Pictures – Weeks 30-31
Sunday, October 3rd, 2010Here are pictures from our ski/snowboard week in Bariloche, Argentina:
http://picasaweb.google.com/102902177234791651515/Week3031ChileAndArgentina#
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Skiing in Argentina
Sunday, October 3rd, 2010For our final week of the trip, we treat ourselves to skiing and snowboarding in San Carlos de Bariloche. We take three buses to get here from San Antonio, Chile, totaling about 22 hours. Fortunately, the overnight buses have sleeper-seats, but nevertheless, Paul and I are barely able to get any sleep, while Quinn snores away.
This area is truly breathtaking: snow covered peaks, numerous deep blue lakes, towering pine trees, fluffy white clouds in the sky. The town of Bariloche is very upscale – fancy and expensive restaurants, hotels and shops. Think Aspen or Vail, but with more chocolate. Chocolate shops are everywhere; white or dark chocolate bark is very popular. We are in sticker shock with the high prices, but manage to find local places to eat and stay in a lovely, yet inexpensive hostel.
The resort near Bariloche is Cerro Catedral (12 miles from town). Because we are here late in the season, only the top half of the mountain has enough snow to ski. The ski resort is enormous – around 17 chair lifrts and 2 gondolas. The views are amazing: jagged mountain tops overlooking Nahuel Huapi Lake. The resort reminds me a bit of Lake Tahoe, but with wide open slopes and no trees on the top half of the mountain. We experience typical spring skiing – icy and hard in the morning and soft and slushy in the afternoon. The weather conditions are overcast the first three days and the off-piste snow is wonderfully soft. We ski and snowboard the entire mountain!
We stay at a comfortable resort at the base of Cerro Catedral, so we can walk to the resort every day. The place is fairly empty and we are upgraded to a suite with a small kitchen and Jacuzzi bathtub (my favorite!). Breakfast is a big buffet with fresh fruit, yogurt, cereal, rolls, ham, cheese and pastries. We find a delicious restaurant next to our hotel and try different soups every night: zapallo (kind of like pumpkin), lentaje (lentils, potatoes, beef, chorizo, carrots and more – hearty and yummy) and verduras. We go to bed with aching bodies, yet full tummies.
I notice several aspects of ski resort life that are very different than most other resorts that I have visited:
– The ski passes are electronic and we are required to insert the pass in a scanner EVERY time we board the chair lift or gondola. Kind of a pin in the ass…
– The ski resort itself only sells lift tickets and all other services on the mountain are privately owned. This means competition, resulting in low prices for ski rentals and decent food. Even the ski schools are independent of the resort.
– The rental shops require that the skis and boards are returned at the end of the day, even if the rental period is for several days. This is actually nice because the rental shops are closer to the lifts than the hotel. Plus, the guys at the rental shop help us with our boots each day 🙂 However, the concept of ski lockers seems foreign.
– Some Argentineans ski with their arms straight out, making fast “S” turns…on the groomed runs. The style looks chaotic and is definitely overkills for an easy run. Maybe it is a show-off move. At the same time, I also see skiers and snowboarders move fluidly and gracefully with excellent technical skills. Thus, not sure what to think about the weird style.
– Pedestrians are everywhere on the mountain. People upload and download on the chairlifts without skis or snowboards in order to go to the restaurants and play in the snow. Very odd to see so many non-skiers at a ski resort.
– Large groups of high school students wear the exact same snow clothes. At first glance, I think that they are ski instructors. Wrong! Argentinean high school seniors take their class trip to Bariloche to play in the snow and enjoy the area. Since most Argentinean metropolitan areas are located in warm climates, people don’t have cold weather gear and must rent their snow clothes. Big business here.
After our stay on the mountain, we return to the town of Bariloche for our last two days in Argentina. We go on an incredible horseback ride through the mountains and along lakes. Side note – riding after five days of skiing is not a good idea. We are sore and tired, yet the scenery overshadows our aches and pains. The area is spectacular – truly a beautiful part of the world. We all agree that this is the prettiest place of the entire trip. A great way to end our seven month adventure!
Adios Coche…
Saturday, September 25th, 2010
We shipped the car! The process was difficult, confusing and extremely frustrating. Multiple visits to various offices at the San Antonio port – 14 steps, 2 days of work (9 hours total) and about $3000. Twice, I was ready to ... [Continue reading this entry]
Pictures – Week 29
Tuesday, September 21st, 2010
Here are pictures from our road trip from the finca to Chile - lots of llamas, pelicans and sea lions:
http://picasaweb.google.com/102902177234791651515/Week29Argentina#
Hasta Luego, Argentina
Tuesday, September 21st, 2010
After leaving the finca, we take a road trip to reach Chile. We first drive to Cafayate, passing a stunning red rock canyon. Cafayate is a cute town – rather touristy with lots of souvenir shops, hotels and restaurants. We ... [Continue reading this entry]
Pictures – Week 28
Wednesday, September 15th, 2010
Here are the pictures of our finca stay in Northern Argentina. Lots of pictures since there are so many good pictures of gauchos, horses and even Paul dancing. Take some time relax and envision life on a finca:
http://picasaweb.google.com/102902177234791651515/Week28Argentina#
Finca Life
Wednesday, September 15th, 2010
Our ten day stay at the finca (ranch) is one of the best experiences of the entire trip. The owner, Enrique, welcomes us with open arms and an equally open heart. We feel at home immediately and quickly settle into ... [Continue reading this entry]
Pictures – Week 27
Tuesday, September 14th, 2010
Here are pictures from our first week in Argentina:
Happy Birthday, Quinn!
Tuesday, September 14th, 2010
After leaving Mendoza, we head north to Chicoana, the location of the horse ranch, making short stops along the way. We spend one night at Villa General Belgrano, which is known for its German style. The town is filled with ... [Continue reading this entry]
Probar Vino en Argentina
Tuesday, August 31st, 2010
As a native Californian, I consider myself a wine tasting connoisseur (note: not a wine connoisseur but a wine TASTING connoisseur) from my many visits to wineries. Yet, wine tasting in Argentina threw me for a loop! We set out ... [Continue reading this entry]
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