My trip to Bariloche

First of all, I apologize for the inconsistency of this blog! It has been forever since I last updated. Maybe someday I will be able to go back and fill in the gaps, but at this point, I'm just going to fill you in on the amazing trip I just took!

~ Bariloche ~ 

The land of chocolate, the World's Largest chocolate Easter egg, 

St. Bernards, mountains, lakes, and wonderful memories. 

Ever since I knew I was going to study abroad in Argentina, I knew that I had to travel to Patagonia. I wanted to travel to southern Patagonia and go backpacking and climbing, but as it turns out, I am VERY far away. So my second best option was to at least go into the region of Patagonia, which I did! We ended up in Bariloche, which for the most part is a tourist town with a very strong German influence. I traveled with three other friends, Alec, Danielle, and Will. To be honest, I had no idea what to expect with this trip, because we didn't know each other very well beforehand! As it turns out, I could not have asked for a better group. We had the most amazing time together.  

This trip was filled with lots of little surprises, and twists and turns along the way. We learned a lot within the week we were gone! 

1. The bus ride does not take 15 hours..... it takes 24! 

The night before we left for Bariloche, I was so kindly informed that I was very wrong about the length of time our bus was intended to take. It was only about 9 hours different than I had thought. haha! Anyway, our first bus ride was absolutely amazing. I swear it was nicer than first class on an airplane! The seats were huge, we got lots of food, and even watched some great movies. The 24 hours just flew by! The way home............. not so much. Apparently we had picked the company that is known for having their buses break down. Thankfully that didn't happen to us, but the journey was definitely much slower and not nearly as enjoyable. 

2. Horseback riding in the mountains is as amazing as I had dreamed. 

I have been a horse person ever since I was tiny. All these years, I've dreamed of riding in the mountains through gorgeous landscapes and feeling the wind in my hair as I cantered along dusty paths. I can now say that this dream has come true. Our first full day in Bariloche, we went to a place called Tom Wesley to go horseback riding. We got there, and were immediately thrown on a horse. No questions asked. So Argentina if you ask me! ;) There were about 10 of us in the group with one guide. We rode through the mountains for 3 hours with a stop at this absolutely incredible lake. I wanted to stay there forever! Our guide also gave us plenty of opportunities to canter, which was absolutely amazing. I literally get so giddy being on a horse in open spaces! After our incredible ride, we returned back to the ranch and had the best asado ever. I swear we were all in heaven! 

Here's a quick wikipedia definition of an asado if you so desire: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asado

3. Staying in a hostel is such an awesome experience! 

Our first two nights in Bariloche we stayed at Hostel Los Troncos. It was such a great experience. We ended up staying in a mixed, nine person room mostly because it was the cheapest, but it ended up working out splendidly. Just being in a hostel, you have so many opportunities to meet amazing people from all over the world. I made friends with people from Holland, Sweden, Argentina, Israel, and of course, the United States. I was amazed at how many people can speak English though. Definitely makes me feel uneducated! At the end of our trip, we stayed in a hostel called, The House (which they pronounce, duh huse... haha). It was a great experience as well! 

Quick story:

At the second hostel, I ended up sleeping on the top bunk of a bunk bed that also happened to have no ladder or railing. For a chronic sleepwalker such as myself, I should have maybe suggested switching with someone and sleeping on the bottom, but I figured it wouldn't be a big deal. whoops! Anyway, apparently in the middle of the night, I woke up my friends with my thrashing and yelling. The last thing they heard was me yelling "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh" and then a huge thud. I woke up to a scream (which was my own) and a not so nice landing. Apparently I had basically thrown myself out of my bed because I landed completely on my side on the tile floor. I woke up everyone in the room and this poor stranger was nice enough to see if I was ok! haha! Moral of the story, Kayla needs to sleep on the bottom bunk and strap herself in. :) 

                                        

                                                

4. Finding camping gear is not as easy as they make it sound. 

Before the trip, we decided that we really wanted to go camping. Every website said that it was super easy to rent equipment in the area, so we decided not to worry about it too much. We ended up going to another town, about an hour and a half away, called Villa La Angostura and camping there. However, when we first asked about where to rent equipment, they told us that there was no place that did! Luckily, I had seen a place earlier, and we were able to get some, but it was limited. We were only able to rent two, two-person tents, and four sleeping bags. The rest of our camping experience was pretty scrappy, especially the cooking, but we had a ton of fun! 

5. We made some great animal friends

This is chief princess Stoney Brook. I thought this cat was hilarious because it's eyes were almost always like that!! Anyway, we loved (well, mostly loved) chief princess. It (still not sure if it is a girl or a boy, hence the name) even ate some of our chocolate! That little rascal. 

This is Don (Don the Adventurer). We met him after our horseback riding experience and he hung out with us for a long time as we wandered around the area. He even hopped on the bus with us! Such a loyal friend. 

6. The World's Largest Chocolate Egg is a big deal. 

It's pretty incredible that the largest chocolate egg in the world just so happened to be in Bariloche when we were. We got to see it while it was still in process and then also when it was finished. Apparently it's over 27 feet tall and weighs over 4 tons! Crazy. On Easter day, we waited in line for over 4 hours for a piece of the egg (they break it and give it away), but the crowd ended up becoming too ridiculous and we decided that it wasn't worth it. So depressing. 

7. I am not a biker. 

On our last full day in Bariloche we decided to go biking through the mountains for a unique experience. We ended up biking the Circuito Chico, which is a big loop through the Andes. It's 27 kilometers, so about 16.5 miles, but it is definitely up and down the whole time. I realized that I am not a biker as soon as I glanced at one of the giant hills. Almost immediately my motivation was lost and I resorted to walking up it (as in basically walking up every hill), which I much preferred anyway. :) The downhills were glorious though! I have never gone so fast on a bike before! Throughout the circuit, there were opportunities to do some mini little hikes and see some fantastic views. It was incredible. Overall, such an amazing experience. 

8. I am continually blown away by God's creation.

Throughout the entire trip, it was almost impossible not to praise God. We were surrounded by His awesome creation and I was just in awe. 

"They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty,

and I will meditate on your wonderful works."

~ Psalm 145: 5 ~ 

9. Being homeless is a really eye-opening experience.

Yep, you read that correctly. I did say, "homeless." One of the nights in Bariloche we ended up stuck without a hostel. It's a really long story, so I won't explain in this blog post, but nonetheless, I have a much greater understanding and appreciation for what it would be like to not have a home. Definitely puts things in perspective. 


Overall, Bariloche was an incredible trip with lots of unforgettable memories. Hope you enjoyed a few of the highlights!