Elqui Valley - Intergalactic sightseeing in a valley far, far away

Elqui Valley via La Serena (Chile)
27 April - 01 May 2015

Recently I decided to do some research into Daylight Saving time in Chile, as in, when it should occur, when clocks should move forward or back, you know, the standard questions that people in either hemisphere ask themselves when the months of April & October appear on the horizon and you get that uneasy feeling of realising that a time change is upon you but not really knowing when it should occur.  The reason for this belated research is that Inga and I ''apparently' got caught out by this  temporal revision when we were about to make our way north from Valparaiso to La Serena. We had arrived at the main bus terminal in Valparaiso, purchased tickets and had assumed that we had over an hour to spare prior to our specified departure time, only we actually didn't. We discovered an hour later, much to our chagrin, that our intended ride had departed 45 minutes earlier than we had anticipated. Now this type of mishap had also happened to me once before, way back in good 'ole Mexico. One time when downing Caronas on a Mexican beach a time change there had meant that the intended ride that Jet and I wanted to take from Mazatlan to Mexico City left 30 minutes prior to the time that our watches were showing. That error however had occurred in the northern hemisphere, during a time when I would have anticipated the clocks to have been moved forward, which they did, thus making the 'miss' fully understandable. On this occasion we were in the southern hemisphere, during April and a change of times should have turned the clocks back, which in essence should have provided us with an additional hour. To make this oddity even more confusing, my research of late has shown that in 2015 Chile made the once off decision of not changing their daylight savings hours, which now on reflection completely dumbfounds me as to how and why we missed this specific connection by over an hour when all others had gone and indeed did go extremely smoothly. So therefore I provide this tip to all would be travellers out there, check your time zone changes! Make these checks both when jumping borders and within the country you're travelling as movement across those long lines of latitude also means that clocks can move forward or back. Also, keep a look out for allotted days for daylight savings changes (if indeed they occur), this can monumentally stuff up your itinerary and catch you out in terms of finances.

Hours after our intended time of arrival we pulled into the uninspiring town of La Serena just on dusk. For all its architectural prominence and its status as Chile's second oldest city we had had the simple hopes of finding a place that served a decent pisco sour, I mean really, that was all our minds had requested after several hours on a bus. Somehow through our day of small misfortunes we also managed to find the one bar that served a desperately bad national beverage that included random floating pieces of lemon rind. The drinks looked more like a gringo joke than an actual verifiable concoction. In addition the price we paid also proved that the joke was well and truly being played out at our expense, which in the grand scheme of things wasn't a tragedy as the next day we were heading to the Elqui Valley.

So, why the Elqui Valley and why in particular Elqui Domos? Keep reading...

The road to Elqui Domos - Elqui Valley - near Pisco Elqui - Chile

Sometime in 2014 when the bones for this trip was being put together I came across an article in the SMH that mentioned the domes and cabins hidden in the Valle de Elqui. Having also commenced my early years of answering the notoriously annoying and irrelevant question of ''What do you want to be when you grow up?" with the answer of  "An astronomer" then the idea of sleeping under the "grandeur of the skies of the Elqui Valley" was something that established itself on my mental itinerary very early on in the piece.

Our bid to leave La Serena was almost halted at its earliest moment when we found ourselves sprinting from a supermarket back to the bus station after misjudging the distance we had initially walked in the first place. Still, we made the ride and headed the 107km east to our stop of Pisco Elqui.

A pisco pit stop - Sala de Ventas - Elqui Valley - Chile

As the bus made the slow climb into the valley the scenery very much reminded me of both the topography and the colours that I had previously encountered in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. The lush green of the valley floor, being supported Rio Claro O Dercho, made for quite the contrast to the rugged, sparse mountains that offered up hues of blue, red and grey. The area itself is known for its cool desert climate, low rainfall (being positioned at the very southern end of the Atacama desert) and dry rocky terrain. The green striations of vineyards and orchards were occasionally punctuated by small, quaint, sleepy towns of Paihuano, Monte Grande, La Union and finally Pisco Elqui.

We arrived in Pisco Elqui on a beautifully clear day, the sunshine bathed valley stretching out into the distance within the Precodillera of the Andes. The village itself felt like it was living on permanent Sunday time, laid-back, unruffled, slow in pace, our presence making us feel like we had somehow disturbed their equilibrium. Needless to say, there were no taxis, no collectivos, no random guys in utes waiting to take backpackers to their next port of call. The only way from here to Elqui Domos was to walk the 3.5kms out of town in the beating sun, which is just want we did.

