I have been wanting to go to one of the mountain tops for the last few days, but it's been cloudy. Sunday we wake to clear skies and decide today's the day.
After a relaxing breakfast in the apartment we pack up my black bag and make our way down Salta Street, cross Avenida San Martín, and join a group seven people already waiting at the bus stop. It's a mostly 20's group prepared for a day outdoors. After 15 minutes an already crowded #20 bus arrives. I'm not sure we will be able to get on, but we do - with William standing in the steps by the driver and my hanging onto one of the poles that holds the Sube card reader.
The driver eases the bus onto the road and I have the naive idea that the bus is full and will only be stopping to let people off for a bit. Hah! The driver stops for a young woman who worms her way past William and sits on the cross-bar for the Sube reader. He stops again and five more people are added, then again for two, then again for three but two people get off. This occurs repeatedly as the bus moves the 20km we have to go. William and I are moved back in the bus to join others making a 2nd column of people standing in the aisle on each side of the bus. Picture this: there are seats on the left side of the bus. Then a column of people are standing holding onto the seats, vertical bars behind some of the seats and bars along the top of the windows. A second column of people stands behind the first and they hold onto overhead bars, with everyone facing the windows on the left side of the bus. Behind them is the second column of people facing the right, the first column of people facing right and finally the seats on the right side of the bus. The driver never does declare the bus as "full" and bypass someone wanting to board. Approximately 20 people get off with us at our stop, almost popping out of the doors. It is an exciting start to what turns out to be an excellent day.
After a relaxing breakfast in the apartment we pack up my black bag and make our way down Salta Street, cross Avenida San Martín, and join a group seven people already waiting at the bus stop. It's a mostly 20's group prepared for a day outdoors. After 15 minutes an already crowded #20 bus arrives. I'm not sure we will be able to get on, but we do - with William standing in the steps by the driver and my hanging onto one of the poles that holds the Sube card reader.
The driver eases the bus onto the road and I have the naive idea that the bus is full and will only be stopping to let people off for a bit. Hah! The driver stops for a young woman who worms her way past William and sits on the cross-bar for the Sube reader. He stops again and five more people are added, then again for two, then again for three but two people get off. This occurs repeatedly as the bus moves the 20km we have to go. William and I are moved back in the bus to join others making a 2nd column of people standing in the aisle on each side of the bus. Picture this: there are seats on the left side of the bus. Then a column of people are standing holding onto the seats, vertical bars behind some of the seats and bars along the top of the windows. A second column of people stands behind the first and they hold onto overhead bars, with everyone facing the windows on the left side of the bus. Behind them is the second column of people facing the right, the first column of people facing right and finally the seats on the right side of the bus. The driver never does declare the bus as "full" and bypass someone wanting to board. Approximately 20 people get off with us at our stop, almost popping out of the doors. It is an exciting start to what turns out to be an excellent day.
There are a number of mountain tops and ski lifts or gondala's to choose from and we've picked Cerro Companario. We pay our 250 peso's ($12.50 USD) each and soon are on a lift chair going up the mountain. The altitude of Cerro Companario is 1,049m, so not tall at all, especially when compared to the peaks in the Andes.
The sky is clear and blue and the view from the observation platform is wonderful. We can see several lakes, Victoria Island, and the surrounding mountains. We can also see Llao Llao Resort, our next destination. After enjoying the scenery and relaxing at the top we jump on the lift and return to the base.
The next #20 bus to come by is not full after the crowd disembarks and we are able to find seats. It takes us up the Llao Llao Resort. Again there are beautiful views and after taking a few photographs William and I make our way to the lobby bar, where we treat ourselves to a cerveza and glass of wine. The bar is decorated in a hunter's lodge style with chandeliers made from antlers and upholstery on some of the chairs of guanaco hide. It is fun to talk, relax and do a little people-watching in this resort where the least expensive non-air conditioned, no-view room goes for $400 USD a night and their average rooms are $850 a night.
It's now 2:00pm and we are getting hungry. We catch the return #20 bus to the central part of Bariloche and get off not far from San Martín Square. The stroll along Mitre Street takes us to Parrilla Don Julian. We vow to not overeat, and adopt a strategy of sharing a provolenta (baked provolone cheese), salad and one ribeye. The portions are generous and our strategy fails. We try to rationalize that the walk back to the apartment will help settle and offset the food.
It's now 2:00pm and we are getting hungry. We catch the return #20 bus to the central part of Bariloche and get off not far from San Martín Square. The stroll along Mitre Street takes us to Parrilla Don Julian. We vow to not overeat, and adopt a strategy of sharing a provolenta (baked provolone cheese), salad and one ribeye. The portions are generous and our strategy fails. We try to rationalize that the walk back to the apartment will help settle and offset the food.
It's been a beautiful day in Bariloche.
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