A mountain escape to Bariloche, Argentina

By now we've learned to expect that 20+ hour bus rides will arrive a few hours past the scheduled time, and our 23-hour (27-hour) trip to San Carlos de Bariloche, also known as Bariloche, was no exception! Thankfully our AirBnB hosts welcomed us at 2230 and had pasta that we could cook up!

This is our first time in the lakes region of Argentina so we planned to stay for two weeks in this mountain town and enjoy its Bavarian-influenced culture, natural beauty, and of course, chocolate. I chose our AirBnB about three kilometers from the city center because it was one of the most affordable I found for the time we wanted to be there and from the pictures it looked like it had amazing views of Nahuel Huapi Lake. We were not disappointed! We found the place to be comfortable with a great kitchen and crazy good views, it was close to a decent grocery store, and we could walk into the city center in 40 minutes or take a bus. All good, plus the kids had a great space to do school. And that's just what we did for our first few days! 

Our first "excursion" was to a mate (mah-tay) lesson that I found through AirBnB. We opted to book this as a private experience and I'm so glad we did. It's not that we don't want to meet other people, but we've had mate before and love the taste, but had so many questions about how to prepare it correctly. This way we got to do the whole lesson in English and really experience the ritual of Yerba mate, which is a social ritual that involves sharing the drink and sharing a straw and with COVID they have altered the class. Since we are a family, we were able to practice the full, shared social experience (fun fact--we definitely shared a mate with several people 16 years ago). Our instructor, Melanie, was amazing! We learned about the history of Yerba mate, where yerba is grown and how it is dried, about different mates (the cups) and bombillas (the straws), how to properly prepare the drink, and how to share it. We tried three different types of yerba, both alone and paired with a snack specifically chosen for each type. It was an AMAZING experience and we learned so much. 

We really loved learning about yerba mate with Melanie!

We also booked a local walking tour, "German Footprint and Nazi Presence in Bariloche" with Diego as the guide. This one is available through AirBnB experiences or local travel agencies (we used Zig Zag). Though the group was pretty big (maybe 20 people) and the information was delivered in both Spanish and English, it ended up being a super informative, super engaging walk with some really nice travelers from all over the world! Diego is a master at delivering bits of info in each language, rather than huge chunks, so that we all were listening for the next tidbit. We learned all about how the town was founded by German-Chilean Carlos Wiederholdt, the three waves of German immigrants to Argentina, and the Nazi's who were caught living in Bariloche. We really loved that it wasn't just about Bariloche, but rather incorporated what was going on in the world during each of the immigrant waves so there was much more context. And this was a fabulous tour given what the kids are currently studying in history (and Trent just finished "The Diary of Anne Frank" in English). We also watched "Operation Final" on Netflix the night before this tour and Diego enhanced much of what we learned in that film. We were honestly very pleased with this experience.

Diego was a fantastic guide and taught us so much about the German presence in Bariloche.

While in Bariloche we also had to try some chocolate! It's the chocolate capital of Argentina and honestly I would die if we tried every chocolate shop, but we hit Patagónico, Del Turista, Rapa Nui, Mamuschka, Frantom, and the Museo de Chocolate Havanna. The museum tour was actually pretty cool--all done in Spanish (but we understood most of it!), they served an amazing hot chocolate, and at the end they have an exhibit of local animals carved from chocolate. We picked up some alfajores from the museum (think cookie sandwich of dulce de leche dipped in chocolate or meringue), and while they are popular in Argentina, they aren't really our favorite. But they were good. Since it's so hot here we actually hit up the ice cream stands at the chocolate places more than the chocolate!

CHOCOLATE!

Hiking is also pretty big around here. We didn't do nearly as much of that as I would have liked just because of family preference and the desire to focus on school, but the boys and I did do a nice hike that combined the Sendero de los Arrayanes with the Lago Escondido Trail. A few hours on the trail and lunch on a lakeshore was just what I needed!

Loved this day on the trail with my guys.

