When I arrived in Buenos Aires, an angel sent two amazing women to me, Leigh and Natasha. Out of luck, we were randomly put in the same room at the Road2argentina dorm/sorority house, where we were roommates for a month. Naturally we became each other’s best friends and have been inseparable since.
Tash, Leigh and I
Natasha, my adorable, blonde, bubbly English friend (with the cutest accent ever) planned a trip to Bariloche, Patagonia about a month ago. She had originally invited Leigh and I to join her on this voyage. Having just moved into our new apartment after an intense 9 day adventure in Uruguay and having been homeless, jobless, and lost in life, Leigh and I didn’t think we were up to the task. Days past, my job search was meek and I had walked around the city of Buenos Aires so many times I could do it blind-folded backwards. It was after my 7th interview with an English school that I decided my job teaching English was NOT going to kick off for another week or two and I must make drastic moves fast. I texted Tash, two days before her 20 hour bus ride and told her I was on board. She helped me book the hostel and bus and was THRILLED to have a partner for her upcoming trip.
Byron, my out-going, dark and handsome, adventurous friend from New York was out with me the night before our big journey down south. We were having a grand old time, but after a few brewskis and my convincing him to yet again push back his medical internship (he was supposed to officially start the upcoming Monday, and had already pushed it back three times...) Byron decided he too should not miss out on SUCH a great adventure, especially with everything already booked and planned out for him.
Byron...
Needless to say, the next morning, (after going to bed at 4 am the previous night/morning), and after a VERY sad good bye to Leigh, Natasha found herself with me and Byron on that 20 hour bus, sneakers laced up, camera’s charged and backpacks stuffed. For a trip that she had originally planned to do alone, she was now thrilled to have two amigos come along…
Arriving in Bariloche is noteworthy in itself. We arrived on a Sunday morning at 10am. When we stepped off the bus, the crisp and fresh hair touched our skin and sent shivers up and down our necks. Stupid and unprepared, none of us realized it was FREEZING in Patagonia.
View from the bus:
The first thing we did was buy those beloved “Patagonia fleeces”. I got myself two for extra warmth. Now, I must mention how breathtaking every single thing in Bariloche was. The last hour arriving on the bus was incredible. I have never seen anything on Earth so naturally and breathtakingly beautiful as the lakes and blue mountains of Patagonia. Pulling up into the small Swiss town was enthralling. This was when I realized my decision to come was the right one. I felt SO far from Buenos Aires and everything “City” and light years away from my home in Chevy Chase, DC.
Town center:
Our hostel (Pudu) was cozy, warm and very friendly. We made instant friends with the travelers staying there and were invited on our first night to go on the 30 minute hike to “CampAnario”, one of the “ten most beautiful views in the world” according to National Geographic. Well, that was reason enough for us to go. We followed the other 16 hostel lodgers on a bus that took us to the bottom of the hill and started on our exhausting hike up the mountain. Conquering that mountain (especially after no sleep and a LONG bus ride) the view at the top was the most worth it thing I’ve ever experienced. It is hard to even begin to describe the feelings that went along with the scenic view of this place. In a few detailed words I’ll try to remotely capture it: breathtaking, divine, pristine, enormous, overwhelming and free. Sitting on that mountain top with Byron (a machine who practically ran up the mountain while Tash and I had to stop every twenty feet to catch our breath), and Natasha watching the sunset with a cheap bottle of Malbec is something I’ll never forget.
Some pics on top of the mountain: CampAnario
After an exhausting hike up and down the mountain, overwhelmed by the drastic change in temperatures and with lack of sleep, our trio went and bought some yummy food. It was a cozy evening in our log cabin of a hostel; we cooked up an amazing concoction in our unsanitary hostel kitchen, ate lots, drank lots, and cheered lots. With belly’s full and blankets wrapped around us, we fell into a deep slumber next to a huge window overlooking the mountains and lakes of Patagonia. We dreamed of our next 6 days in the adorable Swiss town of Bariloche- home to chocolate, St. Bernards, fondue and enormous amounts of out-door-activities that we were about to experience.
View from our hostel room:
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