Walking the sun drenched bitumen up the valley immediately evoked a conflict of competing senses. Visually stunning panoramas subtly slid on the scale of importance when heat and thirst started to make their way through the pack. We were thankful when we came across the beautiful Sala de Ventas which looked out over the valley and settled our need for a nice cold pisco sour or three. It was with this energy boost that we were able to make the last small charge to Elqui Domos.

A roof with a view - Elqui Domos - Elqui Valley - Chile

The Elqui Domos facility occupies part of the rugged terrain that overlooks the valley. The domed tents that dot the grounds highlight the other main attraction that draws tourists to these parts and that's the unbelievably clear evening skies which provide you with a step ladder that allows you to high five the cosmos. It's also said that the Elqui Valley is where the Earth's magnetic centre is situated but how much truth can you take away from the lines "they say" and "apparently scientists have measured" other than the concept of an interesting tag line. Still, as we entered our cabin in the late afternoon and quickly found a latticed space on the roof which allowed for the a perfect view of the sky above, there was no need to produce any sort of counter argument.

As the sun dropped and the shadows grew longer, the "clearest atmosphere" in the world made its way to the podium and all those billions of stars that you never ever see for the artificial lights of the city came out to play, and yes, it was magical. Its said that under these skies that the human eye can see stars in the sky up to the eigth magnitude. In all honesty, I have no idea what that means but the suggestion by Inga that we take all our bedding onto the roof and that for this night we sleep under the stars was simply inspired. It felt as though the whole universe was wrapped around us, enveloping us as we starred off back in time. The Milky Way stretched out like a stubborn cloud that wouldn't leave the picture, only to be punctuated by a falling star or two, witnessed only in those moments when Inga wasn't looking. At times I drifted off to sleep only to wake up minutes or perhaps hours later staring up at the cosmos looking back at me. My recommendation to you, if you get then chance then don't second guess yourself, just go there.

Elqui Valley - Chile

The experience of the evening and the early morning was so fantastic that we decided to add another night at Elqui Domos the next day. To fill our daylight hours the next day we hired some bikes from Pisco Elqui village and cruised down the valley to the small village of Paihuno. The day before when we had passed through it had made a bit of an impression on me and I was glad to get the opportunity to go and investigate. Somewhat unfortunately when we arrived we found out why it was devoid of tourists, there was simply nothing going on there, at all. The reward that accompanied that ride was a tough 12km return ride back up to Pisco Elqui under what was a fairly brutal sun. Each kilometre turned over felt like 5kms as the long winding road rose further into the hills. It was simlply with brutal determination that we managed to get back under our own power and thus we treated ourselves to an afternoon at the bar of the Pisco distillery which luckily was supported by a lovely bartender that made basil pisco sours that were more than ample in volume. Each drink we purchased was actually a cocktail shaker in volume. We left the distillery with large beaming grins.

Pisco sours at the Pisco distillery - Pisco Elqui - Elqui Valley - Chile

Elqui Valley - Chile

On our final evening we took a ride further up the valley to one of the many small observatories that call the valley home. An interesting French astronomer took us on a tour of the night sky and almost looked to reach out and touch even the most barely visible stars with his funky laser pointer. It was intergalactic sightseeing at its best and something that will I'm sure will remain fondly in our memories for years to come.

Stargazing and moon gazing in the Elqui Valley - Chile

Valparaiso - where urbanisation and mozaics got into a long term relationship

Valparaiso (Chile)
24 April - 27 April 2015

The first time I heard of the city of Valparaiso was when I was struggling through evening shifts of telemarketing for Heidelberg roof restoration. I was one of those pesky callers that would contact you in the middle of your dinner and entice you into a ''free roof inspection as our consultants were now in your street''. Of course quite a few people would say to me "I'm looking out my window now and I can't see anyone', and yes, they were right, but lets just say that their ''originality'' quite often meant that a miniskip bin would be turning up on their front lawn come the weekend. This by the way has nothing to do with Valparaiso and the tenuous thread that I'm going to utilise here is that I once worked with a lady at the roof restoration company that would mention the city in expressive discussions in her native Spanish to another lady. At the time I thought Valparaiso was just the name of a common female friend that they had, suffice to say that my assumption was a long way off the mark.

What Valparaiso now is and what the city once was are indicative of what befalls a city when luck shines upon you for a short while and then the economic roulette wheel comes up odds when you need evens. The port used to be a burgeoning and dynamic port city at the start of last century, acting as a major stopover for ships plying the Atlantic-Pacific trade route from Europe to the west coast of the US. What the economic Gods giveth however they also taketh away without regret and thus with a fully functioning Panama canal a few thousand kilometres north cutting travel time between the great oceans by a full moon cycle and some change Valparaiso was left to die a slow, painful economic death.

