Around-the-World with Drew & Erin: Argentina

Join The Blogging Post as we head around-the-world with our friends Drew & Erin. They’ll be sending us regular dispatches and updates from around, across, and all over the globe. This is their third and final post from Argentina…

The Many Wonders of Argentina

Argentina is an amazing travel spot for many reasons – not the least of which is the diversity of destinations it offers. It’s a huge country with many different towns, cities, and landscapes to explore.

Being outdoor people, and more specifically mountain people, Erin and I decided that we would head straight up the western side of the country along the spine of the Andes. By doing so, there are some amazing places we had to bypass that we would love to have visited – the happening capital of Buenos Aires, the stunning Iguazu Falls on the northeast border with Brazil, and the whale-watching off the east coast of Puerto Madryn to name a few. But with a solid amount of travel experience, we know what we like and are very satisfied with our decision to head up the mountain side. We were richly rewarded on our long journey north.

We traversed the vast, barren, and windswept countryside of central Patagonia via a 30-hour bus ride north from El Chalten to El Bolson – the first of many long bus trips in South America. We arrived in El Bolson in the Lakes District with minimal plans and an open mind. We lucked out by finding a laid-back and very friendly hostel called El Pueblito, which made a perfect place to rest and relax between outings into the mountains.

El Bolson is an artsy outdoor town surrounded on three sides by mountains and has a thriving artisan’s market in the town park three days a week. We spent over a week in the area doing a variety of activities in town and in the mountains – visiting the craft and food fair for papas fritas (fried potatoes) and desserts, tasting cheese at the local organic farm, devouring asados (Argentinian barbecues) and drinking vino at our hostel, climbing snowy Cerro Piltriquitrón, one of the highest peaks in the area that provides a panoramic view over the valley and the nearby mountains, and enjoying a three-day backcountry hut trip to the glacier Hielo Azul with two 19-year old British chaps. We thoroughly enjoyed every minute of our stay. After a few taxing weeks in Patagonia and a very long bus ride, the town, landscape, and hospitality of El Bolson was a welcome hangout spot in which to recreate and rejuvenate.

Next, after a short hop, skip and jump up the road, we found ourselves in Bariloche, a Swiss-influenced town that is the largest in the Lakes District, the skiing capital of the country, and also a major summer vacation spot. Since we were there in the fall between peak seasons, we enjoyed a pleasantly quiet time there. We rented a fully-furnished two-bedroom townhouse with all amenities for about $22 a night through a hostel and therefore found ourselves relaxing and enjoying some creature comforts and rest time. One of the highlights of our stay there was meeting and sharing meals with two Argentinian gentlemen with whom we connected in a combination of Spanish and English. Together we made and shared fresh bread and handcrafted gnocchi, cooked and devoured thick Argentine steaks, and drank our fair share of cerveza (beer) and vino tinto (red wine). But most importantly, we shared insights about our own lives and paths in our respective countries. Erin and I gained great insight into the joys and pains of some working-class Argentine citizens.

In some of our final mountain journeys before winter set in, Erin and I also scaled two peaks in the area on different days to gain outstanding vistas of the lakes, volcanoes, mountains, and glaciers of the Lakes District. The most dramatic view was that of Monte Tronador, a domed volcanic peak that is head-and-shoulders above all the others in the area, and reminiscent of Mount Rainier in the U.S.

After visiting mountains, mountains, and more mountains, we decided to switch it up and change our focus to something new – vino. Another long bus ride north brought us to Mendoza, the prime wine-making region in Argentina. Mendoza is a vibrant, attractive city with lots of parks, cafes, bars, and restaurants. Our main business there was checking out the bodegas, or wineries, so we set out one morning to find them. We took a local bus to a smaller suburb, rented bikes, and set off to see the countryside and taste the wine. At first, we were taken aback by the busy traffic and hectic road construction on our bike ride, but we settled into a good rhythm and sipped wines at four charming bodegas. A week later, we took a similar bike and wine tour of the San Juan region, a few hours north of Mendoza. Based on our experiences, we can definitively say that the wine trails of Argentina are not quite as polished or sophisticated as those of California or New Zealand, but the wines are extremely tasty, and the rides are certainly colorful. And of course, while in Mendoza, we had to get at least a small mountain fix so we took a one-day trip west to the Chile-Argentina border to the base of Cerro Aconcagua for a glimpse at the highest peak in the world outside of the Himalayas.

Having now satiated our two largest desires for exploration in Argentina, mountains and vino, we headed to the northern part of the country and the city of Salta. I really was not prepared for what we found there. I was blown away at the charms of the city and the stunning landscapes of the surrounding countryside.
Northern Argentina was sort of an afterthought on our trip, and we viewed this part of the trip as the way north to other parts of South America rather than a destination in itself. We were sorely mistaken and I now regret we did not have more time to explore the area.

As it was, we did have a few days to wander through the parks and museums of Salta, while basking in the glow of its warmer climate. We also were able to get out of the city on a trip north to the Quebrade de Humahuaca. The area offers a stunning array of red-rock scenery, small towns, and indigenous culture. If I ever return to Argentina, Salta and its surrounds will be firmly on my itinerary – along with all the other amazing spots in the country that we did not have time to explore. But we had an upcoming date with a Bolivian family over the northern border and had to leave the amazing country of Argentina behind. In our year-long travels, Argentina stands out as one of my favorite countries of all those we have visited and holds a warm place in my heart for its incredible scenery, succulent steaks, delectable red wines, and especially its generous and endearing people.

PHOTOS

Photo #1 – On the flanks of Cerro Piltriquitrón
Photo #2 – Majestic Monte Tronador
Photo #3 – Bikes and Bodegas in San Juan
Photo #4 – Quebrada de Humahuaca