Bariloche – Day 1 & 2: The Switzerland of Argentina
BARILOCHE
Day 1 & 2: The Switzerland of Argentina
March 15 & 16, 2023
You’d think after a ten-day cruise I’d be so well-rested and recharged that I’d sprint off in search of more adventures the second I landed on dry ground. I can say I felt the opposite of that. After ten days of barely doing anything, I felt as stiff as a board and practically drained – both physically and mentally.
Also congested, with the most annoying post-nasal drip – probably sequelae from the Polar Plunge, huh? Also COVID-19 negative, in case anyone’s wondering. I spent the next day in Ushuaia resting in my hostel and meeting up with Natalie 2 for dinner (from Utila to Ushuaia!) instead of doing some of the treks I’d been looking forward to before my trip to Antarctica. But boy did I need it. Especially before another long day flying from one airport to the other.
Argentina’s Switzerland
I’m not gonna complain about travelling this time round, though. Having been told that my baggage reservation was cancelled, I was fully reimbursed. Then I proceeded to check in without bringing it up and no one said anything – meaning I got a free checked-in bag and a refund. Oh, and my luggage arrived first at baggage reclaim. Jackpot!
So yeah, another two flights ultimately led me to my next destination – the town of San Carlos de Bariloche. Known as Argentina’s Switzerland, it’s found in the Patagonian region of the country, right in the heart of Argentina’s Lake District, and is surrounded by the glacial lake of Nahuel Huapi and the Andes Mountains. Whilst being renowned for its alpine-style architecture and rose bushes covering everywhere you look, the town is also famous for its chocolate, beer, and, most important to me, trekking.
But getting there so late at night, trekking was kinda the last thing on my mind. As soon as I got to my hostel and was shown to my room – a mattress lying on a wooden block, shared by four others, with the bathroom found in the dorm adjacent to mine – I literally collapsed on my bed and proceeded to catch up on some much-needed Zs.
Hostel Etiquette Crimes
The following day, not quite ready to exert myself just yet, I pushed myself out of bed, got my crap together, and made my way to the bus stop in the midst of a storm, waiting for a bus that was meant to take me to the start of a trail I wanted to trek.
A bus which never quite showed up, despite the hostel staff’s assurance. Knowing I had less than a month left travelling, I didn’t really wanna waste another day doing nothing. But when faced with the storm and my still-recovering body, I think I did the right thing by heading back to my hostel and Modern Family-ing it out, in between writing about my adventures in Antarctica – which, by this point, I felt like I was already having withdrawals from.
I even had the luxury of taking a long, hot shower. Also the luxury of being asked to turn Taylor Swift’s Maroon off through the bathroom door, as some guy told me there were people sleeping. Oops. I hate to be that guy, but to be completely fair, I did check the beds before I went in and there was no one sleeping. Also, it was 4PM, it was at half volume, and I apologised profusely. Do I make a strong enough case?