So, what's your answer when economic hardship befalls you and you're only able to call upon the famous green ink of the greatest poet of the 20th century? Well, you'll have to scroll down and figure it out from our photos...or manage to read on a little more.

Valparaiso - Chile

Valparaiso - Chile

Valparaiso - Chile

What we found in Valparaiso and what it is now also very well known for are its steep hillside districts that rise abruptly from the port area, its labyrinth of cobblestone streets, small alleys and random roads, its rickety funiculars that rise about 20 mtrs at a time but save possible heart failure and of course its city street art. This place is now filled with interesting, unique pieces of street art which are interwoven with the spectacle of often bright, oddly coloured buildings that at times can be ornate and stunning but in other moments (areas) are shabby, worn and sometimes precariously positioned on the steep Valparaiso hills.

Valparaiso - Chile

View from Camillla 109 B&B, Cerro La Loma - Valparaiso - Chile

Valparaiso - Chile

What this art brings to this city I think it directly proportional to what it aims to take away. This city is a seaport and as is common amongst points of transit for sailor people, i.e., those spots where the men of the sea hit land and so too their crude desires. It appears now that for whatever worn or faded seediness you may feel whilst walking through this town, the artistic, bohemian endeavours of the new avant garde is funneling away and as long as that remains the pervasive tone of the town then tourists like me will make the journey to check it out what that dichotomy brings to the table.

And personally I have to say that I found Valparaiso to be both interesting and impressive. The hills form a natural ampitheatre around the still busy port and its multi-coloured houses of lime, yellow and red cascade down its green slopess and flow into the Pacific. Its streets force you to stop, look, take photos, retake them and then prompt you to ask yourself "why the hell can't I capture this image the way I want?". The resultant internal conflict only being resolved when you promise to yourself that you'll finally do "that" photography course when you get home in however many months time. It's still on the bucket list by the way.

Valparaiso - Chile

Valparaiso - Chile

The hills of Cerro Allegre and Cerro Concepcion were the most interesting places for us to investigate and luckily were only a short hillside walk from our B&B on La Loma. Each little narrow street or drop in elevation brought with it a new gallery, restaurant or bar where it became obligatory for us to test the bartender's skill at fixing a Pisco Sour. Just between you and me, other than the Boca anomaly where we did have the best Pisco Sour on our journey (as a once off), the best consistenly made Pisco was in a little boutique hotel right in Valparaiso. Of course, I can't tell you the location because that would be an easy giveaway but if you want to try something that comes close then go to The Harley House (entrance on Exhibition St), Melbourne - happy hours 4pm - 6:30pm (just in case you're wondering).

Hostal Acuarela - by street artist (Mono Type) -Valparaiso - Chile

These were SO good!!! Valparaiso - Chile

Funiculars - Valparaiso - Chile

Valparaiso - Chile

Valparaiso - Chile

Valparaiso - Chile

Our walking tour through the city on the first day took us to many of the cooler street art displays in the town. It also brought to our attention that the city itself was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage centre back in 2003. As the guide explains to us, cool in the fact that the city receives funding from the government to maintain its current modus and also in the fact that tourist such as Inga and I are drawn in by what the city offers but difficult in other ways in that potential new business and construction are now dictated by both the regulations and increased financial cost of operating under UNESCO heritage guidelines. Sometimes your newfound blessing can also be a curse.

From an outsiders perspective however its easy to quickly be captured by both its vibrancy and bohemian sense of cool. Its one of those places where it seems where constant discovery would chase you incessantly if only you had the time. This kaleidoscopic vision sure ain't boring!

Valparaiso - Chile

                                                            Valparaiso - Chile

Santiago - The art of NO!

Santiago (Chile)
22 April - 24 April 2015                      

             

Heading out of Mendoza also meant that we were now heading out of Argentina, a place that we would not really return to until the start of July. The Andes stood imposingly in front of us as we made our way west under sunshine and clear skies. Other than flying over the Andes this was going to be the first time that both of us had actually traversed the peaks overland and even though the journey into Santiago was 6hrs, the dramatic scenery meant that those hours slid on by quite quickly.

 

On the road to Santiago - outside of Mendoza - Argentina

 

On the road to Santiago - outside of Mendoza - Andes Mountains - Argentina

 

Arriving in the Chilean capital just after dusk our accommodation for the next few nights was going to be at the Luna Suite apartment located in the architecturally diverse neighbourhood of Paris-London. Situated in the city centre of Santiago, this neighbourhood of narrow pebble streets and European style buildings actually provided us with a little bit of a surprise. We had both heard prior to coming to Santiago, and also on our way here, that this capital is probably considered to be the most underwhelming and uninspiring in South America. Granted, on our travels, Santiago did not outclass any of the other major cities that we visited but all in all it was pleasant enough for the two day stay that we afforded it. Admittedly I think any more time than that would have been a waste.

