Post 99: Road to Bariloche & Camping Petunia

Fellow adventurers,

Gavin and I left Hostel Lao when the inn keepers were setting long tables in preparation for the asado in the evening.  It looked as though it would have been a very good time had we stayed, but a 19 hour bus ride to Bariloche awaited us instead.  Our original plan was to hitchhike from Mendoza, as hitchhiking is encouraged in these parts of the country and is commonly done.  However, Mendoza is an artificially irrigated city in a desert, so we explored the possibility of taking a cheaper bus to another town halfway towards Bariloche, and hitchhiking from there.  After reviewing our bus options, we realized the difference in price was miniscule, and opted to just bus the entire way.  I am glad we did, as the long road was through a vast, empty desert.  The only bus option was one of luxury that included wide, reclining leather seats, meal service, movies, pillows and blankets.  I drifted off to sleep while staring at the many stars out my window, and a desert storm in the distance.

The time on the bus passed quickly, as most of it was spent sleeping.  The lakes we passed turned from blue to teal, as we headed further South towards the mountains.  Only there by the teal rushing streams, did the landscape begin to look less dry, and more lush.  I knew we were approaching Patagonia when I saw jagged rocks and boulders atop the mountains, which only seemed to make the mountain appear smaller.  The bus was following along the stream which emptied into the vast Nahuel Huapi lake in the National Park.  Upon arriving, we bought some local bus tickets and took a 20 minute ride outside the center of Bariloche towards the campground we’d be staying at, along the lake. 

Camping Petunia is quite a scenic campground resort.  It’s located between the mountains and the lake. Our tent is in a prime spot overlooking the beach and the lake with a view of the peninsula across it. The campground has a beach, beach bar, game center, wifi zone, restaurant, hot showers, campside light and electrical outlets, and a supermercado just a short walk away.  Where do I find this at home?  While it does offer free firewood, it’s really of no use unless you have kindling or a hatchet to cut the wood down to start a fire; not to mention there is no firepit, and fires are only allowed the brick, raised grill provided.  Argentinians also lack one key necessity while camping; s’mores.  After setting up camp, we made a list of what we’d need if we were to continue camping elsewhere throughout the rest of the journey.  That included a sleeping mat, pot, long spoon, sponge, and knife.  Sleeping that evening was not so pleasant, as the ground was very hard and our pillows consisted of our clothes stuffed in the fabric case which holds our sleeping bags.

The weather was lovely the following day, as we set out for town to pick up supplies.  The architecture in this area is much like you’d see in the Swiss or German Alps, as there was a strong European influence here due to German immigration many years ago.  In the center, one could even pay to take a photo with a giant St. Bernard dog.  We spent most of the day around town and on the waterfront, looking through markets and picking up supplies.  Over a simple dinner of pasta and red sauce at sunset, the sky was painted pink which reflected on the water to the south.  To the northwest, it was glowing amber.

Today we prepared an early fire, and I’ve been tending to it throughout the day so that we may have hot meals when we want to.  I’ve never had really any trouble in the past igniting a campfire, but it’s been quite difficult here to.  I assume it’s probably due to a lack of proper kindling, and that it’s on a raised grill.  I’ve been playing house, washing laundry and tidying up the site in the company of hawks and the campground’s dogs. Gavin headed into town to pick up more money and a few other items. Tonight we’ll prepare an asado, of chorizo, steak, potatoes and veggie kebobs accompanied with a malbec.  Although it’s gorgeous here, camping reminds me of home.  I’m feeling a little homesick today, missing my friends and family.  Hopefully I’ll be able to arrange a time to video chat with some of them.

Tomorrow we plan on taking a teleferico up a mountain, and hiking down.  I look forward to the mountain air and the aerial views.

June y Gavin