San Carlos de Bariloche
I'm now technically in Patagonia - though I'm at the North end of the region. The area is absolutely stunning. It's not so different from the Canadian Rockies, but the unusual plants and animals serve as a constant reminder that this is somewhere new. There are Ibises in town - kind of a weird sight. And these amazing Monkey Puzzle Trees - I have some right outside my window.
I'm staying in a hostel here. I've seen some beautiful hotels, resorts and cabin rentals, but they are quite pricey. My hostel is pretty great (nothing like the last one). It's a little older and there are obvious signs of wear, but it's clean and everything works, and it's cheap. I even get toast and coffee in the morning. The kitchen is pretty clean too and I've cooked myself some soup a couple of times. They've had live entertainment and they served beer and pizza for a few dollars. Most importantly: the staff and other guests are friendly - which is the real reason I prefer hostels to hotels.
I'm staying in a hostel here. I've seen some beautiful hotels, resorts and cabin rentals, but they are quite pricey. My hostel is pretty great (nothing like the last one). It's a little older and there are obvious signs of wear, but it's clean and everything works, and it's cheap. I even get toast and coffee in the morning. The kitchen is pretty clean too and I've cooked myself some soup a couple of times. They've had live entertainment and they served beer and pizza for a few dollars. Most importantly: the staff and other guests are friendly - which is the real reason I prefer hostels to hotels.
Monkey puzzle tree outside my window
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The town of San Carlos de Bariloche is a lot like Banff - lots of shops selling chocolates and souvenirs and jewelry made from rocks. The streets are crowded with tourists, most of them Argentinian - I think. And there are a wide variety of restaurants with some really excellent food. It's a little more expensive here, but not by much.
I have done some shopping myself. I got a new pair of boots! They weren't cheap, but a good pair of waterproof hiking boots never are. And I've already put nearly 30 km on them without a single blister. They might be the most comfortable hiking boots I've ever owned. I also picked up a pair of really nice trekking pants (North Face), socks, and a fleece jacket all of which were on sale. In total, it was around $300 CAD, but I paid cash, and the Western Union exchange rate is now even more than two times the exchange rate of the banks. It's like everything is 50% off for me. On top of that, some stores give you a discount for paying cash.
So I went for a long hike yesterday. I took the city bus to the last stop and then walked a couple of trails that took me to a few different lakes. The trails are easy to follow, though I haven't actually found any good maps yet. I didn't have mobile service either for much of it, but the GPS on my phone seemed to know where I was well enough that I found my way back without needing to do any backtracking. But I'll download some google maps for next time.
And this region really is beautiful.
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Ibis
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Arrayan Tree
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These are post office boxes - lots still in use
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The town is on a hill, so there are lots of staircases
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At one point on my hike, an animal leapt across the path in front of me. All I saw was legs and pointy ears and I thought it was a small deer. But I was able to get a closer look before it darted off (no photo though). I believe it was actually a Patagonian Mara (or Cavy). It looks like a hare, but MUCH larger and the ears aren't as long. You can read more about them on Wikipedia.
There are some other hikes I'd like to do over the next few days. Today was really windy and kind of cold, so I didn't go very far. It should be nicer tomorrow. I spent some time adding elastic cord to the hem of my new pants because they're too long for me and I figured if I was going to destroy the hem by walking on them anyway, I might as well get creative. This way they act a bit like gaiters and I can cover my shoelaces.
But I don't know what I want to do next! There are some long treks that look intriguing, but it would require some more shopping. Or I could do a 7 day bicycle trip (electric assist!), and for that I can rent a lot of gear. I'm sure I'll figure something out...