Patagonia Part 2, El Bolson to Mendoza Plus Book Review

I am currently in Mendoza. I arrived at about 10 AM. My first impression is that it´s OK. The town itself looks like it wants to be like BA, but can´t quite pull itself together to do so. That´s not to say that it is a dump or anything, it just feels like it has been at a bodega all day and was a little tipsy when it came time to put in some effort. I am likely going to their massive city park today. Tomorrow, is a winery tour by bike.


After reading my last post, I realized that I didn´t really give anything worthwhile on El Bolson or Bariloche. 
El Bolson is nestled inbetween two mountains that are more like long ridgelines than the typical mountain. It´s also got a river going down one side of the town, which is swimmable and, if you know where to look, it has some sand parts to lay out on. If you like the outdoors, than El Bolson has a lot to offer. There are treks, most of which can be done with one day up to a cabin you can reserve and one day out. There is paragliding, horseback, a beach 40 min. out of town by bus, and a hippy market 3 days a week, which is now quite touristy. I found that there was something there that I was quite allergic to. I was taking meds and still dying. I did the market one day and swam in the river the next. Since my ankle isn´t up to trekking standards, I decided that my stay would only be 2 nights. This also allowed me more slack time for future places. 

Bariloche is along a giant, massive, huge lake. Obviously, kayaking and boating are options, but there is a decent wind that comes through most days, so there is kite surfing, sailing, and the like. The town is sorta know as (and built like) a Swiss mountain town. This also means that the chocolate, which I didn´t try, is supposedly very very good. The beaches in town aren´t great (rock), but you can find OK ones within a ten minute bus. For serious rock climbers, there are virgin territories out here. There are also massive mountains within an hour, with lots of tour options. Also, if you are an avid mountain biker, there are lots of great trails and the ski resort Catedral has a ton serviced by lifts as well. There is also great hikes serviced by ferries out of town (including a rain forest). The park and surrounding area, including the first hour of the drive to Mendoza, is disgustingly beautiful. To the point that it would be SERIOUSLY worth it to rent a place out of the city for a summer (or winter). Renting a reasonable place for 3 months would probably be a total of $500, however, you´d need a car (probably 4 wheel drive) and food is only slightly less than the prices back in Seattle.

There are a few interesting things: I get mistaken for a local out here. By that I mean that people who are in need of help will ask me over others. "Excuse me sir, how do you get to the so and so" (in Spanish). "I´m sorry, you are obviously Argentine, and therefore I can´t understand your crazy accent - esp. at the speed of which you are speaking" (comes out, ¨"mi Español esta muy mal"). If you haven´t heard Argentine Spanish, they have a thick accent. Llevar (yay-var) is pronounced ja-var. Plus, they speak super fast. 
The plants and animals are almost exactly like home. They have poplars and monkey trees for gods sake. 
The sheets are the wrong size for the beds in the hostels. This has only been in Argentina and I can´t quite figure it out. Pay the 30 cents more to get sheets that fit the bed. Very odd.
They love to play the movie "Love Happens" (an odd title since love doesn´t happen in the movie, the main characters end up kissing by the end, but are far from being in love from 3 kinda dates and 1 fight. You know what, the entire premise is stupid, don´t bother with it) on the buses. What´s funny about that is that it is supposed to be based in Seattle AND I was almost an extra in it.

Book review - Ishmael. I think Alex may have been the one that mentioned this book way back, but it was recommended again along the way. I happen to come across it randomly in Rio at a hostel I was not staying at. If you earnestly want to change the world, this is a great book. It is a great book in any case. I am reading it again just to make sure I absorb it all. There is a small plot, but most of the book is an exercise in rethinking our relationship with the world. While there is some gloom and doom to it, it isn´t berating us. It offers a fresh way (or not so fresh way) to help us move out of the collision course to destruction. Anyway, if you feel like there is something that just isn´t right, that little itch, this will be a 5 star book for you. With man gone, will there be hope for gorilla?