Bariloche, Argentina

We got up early and piled into the car to make our way back to the airport in B.A. There was a little freak out moment when we got off the highway and hit crazy, congested rush our traffic. There was another freak out moment when we got to the airport but weren’t sure where to meet our drop off guy. All was smoothed out and we boarded our flight without any further problems.

The flight was great, the boys did very well. On approaching Bariloche, we had the most spectacular view. The beautiful lake framed by high mountain peaks covered in snow. My first thought was, dammit…we should have spent Christmas here! We were met at the Airport by our Airbnb hostess and a quick taxi ride later we made it to our accommodation. This place is huge and had a great view of Nahuel Huapi lake. We couldn’t have asked for better.

We’ve gotten into a bit of a rhythm here now. Luke and I have been running consistently for our half marathon training and Isa has stayed on board with her learning to run module. We have been cooking some and eating out here. We also finally found some good coffee, so we are getting our fill in as much as possible.

Luke and I took a walking tour in town. We followed the German footprint tour. It taught us about the 3 waves of German immigrants to Bariloche as well as some of the war criminals and conspiracy theories about the area. The town is heavily German, Austrian and Swiss influenced. You feel as though you are tucked into the Alps somewhere with the architecture and the snow-capped mountains, beer and chocolate.

Luke and I also went rafting with Auguas Blancas. We rafted the Manso river, class 4 rapids that took us out to the Chilean border. It was an amazing trip and we even had a rare day of beautiful sunshine. The guides were great guys and afterwards we shared in a parilla of lamb meat. 

When we got home we took the kids for a walk down to the lake. People were splayed out on the beach, chilling beers in the cold waters of the lake. The boys waded through the water, throwing stones and splashing around as the sun set. Moments like this feel a little surreal at times. It’s been so amazing to have this time with them, to take life slowly and watch them discover new things.

 

 Luke got sick after this for a few days and was down for the count. We think it was a grocery store sausage that got him considering I didn’t get sick. While he laid low, Isa and I took the boys out to explore the town and play at the park. The town feels like a ski resort town and would be wonderful to visit in the winter. They have a Christmas tree set up in the center of town and it actually feels more like the holidays here than anywhere else we’ve been. We tried to find packs for rent so that we can take the boys on some treks, but the ones we found are very expensive and I’m not so sure it’s in the budget.

The winds picked up and it rained for a couple of days. We passed the time watching movies and getting out with the kids when we could. Luke was feeling better, so we left for some burgers and got caught up in the Bocca/Riverplate soccer game that should have happened while we were in B.A. As the game ended people crowded through the streets chanting and setting off fireworks. Everything was peaceful, but they had officers armed with riot gear in the streets just in case. Amazing how intense things get here over sports.

The next day Luke picked up our wheels and we explored the Circuito Chico route. We stopped at some outlooks, but visibility was limited because of the weather. On the way home, we stopped and took the chair lift up to Cerro Campanario for some spectacular views, despite the clouds, mist and rain. We grabbed an overpriced coffee on the mountain before heading back down and completing our circuit.

Our last day in Bariloche and we decided to drive down to El Bolson to check out the market and famed gelato. The market was mostly crafts, but we managed to get a few gifts for some people. We hit up Jauja for the infamous gelato, it did not disappoint. 

When we got back to Bariloche, we prepped for our departure the following morning and ate at a local brewpub. Looking forward to checking out San Martin de los Andes, we’ve heard great things. We will be back to say a final goodbye to Bariloche next week before flying to Mendoza.