 

Barrio of Paris-London - Santiago - Chile

 

Santiago - Chile

 

Santiago - Chile

 

Bellavista Patio - Constitucion - Santiago - Chile

 

Walking through the city in mid-evening we found it to be a nice place, clean, with mostly low rise buildings. Our meanderings, our should I say, loosely directed walk, guided us to Calle Constituticion in the Bella Vista barrio. Somewhere along the line I had picked up that the area was pretty much a bar filled street or a somewhat bohemian and rowdy type nature. Something that we didn’t really get to test out as somewhere along Constitucion we were dragged into the extremely large courtyard of Patio Bellavista. I’m not sure how exactly it happened, perhaps it was an arch way or its bright lights but once we were caught be is tractor beam we were dragged into what looked like an entire block filled with restaurants, bars and some souvenir shops. I was honestly like placing a kid in a candy store and saying, ‘Ok, you’re free to do as you please’. Which of course we were both at the liberty to do and had the means to do, so why the hell not. As mentioned earlier, the location of the patio places it right in the centre of the BellaVista bohemian district and hence there appeared to be quite a cross section of tourists and locals alike. Considering this discovery was wholly an accident on our part we were more than pleased with the outcome.

 

Bellavista Patio - Constitucion - Santiago - Chile

 

Santiago from Cerro San Cristobal

 

The next day we set aside to attack the Virgen Cerro San Cristobal, a hill that we had identified the night before as being our best bet to obtain the best views of Santiago and literally backed onto the Bella Vista barrio that we had occupied through our drinking spree in the early hours of the this. Prior to that however we set ourselves with the task of getting some laundry done, a necessity after having made our way through Patagonia for the last few weeks. Now this task is generally a fundamentally boring excursion but usually quite easy, on this day however it nearly turned into a contact sport for me. Somewhere along the line I walked into a very small convenience store and proceeded to ask a lady of say some 60 years whether there was a lavanderia in the area. Now to my sheer dismay the rather forceful and loud response that I received in return a blatant ‘NO!’. THAT was it! There was no offer of advice as to where one would be or even an apologetic ‘I’m sorry, I don’t know’ there was just that brutal ‘NO’ and then she turned to whatever the hell it was she was doing earlier. Standing there both perplexed and offended I pushed it a little further and asked ‘Where was one’ , the equally as abrupt and rude response was a ‘No se’ (I don’t know) but delivered in the kind of way that you do to someone when you’re being a total jerk. I stood in front of her for a moment, gave her a big ‘stuff you’ type of grin and simply added ‘Gracias’ as I walked away. I’m not sure why but that grandmother riled me up so much that for months after I had fantastic of walking into her store and delivering my own nasty punch lines, the best I think being taking 20 or so items off every low shelf, going to pay and then asking how much all the items cost only to scream out ‘NO’ in the nasty witches face when she told me a figure and simply walk away from the scene (…yeah…I still might do that one day!).

 

Constitucion - Santiago - Chile

 

Constitucion - Santiago - Chile

 

After the Searching for a lavanderia incident we eventually made it up to the top Virgen Cerro San Cristobal on what was quite a warm day. The hill/mountain lookout is essentially in the middle of the city and provides the perfect vantage point for viewing the layout of Santiago and the Andes mountains that surround it. In that sense I would anticipate that on a clear day (..on those rare clear days that Santiago ‘may have’) that being up here could be quite pleasant, unfortunately though the smog in Santiago is so thick that a brown haze blankets the entire city and makes the whole experience totally unappealing. It’s unfortunate because in a city that requires a bit of spark in terms of what it can offer the tourist this lookout would be a shining point if not for the serious pollution.

 

Santiago - Chile

 

After making the descent of the cerro via the peak tram (always on the way down as we NEVER took a tram up to anywhere, well except up Corcovado in Rio), we occupied our late afternoon at Patio Belle Vista once more, this time with some cocktails and fabulous tequenos (basically breaded cheese sticks that had some type of meat in their centres, absolutely delicious). We did eventually make our way back to the barrio of Paris-London that afternoon but only for a short stop, as somehow, almost inevitably, we returned to Patio Bella Vista for a few follow up cocktails.

 

And that my friends was that. Santiago was nice, but as you know, not many people like to settle for ‘just nice’. Just nice is what you accept when you’re looking for other things or when you’re in between stops, it’s rarely your final destination. So whilst I thank Santiago for putting us up for a couple of nights the next we were at the bus station and ready to head for Valparaiso, with the most enduring memory of the capital being a bad tempered granny with a poor attitude who doesn’t know that one day ‘I’ll be back’ and when that day comes my satisfaction from levelling the scores will be ever enduring.

