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The journey, by bus and train...
As you can see, we were able to see a lot of
the interior of this grand country of Argentina. |
Christmas in Bariloche. San Carlos de Bariloche is a village in the Andes that is advertised as being like a Swiss Village in the Alps. We were motivated by finding in the travel books that there is a train, the Tren Patagonica, that travels from the Andes through what is the Argentine Pagatonia region to the coastline (an overnight, 18 hour ride), so you see mountains to the sea with the pampas in between. Since it was Christmas weekend, we couldn’t book a sleeper cabin going to Bariloche, but the Monday after Christmas, we were able to book a cabin from Bariloche to Viedma. That left us with finding a bus from Baires (a 20 hour ride) to Bariloche and then a bus from Viedma to Baires (a 10 hour ride.)
So our Bariloche Journey begins…
Taxi to Retiro Omnibus Terminal.
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| Retiro Omnibus Terminal |
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| Loading Via Bariloche |
It seems to take forever to get out of Buenos Aires.
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| "Tent City" behind the bus terminal |
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| "So Long" Buenos Aires Capital... |
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| Our steward, Carolos, charming, attentive and very efficient! |
Still in Buenos Aires, lots of traffic even after more than an hour...
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| It has started to rain as we leave, is this a good or bad sign? |
Finally, the countryside. The farming and agricultural areas.
We are going through the Province of La Pampa.
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It's very dark out in the countryside.
Makes for a stunning sunset. |
Bariloche is in the Lake District – will we ever see any lakes?
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We seem to be getting into
higher country... |
Lakes??? Oh my, yes, yes - beautiful!
Bariloche is a village located on the shores of Lake Nahuel Huapi
in the Andes near the border of Chile.
We are staying at the Edelweiss Hotel
Bariloche is supposed to be like a Swiss village in the Alps...
it tries to be , anyway.
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Hotel Edelweiss
Our room is just above the hotel sign |
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Our room, clean and comfortable
with an excellent bathroom |
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Our view - can you see the Andes
on the other side of the Lake??? |
We were there for Xmas Day - quite peaceful - nothing open but the few tourists in town wandering around and some sunbathing on the "beach" by the freezing lake. The hotel had a nice bar, restaurant and a wonderful pool and workout room (John was happy.)
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Merry Christmas
December 25, 2011 |
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The central plaza
Overlooking Lake Nahuel Huapi |
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| General Roca |
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Mothers of the Disappeared
are present everywhere |
Flowers everywhere...
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| Street art by the beach |
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What we took for beach sand is really the volcanic ash
from the erupting volcanos in Chile.
Look back at the lake photos -
all that white you see is the volcanic ash! |
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| Life Guard at the lakeshore |
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Room with a View...the second day
The volcanic ash blew away and
left us a view of the Andes for Christmas |
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Merry Christmas!
Susie and John |
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We didn't leave until 5 the next day, so we rambled around town on the 26th until the train departure for the coast - 18 hours to Viedma.
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| Train Terminal |
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| Terminal Lobby |
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| Tren Patagonica listo para salir |
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| The Engine that will take us to Viedma |
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| The sleeper train |
Interesting countryside leaving the Andes – I think it’s what is considered the Argentine side of the Andes/Patagonia.
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| Flamingos!? |
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| Through the hills of the Argentine Patagonia into the sun setting |
The next morning, the land is dry and covered with mounds of grasses – Pampas grass. We see working gauchos along the train frontage roads, here there are horses, sheep and cattle in the fenced pampas. Further out where there is nothing but grass we spot Rheas, alpacas, giant rabbits, hawks, vultures.
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| Where are the cattle, sheep and horses? |
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| Looking for wild life here |
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| Viedma, capital of Rio Negro Province |
Viedma –The Rio Negro Province Capital - a town/city on the Rio Negro and the Atlantic Ocean (30 kilometers from the city center). We had 9 hours there - it was hot and hot and hot. First found a restaurant for a nice lunch by the river Rio Negro with a view of the river park.
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| Rio Negro |
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After the long hot walk from the bus terminal
we stop for lunch at the Sal y Fuego by the Rio Negro |
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| Taking the ferry to Patagones |
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| "Historic Patagones" |
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The towers of
Nuestra Senora del Carmen Parochial Temple |
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| From Patagones to Viedma |
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| Sidewalks of Viedma |
Didn't do much but walk along the river, took the short ferry ride across to the town of Patagones (Carmen of the Patagones is the Joan of Arc of Argentina). Toured the historic buildings there, then went back to the restaurant by the river for ice cream and cafe con leche.
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| Last look at the Rio Negro from Viedma |
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| Bus Terminal |
Then the walk back to the bus station to check in - had a beer, cleaned up, changed clothes then on the bus for a 10 hour trip back to Buenos Aires.
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| As the sun rises - we see the cultivated pampas |
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| We are closer to commerce... |
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| Herd of cattle in the fields |
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| Fields of sunflowers and corn |
Was a long 5 days, but we saw the country of Argentina - both high and low. The Argentine Patagonias, the desert, the pampas, the mountains, the coastline (sort of – at least the Rio Negro.)
Lots of open space with giant rabbits, alpaca, rheas - even saw some authentic working gauchos riding along the road by the train. Lots of horses, cattle and sheep along the railroad tracks and highways appear as examples of the Argentine agricultural commerce.
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| Back to Buenos Aires... |
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| We've made it back to Retiro Terminal |
The purpose of the trip was to see the country - I think we got a real feel for it on this trip.
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Next posting – Debi’s arrival
The next morning, the land is dry and covered with mounds of grasses – Pampas grass. We see working gauchos along the train frontage roads, here there are horses, sheep and cattle in the fenced pampas. Further out where there is nothing but grass we spot Rheas, alpacas, giant rabbits, hawks, vultures.
