The journey to the city by the lake

26th February 

It was still dark... and cold when we crawled out of the tents (crawling is too optimistic).

Well, it was only 5:30 in the morning after all.

We quickly packed everything important haphazardly into the backpack and the rest in cardboard boxes, because our ride to Bahia Blanca was leaving at 7:30 and taking down a tent is not a 5-minute affair.

The evening before, luck came to our aid again and in conversation with an older couple, it turned out that they had the same destination as us the next morning in their minibus.

Well, and so we stood, perfectly on time, ready for departure, but not without a longer farewell from Mirta and Eduardo.

No words to describe it...

As we sat in the converted minibus, leaning against the bed, we realized that we hadn't eaten breakfast at all.

But no problem at all!

Mirta and Cirilo offered us more than enough cookies and mate tea.

After a short one and a half hour drive, we reached Bahia Blanca and the bus station. 

Although the couple took a huge detour, they dropped us off right in front of the entrance.

We exchanged numbers (maybe we'll see each other again) and they wished us a good trip.

They were both wonderful people!

Thank you very much!

Now it was time to wait, wait, and wait again.
The time passed faster than expected and before we knew it, we were sitting on the bus to Bariloche at 10 p.m.

The bus that took us to the Andes!

27th February

In the almost 2 months that we have been in Argentina, we have met many people and received many tips.

Among other things, which places are very beautiful and worth seeing.

That's when cities like Buenos Aires, Bahia Blanca, or Mendoza were mentioned, but there was one that stood out;

Bariloche.

After taking a look the next morning, I understood why Argentinians raved about this place.
On one side, there were a few hills with a crystal clear river underneath, and on the other side was the 'Largo Nahuel Huapi' (60,000 hectares).

 In the background, the Andes rose slowly and powerfully.

Some covered in snow and some in various shades of color.

It was incredible!

Bariloche, a city with about 150,000 inhabitants, was founded in 1902 by German, Austrian, and Swiss immigrants.
Accordingly, one can often find wooden houses that remind of the Alpine architectural style.

Bariloche is famous above all for its location on Lake Nahuel Huapi and its chocolate.

Yes, you heard it right, chocolate lovers.
There are chocolate shops lined up in the city center.

After Conny and I gathered some information at the tourist information office, we spent the day on a meadow below the Plaza Independencia (Independence Square).

This time, my phone had a little surprise for us when I connected to the public WiFi...

Yanina, a woman on Couchsurfing, had responded to one of our requests and told us to contact her on Whatsapp.

- Couchsurfing: As a host, you provide accommodation (a couch) and hope for a cultural exchange with the guest.
As a guest, it is a great way to stay with locals for free and to get to know the culture from a less touristy perspective. -

Half an hour later, we had accommodation with Yanina and were scheduled to meet at 10 p.m.

It was a wonderful day that we spent relaxed on the meadow. 

Reading and dozing in the sun...

In the evening, there was some action in the somewhat dreamy city center.
A duo of 2 men with guitars filled Plaza Independencia with music.

The view of the huge lake, a beautiful spot on the meadow, and Latin music?

Could it be more beautiful? Definitely not!

The people didn't keep us waiting for long and the square filled up quickly...

Including some dancers!

What struck me as crazy was how young and old came together. Some young people danced with women who were easily 50 or 60 years older than them.

Connected through dance!

And no one was embarrassed here! The people simply enjoyed the evening.

I really enjoyed watching it and felt like joining in, but I simply didn't know how to do this traditional dance.

The evening went by and we met Yanina.

First impression?

Super nice, funny, and simply likeable!
As a small gift, we brought a pack of yerba mate. Seemed the most sensible choice 🤔

We arrived at her house outside the city center.

 A beautiful wooden house.
The interior of the house was decorated with many antiques and reminded me of a bungalow in Germany.

I think we liked it from the first moment.

Our room was a small space with 2 beds and a wardrobe, crammed full of outdoor equipment.

Perfect for sleeping 👌

After some small talk, we got to know a few things about our hostess.
Yanina was 28 years old, worked in tourism as a guide, and loved hiking.

It couldn't have gone any better because Yanina knew the beautiful spots and hiking trails in Bariloche.
But before we could think about it, it was time to sleep...

The past nights hadn't been very long.

So good night!