Mendoza - A glass of Torrontes in enemy territory

Mendoza (Argentina)
20 April - 22 April 2015

I should know better than to suggest de-facto forms of exercise to Inga at anytime but especially when getting off a 22hr bus ride from central Patagonia. Perhaps my mind was foggy at the moment of arrival but I why I made the suggestion that we walk from the bus terminal to our hostel, hostel Empedrado I'll never quite understand. I just assumed that the walk 'wouldn't be far', and in actual fact it wasn't such a distance, I Googled Mapped it just a moment ago and I was advised that the route we took on that morning was 3.1kms. So the distance wasn't the issue but rather the hassle to me, and to Inga also, was that I was dragging my 'wheelie bin' of a bag along and she was carrying a back pack. Hulking additional kilos down suburban streets for a few k's? Challenge accepted!

 

Now there's two reasons why a tourist would come to Mendoza. Either they're an outdoors enthusiast, particularly a mountaineer and hence they utilise this city as a base by which they can launch their bid to summit Mount Aconcagua, the highest mountain outside of Asia, and therefore, the highest in both the Southern & Western hemispheres, standing at a height of 6960 mtrs. I would also love to add a line here saying that's the reason I was here. Perhaps on my next excursion to Mendoza I'll get myself onto a team with the aim of making it to the summit as apparently the climb doesn't require any sort of real mountaineering expertise, its just a particularly tough walk!? However the fact that I wasn't aiming to stand atop of Mount Aconcagua could only mean that I was here for the second reason and that's the wine. Actually, lets say it more pointedly, I was here solely for the Malbec. Make no mistake, I think Malbec is the King of the reds and I praise the Argentinians for recognising this to be true.

 

Some 70% of Argentina's yearly wine production comes from the Mendoza region, particularly the areas of Lujan de Cuyo, the Uco Valley and Maipu. The 'golden boy' is the great grape Malbec and I think the style of wine that they make here are phenomenal. I mean when you sit back and think about it, you realise that Argentinians on the whole aren't too crazy a bunch, and just hear me out on this one, they love their beef and have the highest per capita consumption in the world, and they love their red wine, so much so that their national drink IS red wine! You see, not crazy at all. I understand them perfectly!

 

Speaking of crazy though, you know what Inga and I decided to do after we settled in at the hostel? We decided to go for another walk of course. I again just Google mapped the damn route and found that the walk we undertook from the hostel to Plaza Independencia and then out to Parque General San Martin is a distance of 6.5kms, double it for the return and the counter clocks over 13kms! You see, crazy! Add into the mix a stray dog that we picked up along the way that accompanied us for nearly 10kms of that walk and the afternoon became beautifully odd.

 

Corina (Karena) - our guide in Mendoza - Argentina

 

Don't tell BC that I cheated in Mendoza

 

Like many places in Argentina, dogs seem to be everywhere and perhaps it's inevitable that if you're walking the streets for a long enough time that on occasion you'll form an attachment with one of them, especially if you have a thing for dogs in the first place. Now whether these attachments last more than a belly rub or a throw of a ball is in the mind of the dog but on this day, for some reason, Karena (or was it Corina...that's difference between Latvian & Australian pronunciation / and yes, we named the dog), followed us all the way from Plaza Independencia to the lookout at Parque General San-Martin. In fact Karena led the way, so looking back on it we were the ones following rather than the other way around. She walked out in front of us, 5-10mtrs advanced and constantly turned around to make sure we were still there and following her trail. We were 'inseparable' for the whole afternoon, experiencing the best viewpoint in Mendoza together and sharing some laughs of strange monkey chases, weird men undoing their pants and all other things Mendozan. Like all good things however our time together ended at the entrance to Parque General San Martin when Karena turned off and disappeared into the streets of her town, but she remained with us, in memory of course and with every new street corner that we reached, we recalled our 'dog for hire' and hence always seemed to be searching for Karena.

 

El Decimo Resto Wine Bar - Mendoza - Argentina

 

Words to the wind - El Decimo Resto Wine Bar - Mendoza - Argentina

 

Inga's Van Halen tribute - 'you might as well jump' - Mendoza - Argentina

 

As evening started to fall over this provincial capital we were able to finally locate a place that accepted MasterCard as a valid form of payment, (geez, I mean Visa is REALLY is KING in this country). Inga and I then made our way to a great bar named El Decimo Resto Wine Bar. Located on the 10th floor of a building in the middle of town, the bar had some impressive views over the surrounding areas and also had these particularly large glass windows that could readily be opened for those wanting to grasp a little fresh air. Now let me ask you, where in Australia could you do that? Where in the world could you go to a bar in Australia, happily stand by an open window 10 floors above the city and feel happy in the fact that nobody will pull you up for just enjoying the view and getting some fresh air? If I may get onto my soapbox for a moment, that's the freakin' problem with Australia, its turned into such a nanny state that politicians and lawmakers can't trust the average person to be sensible and not do themselves harm. Everything is sanitised, everything is dumbed down so that others can save our precious craniums through the miles of ridiculous legislation that takes the enjoyment out of most things. Australia, stop holding the hand of your citizens as they cross the road, I'm sure they can do it for themselves!!