Top marks for fun went to Cerro Viejo, a small, cheap, old teleférico close to our place that gives you stunning views of Lago Nahuel Huapi. You ride an old ski lift to the top the hill, then you have the option of walking down or riding the giant toboggan slide, and of course we chose the slide. It was such a good, old-fashioned fun time! There was also a little forest of arrayanes (myrtle) trees on the hillside and it was beautiful! We actually went back for another visit on our final day to determine the toboggan champion. Frank won, but only after Trent wiped out in the final corner, skinning every joint and tearing his shirt!

So much simple fun, but dang, Trent!

We also headed out to Colonia Suiza (the Swiss Colony) one day as it was rumored to have great Swiss architecture and was famous for its curanto, a local meal of meats and vegetables that is cooked in the ground. We ended up really enjoying the meal experience at Colonia Suiza Resto-Bar. You book a table for the curanto and they explain the whole thing--how Polynesian influence came to Chile which then came over to this little town, how they layer the meats and veggies, how it is covered with dirt and burlap, and then they uncovered the glorious spread of food! We went to our table and they came around with platters of food...three times! We gals had the vegetarian version which was honestly awesome with potatoes, yams, apples, onions, corn, carrots, and squash. The guys had all of that veg plus, chicken, pork, stuffed pork belly, lamb, lamb ribs, and chorizo! It was a crazy amount of food! The rest of Colonia Suiza? Uh, not really our thing. We walked all around and I can't say we saw a ton of interesting architecture. All we found were a ton of food vendors, a few small craft stands, restaurants, and a crazy crowded beach. It also took us a ton of time to get there and return via bus as the busses were full and infrequent. Add in that we had to wait for them in the blazing sun and I'm not sure we would do this again, at least not at this time of year. But the curanto was good.

Meat is a big deal in Argentina and curanto is the way to eat it in Colonia Suiza!

Our house is about a three-to-four minute walk to the lake. It's beautiful. The water is honestly a bit cold for me to head out and go for a swim (I saw one guy swimming in a wetsuit!) and the shores are rocky, but it's lovely. We are right by a marina so we get to stare dreamily at boats every day, too. And we can walk all the way to town on the road that runs along the lake. It's not bad! We spent a few afternoons walking around town and seeing all the touristy things there.

Beach days at the frigid lake. Frank made it in the furthest!

Around Bariloche...the Civic Center, the Cathedral, the lakefront, and the most awesome waterfront skate/bike park I've ever seen!

Restaurants here are supposed to be good, too, but honestly we only went out once for burgers after a tour! Why? Well, Argentinians complain that the food it expensive in this town, but it's honestly because we have a really awesome place! Every time we think of going out for a drink at one of the bars down on the lake, we realize that we can get drinks cheaper at the grocery store and enjoy them in the peaceful comfort of our own home with fabulous views of the lake. And I like to cook and this kitchen is good so yeah, we were homebodies. I think we will dine out a bit more in our next place...

Our little house was just perfect for us!

There is really so much more to do in this area and if we did it again, I would come during shoulder season and have a car to reach further and explore the many trails in the area without relying on tours on the public transit. 

A word about the bus. Argentina public transportation requires the use of a SUBE card--they don't take cash--and it's not like in D.C. where you just get a card from a kiosk. Here, you have to get your card from an official distributor with your passport in hand, then go somewhere else to charge it usually. I've read there are some automated top-up places in Buenos Aires, but mostly you have to go to kioskos (think convenience store) to top-up your card. The good news is that as long as you have money on the card, multiple people can use it. Frank and I set off on a SUBE card expedition only to have the official place be out of them, then about 10 kioskos that were supposed to have them also be out of them. The last place we tried said they didn't have them, but the guy next door did. Here's where big warning flags should have gone off--no "SUBE" sign in that guy's store window, but he had them and was selling them at only twice what they should cost. We paid $3 for the card, then went back next door to charge them with $3 each, and we were off! We boarded a bus, tapped our cards, and all was good. A few days later, we walked to town with the kids, but opted to take the bus back and...whammo--cards wouldn't work. We kind of knew they were used cards, but a trip to the "official" place the next day confirmed they were registered in someone else's name and had been blocked, the balance transferred away. Ok, so we got duped to the tune of $10. But you know what's awesome? The official place had cards again so we got two real cards and haven't had any problems since! But seriously, this "register with your ID" method and short card inventory makes it pretty hard for tourists to use the public transit system. Makes me miss the ease of use in DC, NYC, and Athens.

