Bariloche and Birthdays
Friday, June 1st, 2007The next morning we were on an early bus back to Puerto Montt and on to Bariloche to start our next phase of Spanish courses. Bariloche is in Argentina, at the foot of the Andes in an area known as the Lake District. It is also fabukously famous for its chocolate which I can tell you after cafefull sampling is superb! The city itself is beautiful and there is loads to do there, walking, biking, horseriding etc. Although I have to say we studiously decided to take on the Spanish course over these frivilous persuits – and also because its cold and, you guessed it, off season!
We arrived on the Wednesday and spent the next few days signing up for our Spanish course and finding a cheap place to stay for the rest of the week. Both of which successfully completed we set about celebrating Tucky´s birthday, with a trip to the Casino, a day spent watching the football and the obligatory fully steak dinner. On his birthday we went to a golf course at a really fancy hotel out of town, unfortunately we didn’t have time to play then but signed him up for later in the week. We also celebrated the weekend with two Irish girls we had met in Puerto Natales and again in El Calafate, one of whom had the same birthday at Tucky, so it was drinks all round!
Here is Tucky´s account…..
“The time 1900 hours, the date 18th May 2007, little old me was preparing a hearty supper of carrots and apple (we know how to live) in the kitchen of our hostel on the 10th floor of a block of apartments in Bariloche when in stepped two Irish girls who we had previously encountered! Ahhhh to be sure to be sure! Terty Twee!! They said with their little green hats and boots on. Stay here I ted it’s grand I ted! Trying to speak their lingo. I tink they said they were staying somewhere else but it’s hard to understand the Green Folk from the Emerald Isle. But come for a party and a drink tomorrow (19th May), it’s my birthday the taller of the two little scamps said! Nooooooooo weiiiiiiiggghhhhhh! I said!! It’s my birthday on Sunday I said! Ah to be sure to be sure to be sure she said it’s actually my birthday on Sunday but we were going to party on Saturday and see it in! Wicked I said let’s do it!! At which point the young Katherine enters the kitchen disturbed by her boyfriends voice being connected with laughing females and the girlie niceties of email addresses were exchange in order to ensure our rendezvous the following evening.
Well the next day started badly. Chelsea played United in the cup final and both teams couldn’t lose. Happy though in the knowledge that I was that we had found a comfortable seat to watch football and drink pints of local lager, AKA Quilmes, the golden brew! In preparation for Weds big game. Anyhow we went to Alberto’s (possibly the best steak house in all the world – except he’s got four of them so which one is the best!?!?!) And dined on mountains of chips and some fine cattle. Following that we went to meet our young Irish friend back at the Hostel where they greeted us with the bad news that as tomorrow was local Election day (the big posters for 20th May apparently weren’t for my birthday – I didn’t think the pictures bore any similarity to me in my youth) the Government didn’t trust the locals not to have a few beers the night before or in fact through most of my birthday! So we were resigned to Hostel Drinking! Never mind we made a fair stab at seeing in our birthdays and polished off a fair amount of dodgy Hostel Wine!
And so the big day itself was a late starter!! And the plans for a game of golf at the rather plush Golf and Country Club (check it out by Googling “Llao Llao”) were thwarted by the incoming darkness! And the birthday meal ended up back at Albertos and numerous more beverages now that the bars were reopened again…… This was obviously highly detrimental to the Spanish learning the next day as we began our weeks Spanish course by learning the words for dehydrated, cream crackered and drunk as a skunk.”
Monday morning with a very heavy head we started our Spanish course, just the two of us in the group which was great and we both really enjoyed the lessons and I think really learnt a lot in just a few days. I could tell you anything you want to know in Spanish now, just so long as it’s in the past tense.
As well as the Spanish lessons the school also organized activities in the afternoon. After the activities in Mendoza our hopes weren’t high but they turned out to be great. Monday night we took a salsa class with a guy who looked like a long distance trucker, and in fact did actually turn out to be one. Once again Tucky and I were terrible and couldn´t dance together for even a beat, but I have to say, dancing with other people who knew how to dance, we weren’t too bad.
On Tuesday afternoon we went along to a community centre in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Bariloche to “teach English” to the kids there, but really just to play with them and provide them with stimulation in an area where life if tough for them. It was wonderful, the kids were so affectionate and ready just to play, it didn’t matter that we didn’t speak too much Spanish all they wanted to do was hold your hand and have piggy back rides. When I get chance I will try and write about the experience in more detail for you, it was a really great afternoon.
Other “highlights” of the week included the Champions league final, but I’m not allowed to talk about that.
The lessons finished on Thursday as Friday was yet another Argentine bank holiday, 25th May, some kind of independence day or some rubbish?! Anyway, Friday morning and we were out on the open road……..
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