Bariloche tales: mate, hikes and friends

Gettinge to Bariloche was an adventure in itself. Somehow, I was the unlucky passenger whose baggage had to be removed from the plane and searched before I could board. It felt dodgy and weird, but thankfully, nothing came of it except for a brief scare that I might miss my flight. A couple hours later, I was in lakeside bliss! The drive from the airport to my hostel was just a glimpse of how beautiful this place truly is.

I lost track of how many days I spent at Indomito Hostel. It’s been an amazing stay, starting each morning with a hearty, healthy and delicious breakfast in the most beautiful setting! 🥣

When I arrived, I met Augusto 🇦🇷, my dormmate, and the next day we met Mauri 🇦🇷 and his partner Sofia 🇲🇽 (a lovely couple living in 🇪🇸). They had rented a car and invited us to join them on the Chico Circuit, a 60 km route through stunning landscapes. Along the way, we stopped to try chipá (delicious baked cheese buns made with cassava flour 🤤) and drank lots of mate (a daily tradition in Argentina 🧉).

I’ve the next 2 days, before he left, Augusto (Piti) taught me all about mate, from beginner tips to advanced techniques, and even put me to the test as the cebadora (the one who serves the mate) on a beautiful afternoon by a waterfall with Ina 🇦🇹. Luckily, I passed the test 😊

By then, I’d also met Mike 🇲🇽, one of the volunteers at the hostel, and we bonded over our shared love of arepas and hiking. Mike made arepas almost daily and organised an off-the-beaten-path hike for a few of us, including Ina, Mari and Mery 🇪🇸, and a couple other hostel volunteers. We never found the track we were looking for or reached the summit, but the day spent bushbashing in the wilderness, with breathtaking views, is unforgettable!

The days at Indomito blurred together as I met more people, enjoyed social activities (the volunteers loved to party), painted, journaled and explored the area.

With Mike, the two Marys and Lucas (another hostel volunteer), we also ventured on an overnight hike to a Refugio on Lake Jacob. Many trails around Bariloche were still snow-covered this time of year, and while this one was no exception at the top, it didn’t disappoint! 🏔️

By then, we’d also met Laura 🇳🇱 and Gio 🇧🇷, with whom we spent many enjoyable moments—chatting, sharing meals, eating all the franuí we could possibly find, dancing and having fun at the hostel and around town!

There was a fair bit of drama at the hostel involving a few love triangles ❤️‍🔥, so the Merys and Laura decided to escape and go with me to El Bolsón for a few days of hiking. I only had two nights left in Bariloche when we returned, which were spent with these wonderful gals I hope to cross paths with again! 👯‍♀️👯‍♀️

We danced and enjoyed an incredible group lunch on our last day, and the next morning set out on a drive to San Martín de los Andes via the 7 Lakes route, which, as often happens, didn’t quite go as planned!

A song to remember: Ni Una Ni Dos 🪩Meer informatie