One of the more empty buses we rode on.

This also marks the end of our two months in Patagonia as Bariloche is the northern end of the region. It was wild, wonderful, and there is so much more to explore. Next stop--Mendoza!

~Jo, Nomadic Momma

A bit of Last Hope, a sloth, and a move

We closed out our time in Puerto Natales with a week of school, relaxing, fútbol, enjoying this cute town, and history! We returned to the same AirBnB we stayed at before the "W" as we really enjoyed being in this local neighborhood, the house worked out great for school, and the house had great TV's for watching the World Cup final (hey, you pick you places your way and I'll pick mine my way!). 

We treated the kids to a night out at Last Hope Distillery for drinks (FANTASTIC mocktails!) and tapas and also took them with us for a night out at Indigo Hotel's restaurant which is where we originally learned about the meaning of "Paine" and the Tehuelche language so many years ago. While I love eating in and stretching our travel budget, it was really nice to have some nights out. The adults had one last date at Last Hope where we officially closed out our tour of the menu, having tried ALL of the cocktails and food on the entire December menu. We look forward to returning in a few years when their whiskey is ready!

We simply love Last Hope! Comfortable, friendly, and delicious!

We don't do "fancy" very often, but we enjoyed this trip down memory lane.

We decided to get one last tourist site in before we left town--la Cueva del Milodón! The cave was discovered at the end of the 19th century with skins and bones of a milodon, a giant, extinct sloth. We spent an afternoon exploring the big cave, as well as two smaller caves (which we actually preferred) and climbed up La Silla del Diablo, "The Devil's Chair," to take in the views and enjoy a snack. It was a nice, easy day of hiking in the hills. 

Cueva Grande and the milodón.

Cueva del Medio and the trail tunnel.

Deep inside Cueva Chica.

La Silla del Diablo.

When it was time to leave our comfort in Puerto Natales we packed up some sandwiches, grabbed our bags, and walked 10 minutes to the bus station. We enjoyed a three-hour ride south through beautiful country and saw tons of guanaco, nandu, and sheep along the way. And after another 10-15 minute walk, we were at our new home in Punta Arenas. This was a super easy transfer.

And then there was a bit of crazy! As we were being welcomed by our host, it was clear she was an American ex-pat so I asked where she was originally from. When she said "northern Illinois" I had to dig a little more. Turns out she was from Peru, Illinois, a whopping 30-minute drive from where I was born and raised. We live in such a small, wonderful world and I love the adventurers that we are meeting along the way!

~Jo, Nomadic Momma

Time to see more of Peru! Puno y Arequipa...

The first stop on our bus adventure was Puno, a town on the coast of Lake Titicaca. As the highest navigable lake in the world at 3812m above sea level, we boaters just had to visit! We opted for a 2-day/1-night tour that first took us from Puno to the nearby Uros floating islands. These 120 islands were created from 2m chunks of land topped with 1m of dried reeds which are then tied together and anchored to nearby shallows. The residents refresh the reeds routinely and also use the reeds to craft boats (and now crafts for tourists). While the islands helped save the people from conquistadors 500 years ago, younger generations are heading to the mainland and cities and it's not likely that the community will last for too many more generations.

The Uros island of Waliki

Next we transited a man-made channel out to the "big" part of Lake Titicaca. The lake really is large and while you can see the distant mountains of Bolivia, the water seems to extend nearly to the horizon sometimes. Our next stop was Amantani Island where we would stay with a local family for the night. We stayed with Rosalia and Bautista (the community President!) and their two kids and while Quechua is their main language, they knew some Spanish. The island is agriculturally rich and we talked with the family about farming, fishing, family, food, houses, and local and global politics. The family eats mostly vegetarian (though some neighbors have sheep and chickens, and sometimes they fish) and Rosalia only goes to the mainland one or two times a year. After lunch we hiked up to the top of Pachatata (Father Earth) for sunset, had dinner with the family, and headed to a touristy-yet-fun fiesta in the town hall wearing traditional dress. 

