I’m on the bus traveling from El Bolson to El Calafate.
I am currently sitting on the bus somewhere between El Bolson and El Calafate. It's about a 25 hour trip, which sounds crazy, but the seats on the busses are much larger and far more comfortable than anything you'll find in coach on a flight. They're more like what you'd get in first class. And there are occasional stops. You can get up and move around if you like.
I had trouble finding a bus company that had this route on the schedule, so when I found this one, I bought a ticket assuming it would be like the other bus trips I’ve taken. I asked for a “Cama” seat, which on other busses is a chair that reclines into a flat bed. I also know that cama tickets usually include snacks and on previous busses there were USB ports to charge devices. This ticket was about $93 CAD, which seemed about right, or possibly a little cheaper than I was expecting.
Of course, not all companies are equal. First of all, the bus was very late. There is no bus terminal in El Bolson, just a patch of grass where I met up with other people with luggage. I think there are big bushes of holly on that corner. It looks like holly to me. So festive!
I had trouble finding a bus company that had this route on the schedule, so when I found this one, I bought a ticket assuming it would be like the other bus trips I’ve taken. I asked for a “Cama” seat, which on other busses is a chair that reclines into a flat bed. I also know that cama tickets usually include snacks and on previous busses there were USB ports to charge devices. This ticket was about $93 CAD, which seemed about right, or possibly a little cheaper than I was expecting.
Of course, not all companies are equal. First of all, the bus was very late. There is no bus terminal in El Bolson, just a patch of grass where I met up with other people with luggage. I think there are big bushes of holly on that corner. It looks like holly to me. So festive!
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The bus was supposed to depart at 10 AM, but by 11:30, there was still no sign of it. One of the other passengers walked to the ticket office a couple of blocks away to get information and came back with the news that the bus was still in Bariloche, two hours away, with mechanical problems. They were fixing it and it was coming. No ETA, but we had a couple of hours to kill at least.
There was a pizza place across the street with outdoor tables in the shade, so I had a pizza and beer. I pocketed a few napkins, got the rest of my pizza to go and used the bathroom. And then I went back and sat on the grass until the bus finally arrived. As the bus pulled up, people applauded.
There was a pizza place across the street with outdoor tables in the shade, so I had a pizza and beer. I pocketed a few napkins, got the rest of my pizza to go and used the bathroom. And then I went back and sat on the grass until the bus finally arrived. As the bus pulled up, people applauded.
They tagged my big backpack in put it in the cargo hold. They didn’t bother to verify my identity with my passport (the previous bus companies have). It’s probably good they didn’t, because the ticketing agent got it wrong, even after I tried to correct him.
So, I got on the bus and it was immediately clear that this bus is quite a bit older than my previous busses. My seat was on the upper deck, and that’s when I discovered that a “cama” seat on this bus is exactly the same as a “semi-cama” seat on previous busses. My seat reclines quite a bit, but not into a flat bed. So, words don’t mean anything anymore, I guess. The seats are the same on both floors of the bus, though I imagine the seats on the main floor cost a little bit more because the bus rocks a bit less down there and it’s a little cooler in the day and warmer at night. The interior of this bus is pretty run down and dirty. I suppose the other companies that claim that none of their busses are older than 5 years probably sell their busses to companies like this one.
My seat back is slightly broken. It works, but if I don’t have it all the way up, it tends to recline with a tiny bit of weight on it. And if I don’t have enough weight on it when it’s all the way down, it slowly creeps back up. The seat beside me has been empty the entire time, so I’ve sat in that seat a bit, but I prefer the window. The whole point of taking the bus is to see the country. The seat is otherwise comfortable, aside from these stupid things sticking out the sides of the armrests. They seem to serve no purpose other than to poke you. And yes, I have a little screwdriver and tried to remove them, but I couldn’t get all the screws to turn. Can you imagine if taking one off actually did something catastrophic though? Probably best that my attempt failed.
So, I got on the bus and it was immediately clear that this bus is quite a bit older than my previous busses. My seat was on the upper deck, and that’s when I discovered that a “cama” seat on this bus is exactly the same as a “semi-cama” seat on previous busses. My seat reclines quite a bit, but not into a flat bed. So, words don’t mean anything anymore, I guess. The seats are the same on both floors of the bus, though I imagine the seats on the main floor cost a little bit more because the bus rocks a bit less down there and it’s a little cooler in the day and warmer at night. The interior of this bus is pretty run down and dirty. I suppose the other companies that claim that none of their busses are older than 5 years probably sell their busses to companies like this one.
