Perfect Dorm

Tuesday 2 February
San Carlos de Bariloche – Buenos Aires

Despite being in a rather crowded dorm of 8 people I managed to get a good night’s sleep and was happy not to have to put up with anyone snoring, which, given the probability, is remarkable.

I had the breakfast that the hostel provided. It seemed to mainly consist of sawdust, which wasn’t great. But I got talking to some German and Dutch people and ended up explaining to them the political situation in Thailand and how it’s the middle classes that are revolting, as it were.

One thing I’ve noticed in my travels in South America is that there are a significantly large number of travellers from Brazil. I guess it’s the richest countries that can afford to have people take time off and visit other places, and while in the past this has been mainly traditional Western G8-type countries, it definitely seems that Brazil has joined this in a big way, certainly within its own continent. That and how expensive Brazil apparently is as well.

So I take the overnight bus back to Buenos Aires. This time I have the full reclining seats and wow is it so much more comfortable for me than the almost-full recliners. I sleep like a baby for large amounts of time. Given the increased cost there is a better class of traveller on this bus, older, richer people. Though there is also some rough traveller looking Argentineans as well. When I was in Barcelona last year Jacs and Katie commented on how many of the locals looked like pirates – beads, dreadlocks, tans, tattoos. Well the same thing applies here. What is it about the Latin people that love pirate chic?

Also as we’re leaving Bariloche I manage to get some great pictures of the Patagonian countryside that I missed on the previous journey in. I could only do it for about 10 minutes as I was taking so many photos that eventually it became boring. But Patagonia also looks remarkably like Britain, but on a larger scale. The top of Refugio Frey looked a bit like Cadair Idris on acid.

At about 9 pm the bus stopped at some town and everyone got off. Once again I was the only English speaker on the bus and had no idea what was going on. Luckily someone explained to me that the air conditioning had broken and the bus was going away to get it fixed and should be back in about 10-15 minutes.

So I got off with everyone else, and then spent the next half an hour in various states of paranoia and I tried to recognise my co-travellers and not let them out of site in case the bus came and they all left without me noticing. Then I started to remember that all my stuff was on the bus and what if they changed buses, would I get all my stuff back? Though then I realised that everyone else’s stuff was also on the bus so I probably didn’t need to worry about that.

Anyway eventually the bus returned with the air con fixed and we all made our way quietly into the night.