Beautiful Bariloche!

Finally, we are in Patagonia!  Our first stop is Bariloche, a town in the Lakes District.  Instead of braving the 18 hour bus ride from Mendoza to Bariloche, we took a relatively cheap flight of about 1.5 hours.  It would have been actually cheap if we were Argentinian - their national airline has two tiered pricing so the foreigners get to pay about twice as much as the residents.  [Note from Chad: I wish we had 2-tier pricing for Canada's National Parks.  This summer we had to pay the same park fees as foreign tourists on expensive package tours, and they can really add up for us local citizens/residents.]

On arrival at the somewhat Bavarian themed airport, we saw that tourism is alive and well in Bariloche...

You know it's a real town if it has an Irish pub and a McDonalds.  Check and check for Bariloche.  

A quick taxi ride into Bariloche and we were already sold on this place.  The mountains are beautiful, the lake is stunning, and the town quaint.  Admittedly, the town is touristy - it is done up Bavarian/Italian Alps style and there are a ton of chocolate shops pandering their wares to wandering tourists - but the scenery more than makes up for it.  And it's a good thing we like it, because we are spending just over a week here while I take a Spanish course!

Here's some shots from our first couple days, which involved exploring, gawking at the views, and drinking cerveza artesenal (craft beer).

First views of Lago Nahuel Huapi.  Isn't the water calm?  It was like that our first afternoon, but the wind has been blowing hard ever since - sunny with big whitecaps.

The Civic Centre, designed by an Italian in what has become Bariloche's signature style.  If you want to pretend that you're really in the Swiss Alps you can have your photo taken with a Saint Bernard.

More of the square by the Civic Centre.

 

La Marmite restaurant?  For the Aussies, perhaps?

Dogs are everywhere in Bariloche as well.

The town cathedral - building began in 1940 and is not quite finished yet.   The interior is mostly naked structural stone - they are perpetually waiting to finish the walls with nicer stone.

This stained glass depicts the barbaric local natives killing the kindly missionaries who just wanted to help (by converting them).  According to our tour guide (one of my Spanish teachers) relations between the Argentinians and the local natives are no better (and perhaps worse) here than in much of North America.

But wait!  Now that they have been converted to Christianity, the Indians are kindly and obedient.  It also appears, mysteriously, that their skin has lightened up.

 

Why is this tree wearing a crocheted coat, you may ask?  Many trees in town are wearing them.  Apparently an artisan put one of these coats on a single tree and the idea caught fire.  Don't know why.

Apparently even the phone booths aren't safe from the crocheted coats

Club Andino Bariloche - the local mountaineering club.  Has a very helpful staff who give all kinds of free information about local trails.

The view from our hostel common room.

And the view from the adjoining balcony.  

And another view - this one at sunset, from our room in the hostel.  You can imagine how lucky we feel waking up to this view every morning!

On a walk along the lakefront road, looking at the beach.

Our second day in Bariloche was just a little windier than our first.

There is kite surfing on the lake!  Which makes sense, considering that it is very windy here in the spring and summer.  

Not everything about Bariloche is lovable, though....

All the cervezcerias serve peanuts!  Or mani, en Sud America.

We found craft beer!  Bariloche actually has several craft breweries.  And it is our mission to try all of them.  [Note from Chad: well, all the good ones anyway.]

Bachmann was the first.  Pretty decent beer and a friendly little spot.

Inside the second craft brew pub, Antares.  Beer not quite as good, but a nicely done up, North American style craft beer bar.