Tues 11th Nov: Bariloche

I slept very little through the night. It wasn´t that the bus was noisy or uncomfortable, not at all. I just didn´t settle down whilr we travelled. In fact the bus was very good. The roads were smooth and, like the mid-west in the states, went straight for 60-70 miles without turning. It was ideal for long haul transport.

We were served dinner at 11pm, accompamied by the latest dvd in the screen. I drifted off to sleep but woke up at 1am and spent a while watching thunderstorms flash far off in the distance. I must have drifted off for a while but when a awoke and peered out into the darkness the landscape had changed abruptly to scrubland. The bus made a couple of stops through the night. When I went down to the toilet some time before dawn a lot of thr passengers had left. There was only a few of us left, all on the upper deck. By now the sight of a building was an isolated event. Through the whole of the journey lasting 20hrs we passed through only 4 towns. Suddenly the actual size of Argentina was becoming apparent.

As dawn broke we entered the edge of the lake district. We passed throught swift moving rever valleys, over rocky barren hills, and along the shores of lakes. Soon snowcapped mountains of the Andes began to began to emerge in fleeting glimpses then staying in view as we neared Bariloche. By 9am we were skirting the edge of Lake Nahuel Huapi. Bariloche sat on the far shore of this lake set against a stunning backdrop of snowcapped mountains.

30 mins later we were at the bus station. I collected my rucksack and a porter rook me by surprise demanding a tip. Unsure what to do I feigned ignorance. I had wanted to tip the waiter who had served us through the journey. I had thought he´d done a great job. With a passing resemblance to Carlos Tevez he was courtoeus and polite to all as he dispensed trays of drinks and packs of meals. When we got to Bariloch I didn´t see him. It would have brrn nice to thank him. As for the other little toe rag.......

I walked from the bus station to the hostel. Bariloche, however is bigger than I expected it to be. It must have been a 35-40 min walk when a bus would have taken 10 mins. Anyway it was a nice walk along the lake shore. I got to the hostel which is located on the top floor (10th) of a tall apartment complex in the centre of town. On entering the main reception/ lounge area the first thing that strikes you is the view of the surrounding landscape which is stunning. A panorama of town, lake and mountains fill all of one side of the room. Outside is a balcony where you can soak in sun and views. Its a very unique siting for a hostel.

My room wasn´t ready and I had to wait an hour before getting to have a shower. I was wrecked after the journey and lay down for a couple of hours sleep. I left today free to find out what to do in the area and have a look around town. Its a nice pleasant town, you could be in Switzerland as easily as Argentina. Its quite touristy but very geared towards outdoor activities with the biggest ski resort in the southern hemisphere just up the road.

I´m on a top bunk in a 6-bed dorm which looks down over the town. In the bunk beneath is an American guy in his 50´s. There´s an English guy the same age as me and a German lad, Denni, just out of college. THere are two other girls in the room but I don´t meet them