Chos Malal – El Bolson

Nov. 3, Chos Malal to El Bolson

We pulled out of Hotel Terra Malal around 9:30 after a typical Argentine buffet breakfast— good, but standard; plenty of sustenance to get the car packed and on the road. The drive began unremarkably but soon the change in landscape was dramatic…it transformed gradually from high, arid desert as we dropped down into the lake district with its alpine forests, large rivers, and lots of pristine lakes. We have been to Bariloche several times before, either flown in, or arrived via route 40.  This time, in Chos Malal, the gas attendant advised (and Google agreed) we should skip the portion of 40 from San Martin de los Andes through to Bariloche. Instead, the roads would be faster and in better condition of we stayed east, arriving in Bariloche via routes 234 and 237.

The last time we drove route 40 between Bariloche and El Bolson was about 6 years ago when we still had to leave the country to renew our tourist visas. Normally, we would go to Chile for a day to do so, but one time, a friend suggested we visit him in Bariloche, make the drive a bit south to a dirt road that leads to the border, take a short hike to the customs cabin, and return. We followed his advice, in pouring rain up to our knees in mud and sheep shit…but that’s another story. The point being, this stint of 40 south of Bariloche was familiar, to a point.  Five years ago, it was foggy, and we could see almost nothing.  This time, thankfully, we were able to see the mountains and really appreciate the scenery. And the very last bit on the way into El Bolson was totally new, as we have never made it that far south. And the main story? —the forest!

Nov 3-4, El Bolson

El Bolson is a “mountain town “ in a microclimate valley, receiving virtually no snow, only rain, in the winter. The main town has become more of a city over the past 20-30 years; it is quite large and sprawling, with lots of thriving businesses and restaurants.  We had heard it was a hippy enclave back in the day, and it still has some of that vibe, but it is decidedly tamer now. From the main part of town, there are many heavily wooded dirt roads that go straight up into the foothills of the main mountain, Cerro Piltriquitron, where clearings of small farms with all sorts of livestock, grazing land and farming plots dot the countryside. Our cabana was located at the top of one of these, and we were glad to have the Amarok. All in all, we loved it and even decided we could see ourselves living here one day.

We had two nights in El Bolson, and so on our free day, we visited the Artisanal Fair in the center of town, which was rather banal. I bought a tie-dyed T-shirt because why not, and we talked with the locals, a ceramicist who wood-fires his very large kiln who had some lovely pieces, and a few others. We found that our Spanish, having improved considerably since our last trip, was quite helpful in understanding the history of the place, enabled at least a basic understanding of folks’ perspectives on the election (neither candidate), and it scored us a couple of recommendations. First, a visit to Las Golindrinas, a neighborhood 15 minutes south of El Bolson in the hills, where, the locals said, the hippy enclave had moved.  This, apparently, is what El Bolson used to be. So, we went to check it out—beautiful properties, many with farming plots nestled in wooded clearings and a whiff of the “hippie aesthetic” for sure; I’m pretty sure I saw some old vw busses and a peace sign or two– absolutely worth the drive!

We had lunch at Bogedon, a little family-run place, also recommended by the locals outside of town. No tourists, great meal, and the YPF gas station right next door (no lines). We spent the rest of the day back at the cabana, watching the Bocas Juniors -Fluminense Brasil Copa game (Bocas lost) and relaxing.

Altos del Sur Cabanas: A lovely property with 5 cabanas, ours very simply but comfortably furnished with a small kitchen and living area in addition to a bedroom.  It was very quiet, with lots of birds, amazing views and family dogs to keep us company. Especially comfortable bed.