 

If our first day in Mendoza was all about walking then our second day was going to be all about cruising through the vineyards. This was the reason why WE were here, the wine, the ride and the Andes, a triumvirate of eternal success.

 

A ride through the vineyards - Maipu - Argentina

 

Have bikes, will drink - Maipu - Argentina

 

We commenced our ride out of Mendoza on a local bus heading for Maipu, a journey of some 50-60 mins or so. Now I had it in my mind that Maipu itself was the gateway to the many acres of vineyards in the area. I was basing this on my previous journey here (which I actually took by taxi and which dropped us off at an exact location). So when we were alerted by several people on the bus as to our arrival in Maipu, I exited onto Avenida Manuel Belgrano ever so confused. We had arrived in the township of Maipu surely enough but right here in midtown there wasn't a grape or grapevine to be seen. After locating a tourist office we were advised that we weren't so far away from our destination but that we needed to hop on another bus that was heading to Coquimbito, which we did. Not a problem in itself and it would have been reasonable ride but for the school kids and soccer mums that were getting on the bus at every stop, and every stop wasn't more than 50mtrs from the last! A ride  that could have taken 15 mins turned into a brutal 45 minute ride through the Maipu countryside!!

 

Wine tasting at Mevi boutique winery - Maipu - Argentina

 

Wine tasting at Mevi boutique winery - Maipu - Argentina

 

Someone liked the Torrontes!

 

Wine makes you CRAZY - Familia di Tomaso - Maipu - Argentina

 

Our early afternoon arrival however was actually pretty decent timing all things considered as it allowed us to cover a bit of ground and still make it to three fantastic wineries. Visiting Bodega Trapiche (which unfortunately had their tastings booked for a few hours), then Bodega Tempus Alba, Mevi S.A. Boutique winery & Familia di Tomaso, in our tastings we covered quite a few of the established grape varieties that were being grown in the area and even encountered the odd surprise, such as the fantastic white Torrontes wine that we had at the Mevi winery. For me, the Familia di Tomaso and Tempus Alba Malbecs were the stars but I have to admit that Inga's favourite, the Torrontes, was a more than pleasant white wine option. With that said, this is Argentina and this is Malbec country, so if you're going to play with the big boys then you had better know your place in the grand scheme of things little Torrontes. That's just a quite word between you and me, OK.

 

Be aware Torrontes - Malbec has its own World Day!!

 

 

 

 

San Carlos de Bariloche - Fool's gold

San Carlos de Bariloche (Argentina)
16 April - 19 April 2015

An 18hr overnight bus ride from El Calafate via a stop in Rio Gallegos and we were in San Carlos de Bariloche, a town situated on the shores of Lake Nahuel Huapi sitting under the cover and watchful eye of the magnificent Andes. Five years ago as I was travelling through this region I became so enamoured with this place that eventually I rued the decision to turn the 180 degrees at the critical moment of reckoning and head north when all  of Patagonia was calling me to travel further into its depths. Not that I was complaining about that decision now, all things have a reason associated with them and I guess my time for Patagonia was slated for right now rather than then.

 

On the road to Bariloche - somewhere in Patagonia - Argentina

 

Arriving after nearly a day sitting within the confines of our road transit chariot we cruised in during the early evening in Bariloche on a night filled with a slight chill and intermittent drizzle.  Grabbing our bags and jumping into the nearest cab we made our way from the bus station  through downtown Bariloche, via an ATM pitstop, to the Green House hostel on Avenida Exequiel Bustillo, somewhere around kilometre marker 4.6. Truth be told, this hostel stop was somewhat of a rarity for us. During the 3.5 months that we were away we didn’t really end up staying at too many hostels on our travels, but as far as they go, this was one was actually a pretty good. We had what I considered to be a really cool room, an attic style abode that that was particularly comfortable and had Eastern facing windows which I discovered in the morning looked out over the lake Nahuel Huapi and accepted a hell of a lot of sunshine in its early hours.

