Patagonia 2

by Melanie and Jim

We began our adventure in Buenos Aires, which at the end of November was just entering summer. The city, located on the banks of the Rio de la Plata, serves as the political as well as cultural capital of Argentina. The air was warm and humid but pleasant when we arrived one day before the tour began.

We had recommendations for sites we could visit on our own, most within walking distance of our centrally-located hotel. We chose to walk a few blocks to the west, into a shopping district, and visit the world’s most beautiful bookstore. El Ateneo Gran Splendid is located in a grand performance hall built in 1919. And beautiful it is.

We also chanced upon the changing of the guard at a memorial for the fallen in Las Malvinas (The Falkland Islands war with United Kingdom).

Over the next two days we were joined by the rest of the group, 14 travelers led by a group leader with Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT). The sounds, flavors, and sights of the city came to us in a rush, with a tango lesson, steaks and empanadas, discussion of The Disappeared, and visits to a number of sites around the city. We had the chance to enter the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral where Pope Francis served as Archbishop.

Another outing took us to a market district, where brightly paint buildings gave a festival feeling.

But the goal of the tour was to spend time in Patagonia, that triangle of land at the southern tip of South America. To reach that destination, we began a trip of many segments, starting with a flight to Bariloche, more than 800 miles south and west of Buenos Aires.

Bariloche is a resort town nestled in the foothills of the Andes, and against the shore of Nauhuel Huapi Lake. In both summer and winter, both Argentinians and Chileans visit for school breaks, snow skiing, and mountain hiking. At the city center we encountered one of dozens of school groups taking advantage of the beginning of summer vacation. These high school students were eager to speak English with us, and we shared a number of laughs before going on our own way.

Like many resort towns, Bariloche has a vibrant shopping district. Our focus, though, was on the outdoors. The chairlift to Campanario Hill provided our first breathtaking views.

A mountain hike spurred our appetites for a lunch of wild boar stew at the Gilbert brewery. The brewery creates just enough beer to satisfy the needs of its own small restaurant, plus some local purchases.

The next segment of our trip took us across the Andes into Chile. Join us in the next post to follow our journey!