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Published: March 8th 2008
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Hmmm, our plans to leave Bariloche were scuppered! 2 weeks on we find ourselves still here!
We stayed in a nice hostle called El Barraca right in the town (well up about 100 steps, but we got used to that) for the first week, trying unsuccessfully to make plans for our limited time left in Argentina. We were still hankering after some more spanish lessons - very fruitful of us I hear you all thinking, and trying to book accomadation etc. Anyway we came across a set up "Spanish in the Mountains" who took us on this week for a massive 4 hours spanish a day, up the hills in a place called Villa Coihues, about 12km out of Bariloche but on the bus route. They also helped us get a sweet little (brand new) cabana in a place about 5 mins walk from the school, "Quimey" something they are called up by Lago Gutteriz, our lake across the road from our Cabana. We are spoilt, paid about a fifth more than our room in the hostel for a brand new self contained cabana, with kitchen and tv in the living area. Its really homely.
We like Bariloche more
the longer we are here. In the lake district, its really "Alpine", all wooden, very swiss and pretty. They have lots of walks but we´ve been relatively lazy and also disorganised and now we´ve been doing spanish so the days are filled with the classes and homework and recovery from actually having to use our brains for a portion of the day. We are learning lots though. Maria runs the school and lives beside the little hut we do our classes in. Its all very cosy. We´ve had two teachers, Pilau, and Laura, but Laura has been our main teacher. Our heads are full of spanish, and we´ve got to the stage that we´ve stopped using our basic survival spanish and started to think about what we are saying and at least trying to use the correct tenses etc.! We are doing 2 more hours now on Monday just to revise, and also to encourage us to do some study over the weekend. We got to meet up with some of the other students the other night, when we all headed out for a vegatarian food. There is a lot of bread and red meat, cheeses and wines here in
Chile and Argentina, and both our stomachs and skin were showing up the lack of vegatables and fruit, so this was an unbelievable treat. Never thought veggie food could taste so good, they delivered us out a platter of 6 different small dishes each, and it was lip smackingly good. Never mind the wine, how will we ever drink wine in Ireland again, given the prices here. Our tastes have become seriously refined, and I for one have become spoilt with fantastic tasting cheap Chilean and Argentinean wine.
Activity wise in Bariloche, we´ve been on a good few cable cars! Thought i was done with them after New Zealand but seems not. We took the cable car up Cerro Otto to take in the view and hiked down back to town which took us about 2.5hrs. Never thought downhill was much exercise, but the muscles were aching the next day! We also went up Cerro Viejo, for a less beautiful view, with a tobaggon run down, and a quick dash into the chocolate museum nearby on the way home. You get free hot chocolates there, but they only "sell" boxes of chocolates at the end. Bariloche is a chocolate
lovers heaven with chocolate shops on every corner, so in that instance we saved ourselves for the shops in town where we would restrainedly indulge in only one or two at a time. We also took a day trip up Cerro Cathedral the ski resort nearby. Obviously there was no snow (i´d say its fab when there is) but we took the ski lifts up for nearly 45 mins of a journey to the peak to take in more spectactular view, and also to have the biggest slice of undeserved chocolate cake that there ever was.
ALSO, we got to meet up with my good friend Brid here in Bariloche. She decided to get off the gravy train too, and is travelling for 9 months (at least she says) in S. America. She has been doing a lot of hiking with the other half James, and friends Craig, Joe and Susan, in Patagonia, and camping all the way.....
Paul and I have turned into flashpackers since we realised our little stint was to be cut short, but should we ever come back to Argentina and Chile (in the summer of course), this is definitley the way to do
it (for us anyway). Its very cheap and the campsites are very good, and its a good set up for hiking etc to have your own gear in Patagonia. Next time for us.... We are no longer on a "Trip" but are treating these last weeks as a bit of an indulgent holiday, but sure we have plans for next time.......
But anyway, it was a real treat to see some friends, and enjoy the comfort of being among familiar faces after so long away. We went up to their campsite for a bbq steak, and mourned the end of our trip.
.... And our lack of tent, when we saw their nice little (and cheap) set up. We met them all a good few times over the week for beers etc, and actually should be up in Mendoza right now for the wine harvest with Brid and James only they decided to go up after we had already changed our plans, and decided to stay here, and fly to Iguaza. That was a bit of a bummer, but we all consoled each other over a hearty mexican feast, with Margeritas, and the usual Vat of delcious argentinean wine
Steak and Wine
Brid James Susan Joe and Craig were all camping just outside of town so we called out for some very nice steak and wine over a bbq :D before we parted company. Bon Vovage Lads, if you are reading. Stay safe and have a ball x.
So thats next for us.... Might take a little hike tomorrow (Pauls hankering after a 24km stint but im not so sure). Tues we fly to Iguazu falls for 3 nights up there, and then back down to Buenos Aires in time for Paddys day. Two weeks tommorrow we are home. I dont know how I feel about it. Now its so close, I could keep going, although there were times when I thought the time would never pass. I cant believe how long we have been away, or that we are going home so soon. We are both looking forward to seeing everyone, and also getting back to a routine, and home comforts, and friends and family, but I know its going to be hard to get back to working a 40 hour week (or is it 35... I dont know anymore?), and the Irish weather. Sure C´est la Vie or Es La Vida so they say!
We´ll blog again before we get home. And we are buying the Lonely Planet for Ireland in the Airport on the way
home... We´ve decided the only thing for the post travelling blues is to be tourists in our own country too!
x
C u all soon it seems!
x
Elaine and Paul
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Mary and Mark
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About time too!
Glad to see ye got out of holiday mode long enough to put up another blog! Maybe we will go to South America on our next trip!! Looks great!