Bariloche (Wednesday January 12--Day 64)

After spending a considerable amount of time in Bariloche over the past few weeks, I finally move on tomorrow. Bariloche is an easy--albeit expensive--place to spend a couple of weeks. There is so much to do in this city. It´s overwhelming, and often you feel like each interaction is a business transaction. But I was able to escape from the situation unscathed. I found a wonderful hostel--El Gaucho--that had knowledgeable, friendly owners willing to break down all of the information, lend their own suggestions, and answer all of your questions.
So I navigated the city rather well, and was able to find a fair share of economical, nature-filled activities. A day bike riding through the Circuito Chico outside of Bariloche--passing monstrous, well-designed houses, dense green forests, sparkling blue lakes, expensive all-inclusive resorts, endless series of lakes and rivers, family picnics, fresh waterfalls, and a panoramic views of a slowly impending storm coming over the Andes. A day walking around Lake Gutierrez--lake beaches packed with Argentinan families, huge houses with detailed decors, trailheads to backcountry trails, hidden waterfalls, and the smell of drying forests. Day hikes on hills used for skiing in winters. Multi-day trips to the backcountry sleeping in a rented tent underneath a star-filled sky that had more sparkle than vacant, dark space. After spending so much time in flat, dry Argentina, it was refreshing to spend so many days in an environment where the dense forests seem like a child´s dream, where the snow-covered peaks stretch on for ever, and where the sky seems even bluer when up against the green rolling hills.
Yet with all of that said, Bariloche is not a place I could see myself living. In just ten years, this city has expanded from a small town in a perfect location to a large destination in an exploited location. It´s not exactly a secret. The new hotels and resorts are new and pristine, their character and charm is present, but forced. The outskirts of town are poorly buil, constructed cheaply and quickly to provide the hospitality industry with enough labor. The layout of the city is different from any other Argentinan town, lacking central plazas and public spaces within the confines of the city itself. It just seemed so impersonal and distant. People don´t say ´hello´on the street and no one really talks to strangers outside of business transactions. Most dissapointing, the people watching was entirely subpar. Yes I could watch the few street performers, the groups of confused tourists, or the hordes of drunk teenagers celebrating their recent high school graduation. But the whole situation lacked character, warmth, and charm.
So over all, Bariloche is a beautiful city that provides fantastic hospitality and easy access to nature for the outdoor enthusiasts, wealthy travelers, and chocolate lovers. But if you´re looking for something more, this may not be the place for you.