August 1, 2005

Bariloche, Argentina

Che, vamos! It’s snowing a full!

A friend just called me on my cell to convince me to quit working and head up to the ski hill NOW to make the most of the dump. Ah, the aching back……I’m working inside a cabin with broadband internet connection. The owner and her boyfriend, my brother-in-law Cristian, are away all day working, so this has become my makeshift office. It’s just me, my deadlines, the cozy cabin, and the terribly tempting snow falling outside.

What looked like a major mid-season melt over the weekend has today turned into a huge dump. Visibility is way low and the slopes are precarious but fantastically white. There is nothing but precipitation in the forecast - very good news for all of us who depend on the ski season, and thus on there being plenty of snow, for livelihood. As long as the temperatures stay low, it will be a bonanza.

This cabin is 8 km outside of town, en route to Cerro Catedral, the ski resort. It’s part of a long stretch of cottages and cabins that dot the south shore of the massive, mountain-ringed Nahuel Huapi Lake. It’s a mild winter here, far from our deep freezes in the Rockies. And yet it oozes with winter atmosphere and Alpine charm.

In town, the streets are packed with skiers, particularly at about 10 pm when they all emerge from their apres ski siestas and head out for dinner. There’s shopping, espresso drinking, Internet cafe-ing, chocolate tasting and cruising to be done before the grills are hot enough for the asado, the typical Argentine barbecue, served in rustic log-walled bistros. With a glass of Malbec in hand, plenty of bread and garlic, and stories of a hard days work on the ski hill, it’s dinnertime in Patagonia.

We had an asado yesterday afternoon since it was too wet for skiing. It was a feast for 12! I dove into the cordero (lamb) and chorizo (sausage) but said no gracias to the morcilla (blood sausage), for now at least. We sat around the table for hours after the meal ended discussing politics, organic wines and ski technology.

I’m hoping to get invited out for fondue tonight, another Bariloche classic. This chilly weather whets the appetite for something bubbling and warm.

There are many adjustments to make upon arrival in Patagonia. At first, it seemed like I would have to lower my standards on so many things, from the size of people’s homes (smaller!) to the quality of the streets (dirty and bumpy!). People disagree more openly, debate more vigorously and seem to be very image-conscious. Yet they take it all more tranquilo here. In less than a week, I’ve already stopped making comparisons between ‘here’ and ‘there’, and instead am being charmed, once again, by the simplicity of Patagonian life. It’s incredibly peaceful and quiet for me.

Thrilled to be back in the mountains he grew up in, Max is off in Chile until the end of the week skiing with his American guests. I am trying desperately to meet some deadlines, keep our Patagonia Travel Company’s momentum moving forward at a healthy pace, and to keep afloat with the work contracts I am continuing down here. Also trying to rest my back from the demands of packing, moving, travelling etc. Meanwhile, we will look for our own place, will try to purchase a vehicle, and I hope to get skiing in the next day or two.

With those megaflakes falling in the forest out the window, it’s all I can do to stay indoors and not put on my toque, zip up my Goretx and run out and play!