Chatting with the family was the highlight, but the views and getting to try the traditional dress was awesome, too! The skirts were warm!

After a quick breakfast and goodbyes to the family we were off via boat to the island of Taquile. Here we hiked a trail with amazing views of the lake to arrive at the town square for a dancing demonstration and a lunch where we learned all about the island's farming history, use of natural materials for crafts and daily life, and about the social structure of the community. The island reminded me of some of the small islands in Greece! After that, we enjoyed the boat ride back to Puno. Love a good day on the water. Oh, and right near the pier Frank got to hold a black-chested buzzard-eagle! Our bird guy was happy! And after having a lazy afternoon walking around Puno and enjoying a long dinner, we ran into an old classmate of ours from Cusco. Always great to see Alex!

The island of Taquile.

A little bit of fun in Puno (especially for Frank!).

We boarded another overnight bus from Puno to get to Arequipa, "The White City." The goal for this stop was to do a little sightseeing, but also to get caught up on school. We arrived at the hotel at 0500 and while we couldn't check in for a few hours, they had a lovely garden we could sit in and plenty of hot tea. We had a great breakfast, got into the room, showered, and slept! Later in the afternoon, the adults went to an on-site cooking class where we learned how to make traditional Peruvian ceviche and chorrillana, a fried fish dish. It was so delicious! After a quick dinner for the kids we had to turn in as we needed to be up at 0300 the next day for...

A "hot" date night! (P.S. Don't cut rocoto peppers and then touch your eyes even if you have washed your hands about 10 times with soap. Just trust me on this one.)

...a trek to Colca Canyon, the second deepest canyon in the world! With a bird nerd and geology geeks in the family, we thought this trek with a night at an "oasis" on the canyon floor sounded great. While I was mentally prepared for the 1100m descent to the canyon floor, I was not prepared for the insane amount of up and down we did in intense sun and heat to get there! It was a long, hot day and I swear we ended up descending and ascending the entire canyon twice by the end of the trek, but it was nice to take a sunset swim in the pool at the oasis at the end of day one. We also had a lot of fun introducing our Austrian hiking buddies to the game, Farkle! The next day we were up early to hike up, up, up out of the canyon. Amazingly we managed to do it in less than 3 hours. While we did see condors at a roadside stop on the first day, we never did see them while we were in the canyon so that was a little crushing! But the views were great and there were some really interesting basalt formations. On the way back to Arequipa we stopped to relax in some hot springs, saw the areas volcanoes, and saw wild vicuña, but I'm not sure I'd do this one again. Maybe I'm just a little worn out!

A hot day of steep up and down ended in a rustic lodge with a pool at the base of the canyon.

We made it! Had another great group for a trek. We really enjoyed the post-trek relaxing.

We are at an AirBnB in Arequipa now and are only two blocks from the main plaza on a local side street known as "the music street" as it is lined by instrument shops--we love hearing all of the music! We are cleaning all of our stuff from the dusty trek, walking around the city, and eating all the yummy food! After school one day we visited the Museo Santuarios Andinos to see learn more about Incan traditions including child sacrifices and to see the mummy "Juanita," a well-preserved mummy of a girl of only 12-14 years old who was sacrificed atop a nearby mountain. You can't take photos there, but trust me when I say that the level of preservation achieved in cold, arid climates of the mummy and her belongings (and those of others found on the mountain) is amazing. We also hit up La Capitana, a popular picantería, to try some famous Arequipeño dishes (sadly they were out of rocoto relleno for the day)--so much good food!

Picantería goodness and getting some queso helado on the street (trust me, it's not cheese!).

Few more days here before we move on. Where do you think we will stop next?

~Jo, Nomadic Momma