 

Breakfast at the Green House hostel - Bariloche - Patagonia - Argentina

 

Attic room - Green House hostel - Bariloche - Patagonia - Argentina

 

Attic room - Green House hostel - Bariloche - Patagonia - Argentina

 

Now there seems to be two main ways to appreciate Bariloche, you can in fact remain mostly indoors, within the confines of its many chocolateries, gorging yourself on a chestnut, or ginger & hazel,  or burnt-sienna sepia toned Dianthus flaked chocolate construct whilst downing a light hot chocolate and taste testing the latest version of the new and improved dulche de leche, OR, you can get yourself outdoors, be active and 'do stuff'. I mean no prizes for guessing what we did! That's not to say a chocolate appreciation hour didn't arise at some point but for us but if it involves being active then the assumption can be made that we'll be signing up first and foremost. It only took a quick read of a few pamphlets in the hostel for us to select the Circuito Chico Mountain Bike company and we were away.

A few kilomteres up Avenida Exequiel Bustillo, almost on the 19km marker, we got around to hiring our bikes in order to take on the 40km+ Circuito Chico (small circuit). Now the conditions of hire were that to ride around in this part of the world you were required to look like the construction worker from the village people, apparently that's how mountain bikers roll here. With a blisteringly fierce orange vest that would have put City Rail workers to shame and a bike helmet that was straight out of the 1980's movie BMX bandits, it was with a dose of awkwardness and shame that we pushed off into the beautifully forested peninsulas that stretch out into Nahuel Huapi lake.

 

Village People bandits - Bariloche - Patagonia - Argentina

 

Construction  works sucks

Without question the scenery is beautiful, it just is, but on the day that we were out riding it was overcast, windy and we naturally made comparisons between here and the areas of El Chalten  &Torres del Paine, which are just on another level entirely. To do that admittedly is also to treat Bariloche harshly and the place cater for different things. Other than natural beauty this area is something entirely different in that it has both Summer and Winter activities plus the facilities to support those endeavours. El Chalten and Torres del Paine in that sense are one trick ponies, stunning locations and scenery but that's about it (as magnificent as it/they are).

We cruised around Circuito Chico quite easily, within 2.5hrs of the suggested 4, (but of course we did), and thus due to our early return Inga suggested that we ride back to our hostel at kilometre 4.5 (I've temporarily forgotten the reason why) and then ride back to kilometre 19 to drop off the bikes. Now it doesn't take a maths wizard to realise that that's an additional distance of 28kms being added onto our 40km cycle. Not entirely debilitating in itself other than the fact that was ALL downhill  from kilometre 19 to 4, which in turn meant that the return journey would be an uphill battle akin to wading through treacle. It was only somewhere near kilometre 10 that the 'smart pills' that we had taken that morning kicked in and we turned the bikes around and headed back to km 19.

 

Lake Nahuel Huapi - Bariloche - Patagonia - Argentina

 

Mosaic of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo - outside Dias de Zapata - Bariloche - Patagonia - Argentina

 

That evening, after having wondered past nearly every chocolate store in town and having purchased probably only 50g worth, we ended up at a little Mexican joint named Dias de Zapata that I remembered from my last excursion to this area. I only say this as I believe the 'inspired' choice of cuisine was a direct reaction to the aggressive meat infused diet that Argentina had thrust upon us. I was happy to let go of my red meat fetish for one night and I think Inga felt blessed that I had somehow come to my senses.

 

Lake Nahuel Huapi - Bariloche - Patagonia - Argentina

The next day we had reserved for Cerro Campenario, known to be the supplier of one of the greatest views in the world. I mean seriously, that's what the Argentines in Bariloche will tell you and did tell us, go up there and see a world class view! Fair enough, hard to deny such a recommendation although it was also hard to deny that the rain had come in just at the most inopportune moment that day also. Not enough to stop us in our tracks but enough to take the sting out of the might and power of Bariloche. So as we set off up Cerro Campenario, by-passing the chairlift and walking the main trails up to the main lookout, we hoped that somewhere along the line the sun would miraculously disband this cloud union and assign them to a mere supporting cast slot. But not even close hombres! At the top of the lookout the wind howled, the clouds gathered, the rain pelted down and there we remained, huddled in the safety of the coffee shop with the worlds greatest view to what was a complete whiteout! We waited of course and hoped, much the same as the supporters of vanquished teams sit through the final periods of time in games where there is the understanding that defeat is certain but  there also exists the wild hope that on this day they will bare witness to the 1 in a million chance of a Lazarus like return. Needless to say, Lazarus did not rise for us on this day and so as a form of self inflicted punishment that had masochistic overtones, instead of making a speedy escape from the hillside via chairlift we decided to walk down the now muddy, slippery slopes of Cerro Campenario. And ok, for the most part we were successful, actually, for ALL the part Inga was successful. As for me, in my final moments I reminded myself of one of those desperate YouTube characters where the last seconds of what looks to be certain glory is shattered by some unworldly force that also suspends belief in onlookers as failure in those moments is considered to be virtually impossible. So there I was, not more than 10mtrs from successfully negating the trail of Cerro Campenario and making back  it to flat land safety when my left foot started to give way. As it slid further away from me my right foot followed and it was then that I realised that I was now mud surfing in Argentina. In those split seconds when your mind  weighs up the situation  and assigns probabilities to permutations, it also tries to rationalise your actions in accordance to your abilities. Let me give you a snippet of the radio broadcast that was going on in my mind and the responses that were being provided by my body;

