Bariloche - last words (and ruminations)
Trip Start
Jan 25, 2007
1
5
31
Trip End
Jun 30, 2007
Bariloche, Argentina
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Last night had another cheese and meatathon - half inch thick, 6 inch diameter grilled provolone cheese followed by a half portion of local Patagonian lamb and salad. Iīve learned not to order too much now because the portions are so big.
Mexico is such a distant memory now, even though it was less than 2 weeks ago. In the parts of Mexico I visited the majority of people have native Indian features, and indigenous groups are numerous and still largely carrying on a relatively traditional lifestyle. Although very poor, often living in one or two room houses the people have a pride in their culture, and you feel this is their land
01 Best coffee in Bariloche
. The communities seem large and strong enough to be self-sustaining and not to have succumbed to alcoholism and other unfortunate side effects of being conquered and colonised. In fact, indigenous groups are leading rebellions in Chiapas and neighbouring Oaxaca and are very active politically.I really enjoyed the food in Mexico, so different to what you get in Australia - no minced meat at all. There were huge numbers of tacquerias, where you could get a delicious meal for $2-3 - I usually ordered 4-5 at a roadside stall or open air tacqueria and asked for them to be filled with different things - tripe, cheese, various greens I donīt know the name of, finely shredded chicken or pork in a very flavoursome sauce, etc. I also ate lots of other things - guisados, adobados, mole poblano (very smooth chocolatey brown sauce), ceviches, whole fried fish, steamed corn tamales, etc , and always limes, spicy guacamole, and tomato and white onion salsa and corn chips on the side. No chance of dying of scurvy. Every meal left your mouth salty, spicy, and tart. A margarita usually finished it off very well and beer was welcome in the hot weather, although I donīt like it with food becuse itīs too gassy. The coffee in Chiapas was good - there are a number of local co-operatives growing organic coffee and selling it through their own cafes in San Cristobal (and you could get espresso). In the rest of the places I went the coffee was instant, so being a coffee snob (amongst other things), I desisted
02 Self-portrait in mirror
. The main drinks in Mexico are beer and coke. It is amazing how much coke people drink - I think it is the greatest colonizer the world has ever seen - even here in Argentina and Chile, with great local wines, virtually all younger people drink coke or sprite - donīt get me started, I can feel a rant coming on (this is another of my snobberies).I felt very clumsy with the language when I arrived in Mexico, and spoke some bastardised version of English, Italian and a few Spanish words, but by the time I left I was starting to get some very basic words and phrases. When I hit Argentina the way you pronounce certain letters changed substantially, especially j, ll, and g, and Iīm getting used to that. In fact the phrases I do know well I pronounce so well that when I ask someone something they immediately respond as if I am a local, and I have to ask them to slow right down. I can actually read about 70-80% of the stuff I see because Iīve got time to absorb it and my understanding of spoken Spanish is improving.
In Mendoza I had 2 people come up to me in the street asking for directions and often in Mexico people would talk to me in Spanish, so I must look enough like a local to be taken for one.
The food in Argentina has also been good, but a bit limited
03 Obviously some people need to be told this
. I enjoy good meat, but I donīt eat a huge amount of it. Thereīs aslo a limited range of vegetables at restaurants, although not in the fruit and vegetable shops. But Iīve had some beautiful soups and one day I had some great empanadas at a tiny little restaurant that specialised in empanadas in Bariloche. The pastry on most empanadas Iīve had in the past has been too hard and dry and the fillings lacking in variety, but this one had excellent pastry and I had a selection of fillings - spinach, coarse cornmeal, jamon and queso (cured ham and cheese), and tomato, onion and cheese.Many restaurants in Bariloche serve local game - red deer, boar, and very flavourful local sheep, as well as trout. Also great icecreams, cheeses, and locally made chocolate, and a couple of dozen small breweries.
About 130kms south from Bariloche is El Bolson, a bit of a backpacker mecca set in beautiful scenery, and about 70kms south of that is the village of Cholilla, where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid lived for 5 years until they were tracked down (and killed, althjough apparently there is some dispute about that).
Have to sign off now and catch a taxi to the airport.The flight is in the afternoon and itīs a crisp, clear day so the view of the Andes should be sensational. You may not hear from me for a while as in about 2-3days I will go on a 5-6day hike in Torres del Paine National Park
Comments
To a real foodie. Leigh.
Hi Everard, great reading your stories. Your meals sound like the perfect mix of food groups - fat, salt, sweet/smooth and alcoholic.
Sounds like you're really getting into it
Really enjoying your writing Ev. It must be a very good omen to have three El Condor circling you. I see you found a waterfall you could get behind and the bamboo forest looked great. I guess your Aikido training helped you find that fence so quickly to put between you and the bulls. I guess it would have helped if they'd charged too, as you'd know the right moment to step aside. Loved the photos especially the El Condors and of the sombreros in Mexico too.
love, Sue