Bariloche

The section of Ruta 40 (Route 40) between San Martin de los Andes and Bariloche is a famous route known as "la ruta de los siete lagos" or the route of the seven lakes. Some who are strong enough to handle the steep climbs of the mountains bike the route over a few days. The sharp curves have no guardrails, some of the road is unpaved and rocky, and bicyclists must cruise down this road alongside cars, trucks, buses and grazing farm animals. We decided to do it the easy way and took a bus, which took 4 hours! We made sure that we had seats on the right side of the bus as it yeilded better views of the lakes and the mountains. The views were spectacular--the lakes were a beautiful aqua blue and the streams were so clear you could see right to the bottom. The dirt portion of the road was very bumpy and somewhat scary as there were times when we were so close to the edge of the road that we couldn´t see it from our windows--it felt like we might tumble off the road. Halfway through the ride we passed the the small town of Villa la Angostura, a quaint little town between two lakes, and we were a little sorry we didn´t plan a stop there for a few days. As we pulled up to Bariloche the mountains were jagged and snowcapped, which provided a dramatic backdrop for the city.

We stayed at hostel 1004, which was on the top floor of the tallest building in the city--the view was the reason we chose to stay there. We ate breakfast on the balcony everyday, and one evening we timed dinner so that we ate just in time for sunset. The view of the lake, Nahuel Huapi, with the mountains behind it was incredible. The service and rooms at the hostel however, felt more like a college dorm than other hostels we´ve been to. It was very crowded, there were lines for the bathroom, the computer and the kitchen--a great place to meet new people, because when you´re all crammed in you really have no choice, but not necessarily a comfortable stay.

Bariloche was definitely bigger than San Martin and had a lot more to do in and outside of the city. In the center of town there´s a main street filled with shops--lots of hokie, touristy t-shirts and souveniers, overpriced outdoor shops, and lots and lots of chocolate! We sampled quite a lot while were there. We also spent some time juggling in the park and playing fetch with a rock and a horde of stray dogs that were very sweet and happy to be paid any attention.

Outside town we hiked Mount Campanario, rated in National Geographic as one of the top 5 views in the world. We went with two Australian women (with much longer legs, and seemingly larger lungs) who we had met at the hostel. There were no switchbacks on the hike, just a path leading straight up the mountain. But at the top there was a great 360 degree view of the area, and it felt like we were on top of the world.

Our favorite part of the trip so far was our third day in Bariloche, when we biked the Circuito Chico. It´s a very hilly 30k (yes, everything is in kilometers here) loop around the lakes. We didn´t love the uphills and usually just walked our bikes up the more daunting ones. The dirt roads we rode on for about 5k were frustrating as well, but this was definitely the best way for us to really appreciate the beauty of the area. The best parts were cruising down giant hills after steep climbs on a road skirted with wildflowers and surrounded by lakes and mountains. We made a few pit stops along the way--a short hike through the woods to a hidden lake, where we took a refreshing (aka freezing cold) dip in, and an old swiss village, Colonia Suiza. The only access to Colonia Suiza is by dirt roads, which didn´t appear to be maintained at all, which made for a very bumpy ride. On our way to the village we had the good fortune of watching a Gaucho and his sheepdogs herd sheep and lambs across the road two feet in front of us. We stopped in Colonia Suiza for a quick lunch at a naturally constructed building that looked like something out of Lord of the Rings (Jill was obviously enthused while Sara appreciated the natural construction). Our wild boar panini was super salty but delicious and exciting (a nice change from the monotonous food of Buenos Aires)!

Overall, we appreciated the outdoorsy parts of Bariloche, and the constant spectacular view, but we didn´t love its commercialism. We´re excited to be moving on to El Bolson, which is full of hippies and supposedly much more laid back.