Bariloche

Touristy and hippy, Bariloche is a happy place with a lakeside location. Now, we are back in Argentina by the way, Chile is a mere memory. Here, hoards of backpackers and tourists pass by, summer as winter because of its gorgeous setting and its many cool restaurants and bars. But of course, tourists also come due to its proximity to Chile (one of the few convenient border crossings) and its nearby national park, which offers a range of activities.

I did not stay long enough to enjoy the national park but I liked the town itself, which has interesting boutiques and a strong German influence (from German settlers). German beer is easy to find but I rather avoid it, this close to travelling to Europe. I don’t know why I enjoyed the boutiques because I didn’t do any shopping but the place has something special. And unfortunately I could not afford all the chocolate that is for sale here.

Valdivia

Sometimes you want to travel somewhere but it is too far to make in one go to be convenient. And sometimes you just don’t know which of the intermediate places to chose for a pit stop.
This time I had exactly that problem; I could just as well have rolled the dice because I was totally clueless. I picked a city out of the blue and the choice fell on Valdivia. And how did it go? Well, just as one could imagine: it was quite dull. The only consolation is that I think that whichever other place I had chosen of the alternatives, it would be the same or worse. At least I want to think that.

Valparaiso and Viña del Mar

The city of Valparaiso grew into an important stopover for vessels that sailed around Cape Horn but it drastically declined in importance when the Panama Canal opened in 1914. Today, it is famous for its elevators, connecting suburbs on the hill with the lower downtown, and its picturesque architecture.

The nearby Viña del Mar (only a couple of stops on the commuter train) is a nice mix between a city and a beach resort, often called the Garden City, referring to its many parks, trees and flowers. The Fonck museum features an original moai (enormous stone sculpture from Easter Island) together with some less interesting stuff like local birds and insects.

Pictures: 1) Valparaiso elevator; 2) Valparaiso; 3) Viña del Mar; 4) Viña del Mar

Santiago de Chile

Many travelers say that there are not many things to see and do in Santiago. Well, there are many places without much to do but for a city of this magnitude, the grand capital city of the country that wants to appear as a developed western country rather than a traditional Latin American country, I have to give them right. There is not much here.

There is a metro, which can take you around easily but it only really came in use when going to and from the bus stations; I did not have any other places to go. The city is clean and policed but many tourists report crime so one has to be careful. There are also a couple of museums one could spend an afternoon visiting and there are a couple of hills with good views of the metropolitan area. And that’s about as good as it gets ladies and gentlemen. To fill my time with something more useful than sit and stare into a wall all day, I had to take day trips to the nearby cities of Valparaiso and Viña del Mar. They were more tourist-friendly so to say.

Cordoba

Hello again Argentina. I this time I arrived on a ferry crossing the delta between Argentina and Uruguay. Tigre was the entry point; the far best and easiest way to cross between those two countries. Tigre is a small city just north of Buenos Aires and I didn’t stay around for long; knowing that I will come back for my flight home later. Instead I jumped on a bus to the centrally located Cordoba.

Cordoba was strikingly modern with a relaxed feeling; a friendly and welcoming buzz. Its colonial centre has a labyrinth of plazas and buildings and its more modern part boasts university life, good restaurants, excellent bars and culture in all its forms. Cordoba was the cultural capital of South America in 2006 and the people of Cordoba love film and theatre. In summary, it was a well-deserved title.

Cordoba bears a striking resemblance to Puebla, Mexico (which probably was my favourite place over there), a city of about a million inhabitants, clean, orderly and located a bit away from the chaotic pulse of the country’s capital city.

The only negative experience was the shabby hostel I stayed in the first night but it was easy to change.