician from Buenos Aires, a Swiss airline stewardess, along with an American girl who was doing some university studies in Santiago and Buenos Aires, whilst also spending the summer working in a hostel
in Pucón. After the meal, the group was then joined by a guy in his fifties from San Diego who now operates a shop in Sao Paulo, Brazil. He was someone who lives for social interaction and the conversation veered down many interesting twists and turns before we retired to bed. It is for nights such as this that I love staying in hostels. We were total strangers from all different walks of life, yet we connected and partook in true conversation, covering world history, different cultures (both ancient and modern), what is important in life and gives it meaning, ambitions, scars resulting from street violence and much more. It was one night of conversation with a group of people that I may never meet again, but it was one of the better ones I have had.
My next stop was supposed to be Puerto Madryn on the east coast of Argentina; however, this had to be postponed by 24 hours due to a random patrol check of the bus as we neared Bariloche. I was happily reading a book as I noticed the sniffer dog swaggering up the aisle. After some time had passed, I wondered why we
were still stationary. At roughly this moment, three names were called out rather sternly from the front of the bus. I raised my head to look around and saw three young girls hesitantly walk down the aisle, before being whisked away by the authorities for drug possession! I dare say that this was probably not the walk down the aisle that their parents had been hoping for as they entered adulthood.
After being on the roadside for three hours, another bus arrived to pick us up and we were ferried into Bariloche, where my connecting bus had departed a couple of hours prior. A friendly couple noticed my dilemma, so they paid for me to get a bus into town and walked me to the hostel district so that I could find a bed. The kindness of strangers. Being temporarily stranded in Bariloche had some clear upsides though, as along with being surrounded by lakes, mountains and national parks, this city is famous for its chocolate and ice cream! I combined them both for a delicious breakfast before setting out to explore the town centre. It is built of stone and wood, reminiscent of central European villages from the
middle ages and I could see why people enjoy their time there.
I eventually made it to Puerto Madryn just in time for my friend’s going away party, where I had a fun night of trying to use my limited Spanish with a really interesting group of marine biologists. I soon wished that I had more time here, so that I could explore the surrounding Welsh villages, see the wildlife (this is where the Killer Whales ride in with the waves to catch seals on the beach – the only place in the world where they do this) and spend more time around these people with whom I felt could become fast friends. Alas, Buenos Aires was calling me back for a third time, as I also had an assortment of friends there too, four of whom were soon leaving these shores.
Buenos Aires is doing its very best to dislodge Barcelona as my favourite city. I simply cannot get enough of the place, although it may soon have had enough of me! Both cities accept people of all types, so it is impossible to feel like you don’t belong. Freedom of expression seems to be encouraged and promoted, from clothing to music to street art and both cities love a good party! I caught up with Tobias again, thanks to a mix-up with his flights that resulted in him being put up in a swanky hotel for three nights. We wandered the Sunday markets of San Telmo where he bought something every time he paused for breath (I restricted my purchases to a tango C.D. that Tobias conveniently took home for me – I guess it saved him buying yet another item from the markets) and had a couple of farewell cervezas. We parted ways and I immediately met up with five other friends for what turned out to be a completely wild night that didn’t see me find my bed until 9am! The next night, however, was the absolute highlight of my visits to Buenos Aires and I am seriously considering returning there in March just to do it all over again.
Every Monday, there is a drum show called ‘La Bomba de Tiempo’ that another good friend had told me I absolutely had to go to at least once. It is AWESOME! At any one time there are a minimum of 15 drummers/percussionists on the stage, including a conductor and they play in an open air venue, creating a tribal dance in the sweltering summer night. Beer is served by the litre (I am not exaggerating) and everyone goes completely and utterly berserk. Everyone. It is impossible to not move to the rhythms they create, even the performers seems to become lost in their own trance from time to time. After just under three hours, everyone is in a lather of sweat (some having shed items of clothing), drunk and smiling. And this was only the start of the night! My friends and I managed to survive the night, which was their last in South America and a fine way to go out. As they flew home, I caught an overnight bus to Córdoba where I ended up being caught in the midst of a political protest, complete with live music, surrounded by Spanish colonial architecture and revolutionary fervour. I have really loved the times I have spent in this country over the past couple of months, but I must leave tonight because Carnaval in Brazil just cannot be missed!
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