We reached Bariloche, this very stylish town on the shores of Lago Nahuel Huapi in Argentina. That was last night, and we wanted to go for a proper Argentinian meal. And so upon proper recommendation we landed up in El Boliche. It was a 20 minute wait, but well worth every minute of it. We had the ribs and the lomo (loin) washed down with some Malbec and came back happy for good night’s rest in the hotel.
Preparing the Meat at El Boliche
This morning we were picked up by Victoria for a drive around the lakes and believe you me this town of 125,000 is full of quaint cottages with stylish front gardens. The outskirts are marked with breweries and villages of various sizes. This region is part of the Nahuel Huapi National Park and the town grew from a
The Ribs
little village in the 30s to its present proportions with the influx of many Europeans, mostly Italians, Germans and the Swiss. The local architecture is therefore a mixture of many influences. You tend to try and compare a house with something in Switzerland and the next moment wonder what the house next door is all about. Infact it is unique in its diversity and variety but pleasant, nevertheless. As you drive towards the Llao Llao Hotel (very famous in Argentina – an adobe for the rich, famous and those in power) the landscape opens up and the various parts of the lakes come into sight.
Lago Nahuel Huapi
The still snow capped mountains in the horizon make it a even better experience. We also went up the Cerro Otto in a cable car to get a bird’s eye view of the region. At the revolving restaurant on top of this more than 1000 metres high hilltop I had a fantastic local ale
The Nahuel Huapi from Bariloche Town
‘Prosit’ with a very
flowery aftertaste.
The town’s main street emerges under a gateway from the Centro Civico and shops and restaurants of all kinds load both sides of this street. Argentinian school and college children on vacation to the nearby ski-resorts fill the city with their various antics and rants in many parts of the city but there is a balance that is probably brought in by the calmness of the Nahuel Huapi that this city overlooks.
Bariloche
We then went to Antares pub with the intention to sample a few local beers and ales and boy did we sample some! The pub has a slick modern ‘trendy bar’ look but has collections of various artefacts from pubs in Europe. Behind the bar are 7 copper barrels to dispense their 7 very diverse types of beers and ales. We met Sarah and
The Beer Sampler at Antares
Matias who advised us to go for a sampler set – and that was a neat set of seven resident brews and an eighth one specially brewed by their masterbrewer for the Oktoberfest on our table. The beers and ales here start at 5% and you will be surprised at the 10% Imperial Stout – so watch what you drink. We were soon joined by a group of
Making New Friends Over Drinks
young people from Germany, Switzerland, Australia, Ireland and Argentina who are either travelling or were there to learn Spanish. We watched Argentina play Uruguay for the World Cup qualifier and the win did help the environment at the pub. And so the party carried on till late. After a few drinks too many we changed venue to a Mexican restaurant for some Margaritas and food. We made some friends and hope to keep in touch with them.
