I continued backpacking alone from Mendoza to Neuquén and San Martin de los Andes.

1st day – Wednesday (05/25/2011)

After a 12 hour bus ride from Mendoza, I finally arrived in Neuquen. The bus was extremely comfortable with reclining leather seats, excellent dinner and breakfast and best of all, there was bingo! The prize was a bottle of Mendoza wine, but I didn't win. 🙁

When I got off at the bus station, which was quite empty by the way, they informed me that it was the Argentina Independence Day, so everything was closed, including the tourist center. I couldn't find any bus that would take me to my hostel, so I ended up taking a taxi, which was expensive for my standards. The only good thing about this trip was that the taxi driver confirmed to me that there was nothing to do in the city (the guidebook had already said that), so my reservation for two nights would be changed as soon as I got to the hostel reception.

First of all, I need to clarify that the stop in Neuquén was strategic. The trip from Mendoza to Bariloche by bus would take about 16 hours and I definitely didn't want to spend all that time on the bus, especially alone. I can sleep for 9 hours and read for another 3 hours, but what would I do in the other 4 hours without anyone to talk to? No way!

With this in mind, while still in Brazil, I started researching what interesting things there was to do in Neuquén. I discovered that there was nothing in the capital itself, but that in Huincul Square there is the Carmen Funes Municipal Museum, that displays the fossil of the largest herbivorous dinosaur in the world, found 8km away! Since I was going to pass by there, why not go and see, right?! Noted!

I arrived at my hostel Patagonian Point and I immediately felt discouraged. The atmosphere was strange, the people were very strange and the cleanliness of the place was very average. I took a deep breath, took a nap and started getting ready to leave around noon.

I took a taxi to the bus station and started looking for buses that would take me to the city where the museum was located. I gave up looking for signs and went to ask at a newsstand. Luckily, a girl my age, a ballerina, was very nice to me when she realized I wasn't Argentine, and told me which bus to take. She was actually going to take it, so we went together, and during the 2-hour trip we talked about various topics in life... I loved her company!

I arrived at Huincul Square around 2pm. The bus dropped me off in front of the museum, where I stayed until 3:30pm. The museum is really cool, it has lots of replicas of the dinosaurs found and a lot of material that tells the history of the place. I found it interesting, but I certainly wouldn't trade a day in a cool city to go to this place...

Since I had booked the bus back for almost 2 hours after I left the museum, all I could do was wander around the city to kill time. I found the place horrible, very quiet and I confess that I was scared of being alone. I stopped at a nearby square, on the side of the road, and started reading my guide to see how to improve my situation in Neuquén.

I decided to go to San Martin de los Andes, a city known for its ski resorts and for being the darling of wealthy Argentines. The bus arrived, punctual, and when I arrived at the Neuquén bus station, I bought a ticket to SMA that same night, leaving at 11 pm. I refused to pay for a taxi to go back to the hostel and ended up finding a bus that went around the world, but stopped close to my hostel. Close enough, because it was about 5 blocks to get there, completely panicking because it was dark and deserted. I ran a little (just in case) and I arrived at the hostel a little out of breath. I took the opportunity to give news via email/facebook and to take a shower in a bathroom with a window without a curtain. =/

I went to the bus station by taxi, had a snack and then took my super comfortable bus, where I slept like a log during the 7-hour journey.

2nd day – Thursday (05/26/2011)

I arrived in SMA around 5:30 and it was incredibly cold, with air coming out of my mouth, you know? I took a taxi to my hostel and when I got there, I decided to sleep a little longer. I woke up around 10 am, had breakfast and enjoyed the environment a little. cozy that the hostel has. I talked to the guy at the reception and ended up meeting 3 women who were in my room, all Argentinian, but from different places.

One of them was in a car and ended up taking us to do a city tour, which was really cool. We stopped at some viewpoints with beautiful views and took lots of photos. Then we went to the village, which was really beautiful by the way, and we walked around there, eating delicious food and talking about life. It was a shame they had to leave the city…

What I found most interesting about the city is that all the houses have to be built with wood and stone, following a rule to keep everything standardized. It's all very perfect, you know? A set of dollhouses!

I ended up taking the boat trip that leaves from the SMA port and goes to an “island” called Quila Quina. What a wonderful trip! I found the island to be tidy, somewhat rustic, with cute little houses, incredible vegetation and a breathtaking view of the lake. I loved this place so much… I bought a hamburger at the main (and probably only) restaurant on the island and made sure to eat somewhere else, right in the middle of nature. Just look at the view:

Anyway… I stayed there practically the whole afternoon and only left on the last possible boat. I walked around a lot and imagined what it would be like to have a country house there. How luxurious, huh?! For half the year, it’s a nice cold, so you can use the fireplace. All year round, you can see the lake and the mountains with eternal snow, listening to the sound of the waves… in the winter, skiing, in the summer, swimming in the lake… perfect! <3

When I arrived in the small town, the smell of burning wood was very strong, perhaps because it was very cold. I took the opportunity to drink hot chocolate and eat alfajores, made friends and got a job (?) in a photo developing shop and returned to the hostel feeling very relaxed. I scheduled the next day tour of the 7 Andean lakes to Villa La Angostura and I went to sleep sad about having to leave there. What a charming place! I want to go back with someone one day…

Want to know everything about my 30-day trip through Argentina and Chile? Just click on the links below. links below:

• ARGENTINA – Buenos Aires and Tigre
• ARGENTINA – Córdoba, Alta Gracia, Villa Carlos Paz and Villa General Belgrano
• ARGENTINA – Mendoza, Uspallata and Puente del Inca
• ARGENTINA – Neuquén and San Martin de los Andes
• ARGENTINA – Bariloche
• CHILE – Puerto Montt and Puerto Varas
• CHILE – Pucon
• CHILE – Cálama and San Pedro de Atacama
• CHILE – Santiago, Vina del Mar and Valparaíso