Exciting travel plans!!
I just booked my trip to Bariloche! It will be awesome. I predict lots of awesomeness. My (badass) cousin Paula had invited me to stay with her for a few days, and that's precisely what I'm going to do. Bariloche is in the southwest of Argentina, in the Andes mountains, at the northernmost end of Patagonia, near the border with Chile. They are known for two things: being one of the best locations in Argentina to do outdoorsy things, and having fantastic chocolatiers. I am not an outdoorsy person by nature, but I am really pretty psyched to see the landscape out there (it's in the middle of the Lake District, and the biggest national park in Argentina), and do some hiking as well. I'm going two weeks from now, which is still fall in Argentina, and according to weather.com it shouldn't be cold enough for snow-- or even be much chillier than an early spring day in Boston-- so I will walk up some mountains, see some lakes, take loads of photos, and have some chocolate upon my return. I'll be there Friday afternoon/evening, all of Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, and leave Tuesday in the early afternoon.
Originally I had wanted to hike Cerro Tronador, because I had heard tell that there are black glaciers at the top, because it's an extinct volcano. Also it would have been really cool to say I'd hiked up an extinct volcano. But as it turns out, extinct volcanoes are not climbable in a day, nor are they the kinds of hikes that novice hikers like me undertake with any level of comfort; so I am going to hike something smaller, like Cerro Lopez or Cerro Catedral. They are not volcanoes, nor do they have glaciers, but I've still heard fantastic things. If I'm really into the idea of going to Chile from Bariloche, there are tours that take you over the Andes and through the lake region from Bariloche to Puerto Montt in Chile, but it's kind of expensive and it's a lot of "first you're on a boat, then you're on a bus, then you're on a boat, etc etc". I do want to see Chile, but it doesn't seem realistic.
Future travel plans: I am also planning a trip to Iguazú Falls at the beginning of June; a couple of my friends and I are going to go see the biggest waterfall in South America and it will be awesome. Besides that, I intend to get over to Montevideo to see my cousins there. On my travel "wish list" after these three places, I'd love to get to Salta, which is supposed to be unbelievably beautiful, and also to the Peninsula Váldez, where they have whale-watching and all sorts of marine life happening, especially in June when it's the whales' mating season. I don't know that I'll have time for either of those trips, though; we shall see.
SO EXCITED OMG. But the week before I go (next week) I have a midterm in my Peronism class, which will either be the easiest exam ever or the hardest exam ever. I shall endeavor to be prepared.
Edit: ALSO I JUST READ THERE IS A LEGENDARY LAKE MONSTER. LIKE AN ARGENTINE LOCH NESS MONSTER. ITS NAME IS NAHUELITO AND IT LIVES IN THE NAHUEL HUAPI LAKE. AND THIS IS AWESOME. I AM GOING TO GO BE ITS FRIEND.
Originally I had wanted to hike Cerro Tronador, because I had heard tell that there are black glaciers at the top, because it's an extinct volcano. Also it would have been really cool to say I'd hiked up an extinct volcano. But as it turns out, extinct volcanoes are not climbable in a day, nor are they the kinds of hikes that novice hikers like me undertake with any level of comfort; so I am going to hike something smaller, like Cerro Lopez or Cerro Catedral. They are not volcanoes, nor do they have glaciers, but I've still heard fantastic things. If I'm really into the idea of going to Chile from Bariloche, there are tours that take you over the Andes and through the lake region from Bariloche to Puerto Montt in Chile, but it's kind of expensive and it's a lot of "first you're on a boat, then you're on a bus, then you're on a boat, etc etc". I do want to see Chile, but it doesn't seem realistic.
Future travel plans: I am also planning a trip to Iguazú Falls at the beginning of June; a couple of my friends and I are going to go see the biggest waterfall in South America and it will be awesome. Besides that, I intend to get over to Montevideo to see my cousins there. On my travel "wish list" after these three places, I'd love to get to Salta, which is supposed to be unbelievably beautiful, and also to the Peninsula Váldez, where they have whale-watching and all sorts of marine life happening, especially in June when it's the whales' mating season. I don't know that I'll have time for either of those trips, though; we shall see.
SO EXCITED OMG. But the week before I go (next week) I have a midterm in my Peronism class, which will either be the easiest exam ever or the hardest exam ever. I shall endeavor to be prepared.
Edit: ALSO I JUST READ THERE IS A LEGENDARY LAKE MONSTER. LIKE AN ARGENTINE LOCH NESS MONSTER. ITS NAME IS NAHUELITO AND IT LIVES IN THE NAHUEL HUAPI LAKE. AND THIS IS AWESOME. I AM GOING TO GO BE ITS FRIEND.