Patagonian Ponderings (and Pictures!)

Hola Mis Amigos,

Back again. This time with pics to upload. I think you should be able to click on them to get them full screen. The first couple are from Bariloche, taken an hour or so ago. It´s sunny outside, and windy of course.

I haven´t mentioned the motors yet......I think I´ve seen a couple of cars which would pass their MOT. One was from the posh Llao Llao hotel http://www.llaollao.com and was the airport pickup car. The other was our cycling trip support vehicle.

Here are a couple of average cars..... I never thought anyone could be jealous of my non-turbo diesel super steady Saxo. However, I can picture all the boy racers here positively drooling over it. I suppose it doesn´t make sense to have a newer motor because it´s going to get bashed anyway. I don´t know the price of a car compared to other stuff, but it seems topsy turvy to have the latest mobile phone, camera and ipod as they do, and yet drive something which looks like it couldn´t even make it to the nearest tip.

NB; I´m going to intersperse the text now with a nothing-to-do-with-the-text selection of pics of Northern Patagonia from my camera.....

Meanwhile, I decided generally not to cycle on the tarmac roads out of town. My home stay is along way out (well only 5 miles really), so the first night I had my bike I thought I would head into town for some company and a decent dinner, since I had a means of getting back.

Unfortunately I forgot how quickly it changed from daylight to dark, and before I´d even found anywhere that was open for food (it was afterall only 8.30pm which means office workers etc are still working ) I thought I better head back. I had planned to cycle on the tarmac but thought I better try the verge as it was getting dark, and I hadn´t found a bike with lights.

The verges here are really wide, more or less the same width as the road, the difference being that they are made of rubble, gravel, mud and any other debris you can think of rather than the tarmac. Pedestrians and cyclists use them, but buses also stop in them.

Anyway it wasn´t a pleasant prospect to cycle in the verge but it was at least safer, so I gave it a go. There were enough pedestrians and other cyclists about to prevent personal security being an issue. It wasn´t until the next morning when I cycled back in to town that I was amazed that I´d made it in one piece as the terrain was poor on the route I´d gone. There were craters of 20cm depth, awful camber (my pet hate), vegetation and then pebbles the size of my fist and a whole bunch of other challenges, which me and the smart new bike I´ve hired had simply cruised over, and I´d never felt a thing.

The trick, as everyone kept telling me on the cycling holiday was not to look at the immediate surface in front of you, and just focus ahead. It took me cycling in the dark to realise this. So I am convert to off road cycling. I won´t brave the tarmac again on the main road (which is like Scarborough´s Marine Drive) I´ll just happily tootle along in the verge. Anyway I am very chuffed with my adopted cycling technique now. It´s far enough away from the traffic to be safe from it, but close enough still to be seen if anything goes wrong. It might take me twice as long to get to class off road, but I will get there in stress free comfort, and will be able to enjoy the beautiful views of the lake on route. (pic: one of many many chocolate shops here)

That brings me on to my home stay. My hostess is a lovely lady. She is a midwife and works from 7.30am to 4.30pm on weekdays, and sometimes lectures at the university. She´s very cheery and humorous and we have fun despite her lack of English, and mine of Spanish. He infirm grandmother is currently in the room next to mine which usually houses another student. I am beginning to understand Abuela´s Spanish (grandmother) because she is fairly predictable, and speaks slowly....... "I am too cold"......"Your food is horrible" (to her grandaughter) .........."I feel ill"....."I am in pain". But then she spies my vinto tinto and perks up. "ooooooooohhhh, Senorita, Vinto Tinto! Just a little glass for me please" Suddenly there´s a huge smile, and a "shall we watch ER, Dr Green is my favourite."

My hostess has a day nurse come in while she is at work but there´s a gap when I am the only person in. I have offered to change cathetars etc (that nursing home job paid off!) if required but thankfully so far all she needs is water and a pillow proped up before I head out. I think I´ll last out at my homestay until Tuesday when I plan to move into town, primarily on account of food and location.........

This is a beautiful, juicy lean steak I had here in Bariloche (well, I had most of it...it was 0.5kg which I am sure is enough to feed at least 4) and the town is full of absolutely delicious food. Steak and chips, and a nice glass of Malbec will only cost the price of a take out coffee and a daysaver bus fare in Auld Reekie.