My seat back is slightly broken. It works, but if I don’t have it all the way up, it tends to recline with a tiny bit of weight on it. And if I don’t have enough weight on it when it’s all the way down, it slowly creeps back up. The seat beside me has been empty the entire time, so I’ve sat in that seat a bit, but I prefer the window. The whole point of taking the bus is to see the country. The seat is otherwise comfortable, aside from these stupid things sticking out the sides of the armrests. They seem to serve no purpose other than to poke you. And yes, I have a little screwdriver and tried to remove them, but I couldn’t get all the screws to turn. Can you imagine if taking one off actually did something catastrophic though? Probably best that my attempt failed.
Maybe these are for mounting little tables? Stupid pokey things...
I can see the sky through a crack in the emergency escape hatch above me. I’m glad there hasn’t been any rain. It’s hot on the bus during the day though. Most of the curtains are closed – mine are open just enough to see out. There are air vents, but they don’t always have the AC running, and that’s okay with me, because the AC air smells a little foul. And at night, it was a little chilly, but my fleece jacket was sufficient. And there are no power outlets at all. I have a battery pack and plenty of power for photos and whatnot, but I did drain my battery quite a bit in the 5 hours I waited for the bus.
The coffee machines are strictly ornamental. There are no snacks. However, the drivers are careful to do head counts before departing stations, so we can get off to use bathrooms and buy food and drinks.
There are two drivers that take turns. They are very good drivers and know the road well. There are times they’ll hit the brakes for no apparent reason, and then there will be a big dip or bump that they take slowly. I’m sure they’ve driven this route many times. But it is slow going. Most of the highway has been paved, but some of the paved parts have a lot of potholes. There were long stretches where we were barely moving, especially on the gravel, when we averaged between 20 and 30 kilometers an hour.
But we haven’t stopped for 9 hours now, so…. I had to use the bathroom. I was glad to have those stolen napkins. I had to sit because we were on a gravel road and the bus was rocking violently. I sanitized the seat before use. I took a look at the napkin before tossing it, and I shouldn’t have. Better not to know. There was no water in the sink. I’m glad to have rubbing alcohol with me.
The non-functioning coffee machine taunted me the entire trip
This gas station had good bathrooms and decent snacks
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Seats at the front have a great view
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Dawn
I did sleep quite well. While they are old, the seats are still large and comfortable. I have had a couple of short naps and I slept about 5 hours while it was dark. I probably could have slept some more, but this morning at dawn, I could see animals! I can’t sleep through that! So many llamas! I just saw a baby llama while typing this. I think they aren’t actually llamas, but guanacos and vicunas which are in the same family as llamas. There are also horses, emus and maras. The emus are often running – they have such huge strides. The maras always run when the bus approaches; they really do resemble hares, but they have shorter ears. And I also saw a fox of some kind. It caught my eye ahead of the bus and I watched it hop over rocks with ease. When we were alongside, it turned to look at the bus and I could see the face and bushy tail. All the animals are “on the loose” in that there aren’t any fences, or where there are fences, they are missing sections. I’ve also watched llamas jump the fences with ease, just like the deer we have in Canada. Unfortunately, I’ve seen a lot of llama carcasses tangled up in fences. I think it’s terrible to have a fence that doesn’t do anything but kill llamas. People are good at creating death traps.
Unfortunately, I didn't get any good pics of the animals. And I tried to take videos, but the road was rough and the windows not clean enough.
The sound of the bus on the gravel road is really loud. Camera had trouble focusing through the window. I couldn't hold my phone still.
The landscape is breathtaking, really. Much of it reminds me of Wyoming or Montana, except the ground is so rocky. There are huge lakes now and then and they’re a stunning blue. And there were stretches that reminded me of the badlands of Drumheller. Now, as we turn back towards the Andes, I see huge, snow peaked mountains on the horizon.
So, despite the disappointment with the bus, I’ve really enjoyed the trip. I’m glad I got to see this part of the country and its wildlife. One of the drivers just came by to tell us we’ll be in El Calafate in about 2 hours (I guess we made up time along the way). And he shared fresh cherries with everyone. They were yummy. From what I can see on my phone, it’s not that much farther to El Calafate. And from what I can see out the window, the upcoming mountains are going to be spectacular.
So, despite the disappointment with the bus, I’ve really enjoyed the trip. I’m glad I got to see this part of the country and its wildlife. One of the drivers just came by to tell us we’ll be in El Calafate in about 2 hours (I guess we made up time along the way). And he shared fresh cherries with everyone. They were yummy. From what I can see on my phone, it’s not that much farther to El Calafate. And from what I can see out the window, the upcoming mountains are going to be spectacular.