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Tuesday, 19 February 2008 |
I am still in Argentina. This place is fantastic, and has it all! I’m in the middle of the Chaco right now, which is basically a big expanse of nothingness in the northern centre. I’m only here due to some visa restrictions (read: my lack of proper planning) which meant I couldn’t skip through Paraguay to get to Bolivia, which is where I am headed next.
 Bariloche in Argentina’s lake district.
Did I mention she’d be big and strong? This country is el grande all right. It spans 2766890 sqm and is a third of the size of the US. It’s the second largest country in South America; Brazil is the largest. This great hunk of a country is bordered by the Andes on the West and the Atlantic Ocean on the East. Inside, three great zones cross the country like giant paint brush strokes; to the north is the subtrobical lush wetlands of Iguacú. Through the centre is the dry, sparse nothingness of Patagonia, where sand storms are as common as cowboys and bored teenagers having underage sex. Through the south is the sub-Antarctic region Tierra del Fuego, with glacias, snow, and the richest of tourists en route to Antarctica.
A land this size is bound to have something to suit everyone’s tastes and Argentina has not disappointed me!
 The hike to the tops of Cerro Campanario offers superb views and a great cuppa.
There is so much to see and do in the lakes district. If you’re into nature then head there for the summer. The towns of Bariloche, El Bolson and San Martin de los andes are jam-packed with treks, boats, beaches, views, restaurants and accommodation. If you want views and and nature galore then you have to head to the mountains for some serious trekking. There are easy one-day treks or you can head out for up to seven days. Nearly all of the tracks have little huts called refucios where you can doss for the night for a minimal fee, some even with a kitchen. While it is smack bang in the middle of summer now, I still found myself trekking through snowy mountains, and freezing at night in my tent. So perhaps if you’re not very well equipped (which clearly I wasn’t!) the huts are the go.
If you want great skiing at cheap prices, Bariloche’s ski resorts are supposed to be of international standard. The town certainly has the feel of a European ski town. St Bernards wander around the main square and it is the chocolate capital of Argentina. Yum.
 Puerto Madryn coastal resort.
Having worn out my legs on trekking, and my monthly weight watchers points in a few days of gorging on helado, I hit the road for the coast. We are spoiled, so spoiled on Australia’s east coast, and I found nothing that appealed to me on Argentina’s coast, so lasted only a few days before starting my trek north through Buenos Aires for a few more days of partying and catching up with new buddies I’d met.
My trip through the north began with the town of Rosario. I believe it’s the second largest city in Argentina, but it’s so difficult to get sound information when you’re not up to speed with the language. Anyway, who cares how big it is, the place is beautiful. The whole town has a classic, classy feel. The shopping is great, similar to Oxford Street, but much much cheaper. The people are beautiful and classy and the one gay bar I went to, La Previa, had the most down-to-earth, sexy people I’ve met in Argentina yet. Rosario happens to be the place Che Guevara was born and is also the site where the Argentinian flag was raised for the first time. The monument to the flag is worth a look, but Che’s birthplace is now just a building containing an insurance firm, and has no monument to signify it.
 A black caymen.
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