So it seems ludicrious to be stuck in a homestay who´s idea of a good feed is a deep fried burger made from what can only be mechanically recovered, reformed, unidentified animal body parts, and certainly would not pass Bernard Matthews QC. Oh, wait, you eat it with a dash of lemon to help it go down. I have not seen a vegetable since I arrived, but to be fair I was offered a piece of fruit on Tuesday.

I have mastered breakfast....it´s left out for me in the morning to help myself.....I wrap whatever it is in a napkin, and when I get round the corner and spy the nearest hungry but healthy looking doggy I give it a present. The problem occurs when the dogs won´t eat it either. I felt guilty for being so ungrateful at first, until I saw the first dog turn it´s nose up!

(I like this pic by the way of the fisherman on the lakeside)

She (homestay lady, who will remain anonymous) carefully makes me a cafe con leche every morning, which I am to reheat in the microwave. I have been wondering why each morning the white globules at the surface are getting progressively bigger. So last night I looked at the milk bag (!) in the fridge. It´s hard to smell anything in the kitchen other than the dishcloth but I didn´t need to see " VTO 26 February 2007" on the milk to realise what the problem is. I´ll mention that to her later when I hand over a new bag from the supermarket.

I offered to cook tonight, not least to give me the opportunity to wash the pots before I start, and then I´ll dine out tomorrow night. I´ll probably move out to other accommodation in the next few days........... I did come to Argentina for new experiences, but dodgy food in a land of plenty was not one of them. If I needed to stick it out I think I could but I am here for some rest and relaxation and some fun. I am sure I sound like a very snobby, ungrateful senorita to reject such well meaning hospitality, but I am also paying the bill. And I value my digestive health!

(pic of in situ bike repairs)

I wonder if my homestay is representative of the Argentines.....appearance seems to be very extremely important. E.g. houses look immaculate from the outside, and people are all really well dressed, made up and accessorised. My homestay has three shelves worth of expensively branded US make up in the fridge for example. But on the inside there must be vitamin deficiences, and tar filled lungs!

So, that was a fair old rant on the homestay. Poor reader! Poor homestay hostess! Nevermind, I´ve typed it now so it´s staying. I am actually having a lovely time here, and there is so much I want to do. I went up to one of the summits in the week in a chair lift (lazy, but fun!). This is the view from the top. I was going to go on a boat cruise today with a 4 hour walk around Victoria island with my new fair weather friend from the US. However, a slight bout of traveller´s tummy(can´t think where I got it!!) and a lack of cash machine stopped play on that front for me so I decided to take it easy and find myself a web cafe instead, probably the reason this entry is sooooo long.

Yesterday I spent the day at a spa which was lovely. I read most of a splendid novel, enjoyed a sauna, swim, massage, seaweed wrap (!) and a facial all for 25 pounds. Bargain basement! The staff were all lovely and were keen to practise their English. Earlier in the week I went to a different spa (easy life or what) and got waxables waxed and massageables massaged and a hair restyle which I am really chuffed with. And I still had change from 20 pounds after all that for a really nice lunch.

(Cheesy tourist pic of Llao Llao hotel I took on the cable car day)

Which brings me on to another observation.....a lot of the necessities, like transport, seem really expensive whilst what I think are luxuries such as massages and manicures are comparatively very cheap. I haven´t figured out why yet. However, surprisingly no Argentine in Bariloche I have spoken to yet is unhappy with the devaluation of their currency in 2001, which I find surprising. Apparently here the standard of living has gone up because there are now so many jobs in tourism and exports that more people are enjoying a better quality of life without the need to travel. I am sure I will hear different opinions, specially in different towns from this one.

Next week, from my new accomodation, I hope to join up with a horse riding excursion, or two, and various other things....boat rides across the lake, revolving restaurant/cafe to visit, more spas to try ......as the language school doesn´t start until 2.30pm each day which is good for holidaying. There are sooooo many things to do I am going to run out of time.

So, better sign off now, I think this entry is a long way of saying "Come to Bariloche (and stay in a nice hotel or cabaña) because it´s lovely."

Smiles and good wishes, reader.