B-loche

It was my first stop in Argentina and it will be my new home from June until the snow melts... Bariloche is a cool mountain town with a lot of German and Swiss influence (think lot of St. Bernards and chocolate) that has some of the most breathtaking views you will ever see. We were lucky enough to stay in a friends' log cabin with a gorgeous view of the lakes/mountains, and all the neighbors helped us with everything we ever would have needed. The Argentines (in general, but I have noticed it more outside of the city) are extremely generous people. They want to help you in any way they can, and they will call everybody in their phone book to hook you up in some way, shape, or form!

Our backyard:


Our first stop, Cerro Campanario, has some of the most magnificent views I have ever seen. The lakes go on for MILES and they are all different shapes and colors. You can see mountain peaks in Chile from here, and luckily the first dusting of snow happened the night before so it was even more picturesque.




The next day we took a boat excursion to Puerto Blest. We walked to Lago Frias, which is a bright sea foam green color due to the minerals from the nearby volcano. We packed a picnic lunch and enjoyed the peace and quiet.





Then we walked up a bunch of stairs to this waterfall "cascade" thing that wasn't really that cool. But it was a fun, adventurous day nonetheless. For dinner we had a 7 course meal at a restaurant called Butterfly which consisted of soup in shot glasses, fish with faces, and lamb cooked for 16 hours. It was super gourmet and super delicious!

The next day was probably my favorite day of Mom and Dad's whole visit. When I was 15 I wouldn't believe you if you told me that a mere 8 years later, my favorite day of a trip would be spent in a car with my parents for 7 hours... but it's true! We drove all around the national park region of Bariloche. We passed tons of lakes, rivers, rock formations, and brightly colored trees. Without music. Or drugs or alcohol. Who would've thought huh?





As for an update on my life.... I will be moving to Bariloche in early June for the winter. I don't have a job yet, but I am hoping to be a waitress, bartender, or snowboard instructor (none of which I have any background in with English, let alone Spanish, but I think it will be a learning experience!). Since I am leaving Buenos Aires soon, I have convinced myself that I need to take advantage of the party scene because it will be a real change moving to a mountain town. This "last hurrah" is similar to my schedule when I initially arrived in BA, and involves going clubbing at least twice a week. Why not, right?

Oh p.s. people- I am not sure what my internet situation will be like when I move (not sure if my lake house will have wi-fi) so skype me while you can! xo Raquel OUT

Vino Country: Mendoza with the Padres

Apparently there is a song about Mendoza in the fall, and now I know why. The crisp air and the vibrant colors of the leaves against the background of snow-capped mountains is really a beautiful sight. And let's not kid ourselves... the wine was awesome!


The trip started when our plane got delayed a few hours so then we missed our connecting flight and then the next plane we got put on was delayed again... and when we arrived in Mendoza we found out Mom's bag had been sent to Brazil. BUT that didn't mean the next 2 days (a.k.a. the last few days of Mom and Dad's visit) were ruined.

We spent our first day in the local wine region of Maipu laughing at the name and riding bikes to different wineries. It was a 9 km trip along narrow roads with big trucks wizzing by, and it's a miracle that more drunk backpackers don't get hurt. There are a bunch of wineries along the way, and you can pop in for tours and tastings for the equivalent of about $4 at each one. Some of the wineries were old and traditional from the 1860s, and others were super modern, but I would have to say I enjoyed the vino at each one.





We got home with the help of the bike rental lady chasing after us and screaming at us for about 5 minutes because we rode too far, thanks to Dad's slight misreading of his iPhone GPS (he must have been pretty buzzed at this point because we all know about his map reading skills). Anyways after a nap we went to the most amazing parrilla (Argentine bbq). Seriously if you are ever in Mendoza you have to go to La Barra- it was the best meat I have had in this country, and that is a pretty hefty claim.


After a trip to the casino, we got a good night's sleep in order to wake up early and....... go wine tasting again! This time we got a ride about 2 hours outside of the city close to the base of the Andes.

The region: Valle de Uca
The winery: Salentein
The vibe: sophisticated
The wine: really good





After a multi-coarse lunch in the middle of the countryside, we headed to the airport and back to the big city. Mom and Dad had one more day in BA but because they were such super-tourists the first week, they had already seen all the important stuff. We spent their last 24 hours eating meat, drinking wine, and walking around- my favorite things to do in Buenos Aires :)