My Journey Round The World

El Bolsón is a little village nestled in between two mountain ranges. Back in the 70s, hippies started flocking to this peaceful place and in the last 30 years El Bolsón has been declared both a non-nuclear zone and an ‘ecological municipality’ – are you getting the picture yet? El Bolsón produces nearly three-quarters of the country’s hops and fruits and I was really happy to enjoy more healthy food than the usual rice and papas fritas… I stuffed my belly with natural and vegetarian foods of which the excellent raspberry It seems that I missed the beer…

Four times a week there is the Feria Regional with handycraft products, healthy local food and various shows on the main square. I found a lovely place – a bit far from the center though – at La Casa del Viajero where I shared a cabaña – which reminded me of the crosscountry skiing trip in la Jura, my Mum organised when I entered the college – with 2 guys and where I was woke up by snoring! Still it was a lovely place that I left too quickly to get a lift to the center… I enjoyed my Coca Mate – you can buy hot water in certain place for the famous Mate! – in the park with Media Luna – croissant Hippies atmosphere was fun to see but finally a bit too much for me… I escape after 1 day… 

The view from Cerro Campanario is considered by UNESCO to be one of the best views in the world!!! Well… It was a fascinating view… under clouds… I guess with sunny weather it would have been better… Still I enjoyed the pretty stiff (!) way up as well as my way back half walking next to the really windy lake side to reach my hostel with this stunning view… I could have stay there forever if it wasn’t overbooked

What a day: Sunday in a Swiss Colony in Argentina… Colonia Suissa was the first Swiss settlement in Patagonia. On Wednesday & Sunday there is an arts & crafts fair and restaurants prepare a traditional mapuche food called Curanto, in which they cook the food using a hole in the earth filled with hot rocks. I couldn’t miss that!

While waiting for the bus I had a chat with 3 Argentine womans – Cristina, Nancy and Maria Isabel – going there too. The cue was so long that they called another bus to bring everybody there.
When arriving we could see how they do prepare the food: a hole in the earth filled with hot rocks where they put first
nalca or maqui leaves, and add various vegetables and even fruits such as: carrots, onion, apple, pumpkin, of course potatoes… with different types of meat and and recover all that with ash to cook it for about 2 hours. It gives such a good taste to the food! It remind me of the great dish we had in Poland few years ago, cooked by Monika’s parents to make us discover a tradional food from her region! Monika, will you give me the name again?!

Portion are normally for 2 and at that time I was on my own as my 3 Argentine mate didn’t want to try. Finaly it wasn’t too much… I ate everything, I was happy to be alone… my trousers will hate me still…

After such a good meal I bump into Alessandro – the Italian guy with whom I went to Salsa course the day before – Elisabeth – from Austria – and 2 Dutch girls who came by bike – maybe I should have join them in the morning…

While I was thinking to go back to Bariloche I came accross Cristina, Nancy and her Mum Maria Isabel with Gustavo. They offer me to join them and Gustavo – guide in the region! – drove us around the famous Circuito Chico to see the outskirts and the characteristic sites of the city with a nice break at the lovely tea-cofee shop Bellevue for a small dessert… Thank you so much for this time shared together! It was terrific!

When arriving in my dormitorio I met 2 friendly German guy: Frank & Christoph with whom I spent the next 2 days, hiking around Bariloche – where I encounter another wooden bridge… Ariane, Gregoire does it remain you something?

On the next day German multiply by 2 – I was glad to hear German again but I have to say that it was pretty hard to speak… Mixing Spanish and German… – Florian & Viviane (she is from Aachen! join us and we rented a car to go to visit el Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi and see waterfalls and the strange black glacier!

Travel to Bariloche was amazing! Just after leaving Mendoza there were thunderstorm all around and during more than 3 hours we could see lightning far away, kind of thing you see in movies, wondering if this can be real… Yes, this can be real and it was absolutely amazing!!! Its pretty hard to describe and of course pictures waren’t possible, however this was spectacular to be sitting confortably and beeing just in front of the show! Following my 15 hours bus trip in a confortable Andesmar bus where they even offer you to play bingo! – Ok I didn’t win but it was fun! – I finally arrived to Bariloche!!! What a relief! I’ve lost more than 20 degrees but I could breathe again! And the view from the Hostel Inn – C/ Salta 308 www.hostel-inn.com – is awesome: lake who seems to be a sea and mountains all around… Thank you so much Maxi to convince me to come here rather than going to the north!

And guess what guys… Bariloche is full of chocolate shops! Ok Gregoire, I’m sure you’ll have something to say about it but still I taste some of them from Mamushka’s or Abuela Goye’s chocolate shops – as Maxi recommended – and the 70% is pretty good

Such a hot weather again!!! Really too much for me… Even with the small swimming pool at Itaka Hostel – www.itakahostel.com.ar which was a bit expensive, I guess the one next door from Hostelling International would have been cheaper but ok staff is friendly at least! – So I decided straight away to leave the next day to Bariloche!!! After buying my bus ticket for the next evening – 15 hours bus and I couldn’t managed to get a Super-cama or first Class seat, where you can lie down like in your bed! or I would have to wait 3 more days – NO WAY! Anyway, Andesmar is really confortable – I went to the main plaza where a friendly little men start to speak to me and offered me a poem – in Spanish and English – before desappearing as it came The big Parque General San Martin which seems to be really popular for jogging, biking, rollerblading… reminded me a bit of the Stanley Park in Vancouver, crossed with roads! On my way back to the hotel I came upon a road accident – Luckily I never seen any before, sometimes I’m wondering how!?! – driver had his helmet but security around the place scared me bit! I guess in Europe it could be the same?…

Poem from Carlos López: You are pretty

Without more words
Without less words
You are pretty

Looking at you
Is to invent the brightness
In the morning

You are pretty

When you smile
In your smile
The poem is born bright

When you walk
You are like a flower
That decorates the eye views

Without more words
Without less words
You are pretty

Alta Gracia is a lovely town 36 km from Córdoba, easily accessible by bus. I found here a real peaceful atmosphere. Is it because of its illustrious former residents ?!? Such as Jesuit pionners, Viceroy Santiago Liniers – a French officer in the Spanish military service – born in Niort! – and a viceroy of the Spanish colonies of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, so now open your history book! - Spanish composer Manuel de Falla and famous revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara. I made my way to Villa Beatriz converted into the Museo Casa Ernest “Che” Guevara which mainly focuses on the legend’s early life. I was happy to find out who is the person – Alberto Díaz Gutiérrez better known under the name Alberto Korda, Cuban photograph - who gave such a hard portrait of the Che which seems to be, regarding all other pictures I’ve seen there – Nicholas you were right! – a really smiling person! This famous picture, which turn him into a revolutionary symbol, was taken on the 5 of March 1960 during the official ceremony for 136 Cubans who disappear after an attack of the CIA on the French boat “La Coubre”. Guillaume, I’m sure you would love the museum, I have plenty of pictures for you.

When coming back to Córdoba, Maxi kindly came to pick me up with is motorbike – who will beleive that one day I’ll do motorbike in tee-shirt and short with a too big helmet – but a helmet nevertheless?!? We are in Latine America here, they don’t have the same way of seeing things! But, it’s not less dangerous! Anyway, I survived – and we went for a traditional argentinian and more especialy córdoban food: Lomito in a lovely place. Lekker