One last "completo" at the Chile/Argentina border...and it was a Grande!!!!! Yum.

Hasta Luego Chile!!!!!
We will forever hold you close to our hearts. So many amazing memories made in Chile I couldn't even begin to describe them. We will be back, oh yes...we will be back.


San Carlos de Bariloche, Patagonia, Argentina

We were reluctant to leave our beloved Chile in the dust but Argentina had been serenading us with her sweet song for several months now. She had been whispering sweet nothings in our ears, eluding to future rendezvous involving juicy steaks and robust Malbecs. Are you ready Argentina??? Because here we come!!

Getting crispy in the sun

   

View from our Hostel

Bariloche is a resplendently beautiful city that is situated at the foothills of the Andes, located on the southern shores of Nahuel Huapi Lake. It is absolutely gorgeous here. We arrived in Bariloche in the middle of the summer, which for most is the least desirable time to be in Patagonia due to the lack of snow, however, Aesha and I were more than happy to spend hours upon hours soaking up the sun at some of the most pristine beaches we have ever seen. Even Hector and Jugo de Naranja came out to enjoy the crystal clear waters and 100 degree heat!!!

Hector and Jugo chillin at da beach!

     The hostel we stayed in was one of the cleanest, almost to a fault...("I'm gonna put you in the oven"), relaxed, and delightful hostels we have stayed in with a grande kitchen loaded with everything your heart could desire. The hostel was located in the penthouse of a highrise building and offered spectacular views of the lake and city. It's a damn shame there was no AC so we cooked in our 105 degree room every night. I was hoping to sweat out some of the toxins...who am I kidding.
      Our first matter of order was steaks and Malbec. We have been waiting for what seemed to be an eternity to devour some steak. As many of you know from reading this blog the food in Chile sucked. Plain and simple. It was awful. I'm still confused as to how it could be possible that two countries so close in proximity to one another could have have such wildly different scales of food. Chile is a 1 out of 10 and Argentina is pushing a 9.5.

Yes, we ate all of this. Yes. It was freaking delicious

Let's talk about steaks man...
In a country with 35-40 million people and 50-55 million cattle you know they are just going to know how to cook a steak. The food was brilliant! We gained quite a few lbs (which we are both still desperately trying to lose), but it was worth it! On to the beer...

Berlina Brewery, Patagonia

 

     Aesha and I consider ourselves to be somewhat of craft beer snobs so when we stumbled upon Berlina Brewery in Patagonia we decided it would be a shame to pass it up. Located directly across the street from one of our favorite secluded beaches, Berlina provided us with much needed  frosty libations and delicious food. We believed we had gotten away from the dreaded "completo" of Chile...so when we ordered their "German style Sausage" we thought we were getting...well, German style sausages. What we received were "Argentinian style completos" All we could do is laugh and eat our damn completos. I mean, who doesn't like hot dogs with beer???

     We arrived at Berlina around 5pm and somehow mananged to stay until well after midnight. The staff was friendly, the beers were tasty and freely flowing, and we were lucky enough to meet the owner. He invited us to the actual brewery the next day for lunch and a private tour! Awesome. 

   At our hostel we met another amazing German girl named Anja who is super cool and was also traveling alone. Once again Aesha and I kidnapped a German and decided to take a 26 mile bike ride around the  Nahuel Huapi National Park and to make Berlina our lunch desination spot!

Me, Anja and Aesha...right after I fixed  the flat tire!

   The bike ride was insanely beautiful with the scenery constantly changing as we inched our way up mountains, sped down the hills through forests over bridges with sweeping lake views. The ride was intense and exhausting. Within 30 minutes of the ride Aesha got a flat on her back tire. The girls were freaking out because they had no idea how to change a flat tire on a mountain bike and we were in the middle of nowhere. Little did they know I know how to change a flat tire!! However, it was quite messy and took a bit of concentrating. I was covered in both oil and sweat, but I changed that tire and off to Berlina we went!

     When we arrived at the brewery we we immediately offered shade, an icy brew, and a tour of the facility. It was over 100 degrees outside and we were overheating! The three guys who ran this place were hilarious and made jokes about everything. They offered us insight to how and why they started the brewery and how it has become so successful. They are one of only several breweries in the region and believe they owe their success to the dedication and hard work of their team, the tastiness of the local water sources they use, and the rising demand for craft beer. 

Aesha, David, Anja, the owner James and myself in front of the brewery

Sharing laughs with Brewmaster Javier

As much as we wanted to stay and chat about beer all day we knew it was time to say goodbye. Our ride had only just begun and we had plenty more to see and do!

Who doesn't love jumping into strange waters in the middle of the forest??

 We decided to bike to several beaches along the trek and took the advice from a local and stopped at this very hidden gem, appropriately called Emerald Lake. We took turns jumping into the lake off of a rickety pier while cooling our extremely hot extremities.

Kayaks on Nahuel Huapi Lake

I attempted to take in the sheer natural beauty of this wonderland as I rode along but even as I gazed at the mountains in the distance, listened to the crack-crackling of the hot timber, smelled the sweet aroma of the surrounding flora, and breathed in the misty air coming off the fresh water basin, I just had this feeling that I was moving too fast. I just didn't give myself enough time in this magical playground. At that moment I knew that I will be visiting Patagonia again sometime in the near future. There is just too much to explore and we didn't give ourselves enough time to do it proper. This was just a teaser...a trailer for what's around the corner.

We were exhausted but finished the ride like champs! I could move here and be a very happy person. I truly did not want to leave this magnificent place. It envelops you with serenity and creates an inner peace that calms the soul. I love you Patagonia and I promise I will be back!!!! Next stop...Mendoza for wine tastings...oh my!!!

-The Savvy Nomad