We packed our bags and escaped Buenos Aires only to find ourselves on a monstrous 22 hour bus ride across the Pampas to Bariloche in the Patagonian lake district. It sounds worst than it was, bus travel in Argentina is comfortable and after a few hours one gets accustomed to viewing subtitled movies and watching the scenery go by. In cama class the legroom is plenty and the seating comfortable while semi cama class feels a bit cramped and the seat does not recline enough to trick the body into a comfortable sleeping position. The full cama class has a fully reclined flat seat which was unfortunately slightly outside of our price range.
The fact that we're beginning this post with such an elaborate description of bus travel represents well our experience in the south of the country. Distances are vast, prices are high, landscapes are very similar to our own in Canada, and it feels a lot more like Europe than South America with its population largely originating from German and Italian immigration.
We enjoyed El Bolson (Pehuenia Hostel) with its market fair and artisanal beers. Unfortunately I was bedridden for three days with food poisoning in Esquel after eating a dodgy empanada and missed the ensuing cook-off at the hostel consisting of stews, soups and asado, which filled the time. After a few weeks of breathing in ash from the nearby Puyehue volcano we decided to call it quits and head for clearer skies across to Chile. For those looking primarily for outdoor activities such as hiking and camping then this is your place, but for those wanting to experience the South American lifestyle, there is no need to come all this way south.
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