Ed and I spent a glorious 10 days around Bariloche and El Calafate, two major towns in Argentinian Patagonia. Everywhere we went, we were surrounded by water in all its natural forms – lakes, glaciers, rivers, waterfalls, icebergs … and in its brewed and fermented form, cerveza and Malbec!!
Lakes Abound in Bariloche
Bariloche is an adventure hub surrounded by gorgeous lakes. The 360-degree view from the top of one of the local peaks, Cerro Campanario did not disappoint!
We hiked to the top of Cerro Llao Llao for other dramatic vistas and “assumed the position”.
And we drove the famous “Ruta 40” to visit the route of the seven lakes. The weather was clear, and the water glistened in many shades of blue and turquoise.
Yellow flowers dotted the sides of the road from all directions.
And the lupin graced the fields in shades of purple and pink.
Many visitors drive Ruta 40 from Bolivia to the tip of Argentina. Some drive the iconic VW Bus.
We were surprised to see this driver!
On this route, we had a short visit with Gustavo, the stepfather of Karen, our granddaughter’s au-pair. What a small world!
The Hotel Llao Llao, built in 1939, exemplifies beauty and elegance and offers glorious views of the lakes. The hotel is majestic both inside and out and makes the Sun Valley Lodge (which we think is great) look like a baby cousin!
Magnificent Glaciers near El Calafate
We spent several magical days exploring Los Glaciares National Park, a huge area that is the size of Switzerland. It surrounds Lago Argentina, the largest lake in the country. On a day tour, we got ‘up close and personal to the Perito Moreno glacier. We enjoyed a short boat ride to experience the glacier from the North.
And we walked on an extensive network of walkways to see the glacier up close. We heard the glacier “calving,” where large ice chunks broke off from the glacier’s edge and crashed into the lake.
On another day, we took a boat ride to see the Upsala Glacier. Our boat hovered very close to magnificent icebergs. We could see 10-20% of the iceberg above the water and realized that 80-90% of the iceberg was below the surface.
At Estancia Cristina, we took a hike to a dramatic waterfall. This Estancia, only accessible by boat, was settled in 1904. We learned that the couple that settled in this area to live off the land lived to be 102 and 99! They credited glacier water as the key to longevity.
The horses are some of the few year-round residents of this remote spot.
Futbol Fever at the Cervecerías!
Since Argentina was competing in the World Cup, the nation paused during the games as the entire country tuned into the TV to watch the games. Many people wore their blue and white jerseys.
For Game #2 (vs Mexico), we settled into a lovely outdoor pub in Buenos Aires. The fans went wild as each goal was scored. All the attendees sang the National Anthem and all of the soccer songs with pride. Folks were a bit nervous after the Game #1 loss to Saudi Arabia. But they were thrilled with the 2-1 victory.
For Game #3 (vs Poland), we found a Cervecería in Bariloche. The 2-0 victory vs Poland had the fans cheering, “Messi … Messi … Messi!”
We watched the Semi-Finals (vs. Australia) in El Calafate. Again, the fans went wild with the 2-1 victory. The excitement was similar to what we observed on a previous trip to Latin America during the World Cup in 2014. Also, Ed experienced the fever in 1970 while living in Brazil as a high school exchange student. Pele led the team that brought home the Copa do Mundo.
And Don’t Forget the Malbec!
Another liquid delight in Argentina is the ubiquitous Malbec. We enjoyed many versions of this during our stay. At one restaurant, we selected our wine from this walk-in cellar instead of a wine list.
At another restaurant, we sampled Catalpa wine, which reminded us of our address in Atherton.
All choices — from the house wine at $2 in Buenos Aires to a more premium
$8 selection — were delicious! And, they were a delightful accompaniment to the local lamb shepherd pie and stew.
Financial Liquidity? Not so much…
With the turmoil facing the Argentinian Peso, we learned that there are many different exchange rates for the USD. The banks offer the “official exchange rate” of 170 pesos/dollar. This is the rate you get if you use a credit card or an ATM. Hotels and other tourist locations accept USD (cash) at a rate of 290 pesos/dollar. This is known as the “blue rate.” But, if you send money to yourself at Western Union using a US debit card, the rate is 324 pesos/dollar. We chose the latter option, so all of our cash expenses came at a deep discount. Luckily we didn’t have to stand in line to get cash, and we didn’t face any shortages, which we learned are common. There is a website that changes daily that shows all of the updated rates. For small businessmen, such as our lodge keeper near Bariloche, dealing with inflation and exchange rates is a constant challenge. Argentina presents an amazing opportunity for foreign travelers to travel well on a small budget. For example, we had dinner for two at a steakhouse restaurant in a beautiful Buenos Aires neighborhood. In San Francisco, this meal, including our fine Malbec, would have cost perhaps $100 per person. In Buenos Aires, the cost was about $20.
So, our trip through Patagonia was a liquid delight! Given that we used the Western Union option to get our pesos, we also had financial liquidity … at a deep discount! Next Stop: Antarctica!
Stay tuned…