'Oh, ok, that's both feet gone, and you're not holding on to anything? Mud surfing dude, I like it' - Brain

'Oh shit. Ok just stay upright' - Body

'Dude, you can snowboard, you've got balance, just slide down to that tree 6mtrs away' - Brain

'Are you freakin kidding me you mental case?' - Body

'Why aren't you stopping? Why are you picking up speed? What's going on?' - Brain

'Brace for impact' - Body

'Brain, lay it down, lay it down, take the hit! Ok body, time for me to split, I'm not hanging around! Ciao' - Brain

Those were the final words of transmission before I hit the ground and slid on my arse for 10mtrs. End result, I was literally tasting mud in my mouth for 3 days after the event! Needless to say that Inga was a little more careful in that final sector.

 

SCUM ???

After a much needed wash up in the afternoon we headed back into the centre itself for some more chocolate window gazing and once again came to rest at Dias de Zapata for some homely quesadillas then attended a little bar on Juramento called Konna Bar where in fact we had been the night before. It's was a small venue but the drinks were cheap, the pours were long, the staff were fun and their was a great buzz to the joint.

Reflecting back on our few days there, I don't know, Bariloche didn't quite live up to the billing that I'd given it previously and I know in the eyes of Inga it was disappointing. It may have been the weather that slanted our view or it may have been that after so much exposure to 'Patagonia on steroids' in El Calafate, El Chalten and Torres del Paine, that this, even though it looked like a find of gold, was in fact actually just pyrite. I'm not ready to give up on Bariloche just yet though, I still think that there gold to be found, I think this we may have just looked in the wrong place.

 

I'll see your postcard and raise you a selfie - Bariloche - Patagonia - Argentina

 

Heading out of Bariloche on another 22 hour voyage, this time to Mendoza, we lined up at the bus counter of Andesmar (I think), showed our passports and waited to board...but no, it wasn't going to be that easy was it? The service agent asked us to produce a printed copy of our tickets, which we did not have, and then when we advised him of this he basically went about saying that he couldn't do anything else...ummm, what was that chief? So commenced the questioning;

Can't we just show you our tickets online?'

Answer: No

'Can't you just verify that we have tickets by checking passenger lists against our identification?'

Answer: lo siento, no

'Ah certainly you have a printer, can't we just print tickets at this office?'

Answer: No, we have no printer at this office

'WTF"!?!?

'So what are we suppose to do'??

Answer: 'I cannot do anything'

Ah, good 'ole South America striking with a vengeance. When there's a 'need' for bureaucracy then here is where you'll find it. As my sense of incredulity and frustrations levels rose, Inga suggested that we go to the Information Desk. Which we did. We explained the situation to the guy who initially said, 'Yes, this tends to happen a lot'....AND....AND what now? You guys don't cater towards occurrences like this? Inga then seconded the guy to act as our agent in finding bus company service agents that 1) Had printers and that 2) Were willing to print out our tickets, all of this whilst the clock was ticking down to departure time. As Inga went around from booth to booth the guy made the suggestion that we could 'maybe' print out our tickets from an internet café in Bariloche, but of course it was Sunday and who the hell knew if they were going to be open!? As that debate went on I was also trying to make my argument for jumping a cab and going into town but knew that the time to do that was much longer than what we had before departure. Now we were really running out of options! It was either stall the bus, or find someone in this bus station that could print the tickets now! Personally I thought the bus station was a lost cause and thought that hunting for a negative outcome was futile, but Inga being that fiery determined Aries character (and Ares being the God of War) just switched her eye colour to RED ALERT and made it happen! I honestly couldn't believe it when she pointed to probably the one guy in the place that was willing to help us out and just said 'C'mon, lets do it'. That was cool, not for the experience so much as just the will of this girl saying 'Right, there's a brick wall and I want to get through it and go to Mendoza', and right on 3:30pm on that Sunday afternoon in April that's exactly what we did!

 

On the road to Mendoza - Patagonia - Argentina