Outdoor Market in El Bolson - And On To Bariloche!

Today we were all set to leave El Bolson.  Me, Marieke, Dayenne, Florencia, Judith, and Diana (a new comer to our little posse as of this morning´s breakfast). 

We checked out of El Molinito, but left our bags there so that we could stroll the (famous) outdoor market at El Bolson today.  Our bus wasn´t until 5pm. 

The market was pretty amazing.  I´m not sure what made it different from all the other markets I´ve seen.  It just seemed more tranquilo - fitting for the laid-back atmosphere of El Bolson.  And the arts and crafts seemed to be more unique booth to booth.  In other markets, you sometimes see the same stuff in every third booth. 

Anyway, we each took our individual time and direction but then we met up for lunch for empanadas and stuffed pizza on the plaza lawn.

  There were many things I wanted to buy, but honestly I don´t want to be carrying souvenirs around for the next month.  Gotta stay light!  So whoever of you thinks you´re getting something nice (or hell, anything) from South America, think again.  Sorry.  =)  

Maybe at my last stop - in Panama again - I´ll pick up some of those little pens with a tiny water display that show the ship moving through the locks when you tilt the pen.  Who wants one!?

I also kept nervously checking my email, because we were headed to Bariloche tonight and I didn´t have a place to stay yet.  I´m sure I´ll find something, it´s just a question of what. 

So we all met back at the hostel around 4:30pm, grabbed our bags, took a couple photos, and headed off to the bus.

The bus ride to Bariloche was short - just a couple of hours.  Once there, we said our goodbyes.  Diana was going on to somewhere else, I don´t remember.  Florencia and Judith were going to be in Bariloche one night and then move on.  Marieke and Dayenne would be in Bariloche a few nights.  So although we were staying at different hostels, we agreed to meet up for drinks at some point.

I forgot to mention - Florencia and Judith were suffering badly from some kind of insect bites.  They had been to the doctor for shots and pills, but were very VERY uncomfortable with itchy bites all over their bodies.  I hope they are doing ok now.  It was scary how severe the condition was, how quickly it spread, and also how no one (including the doctors - at least in small El Bolson) knew what exactly the bites were from.

  Fleas?  Some kind of bed bug?  The girls thought it was maybe from a hostel they stayed at earlier in their trip.  I suppose that is great justification for "sleep sheets", or in my case, the lightweight sleeping bag I brought with me.  Maybe I should start using it more!?  Anyway, I hope they are well know.  Judith still had a 10 month trip ahead of her!

In Bariloche, I wasn´t able to stay at my hostel of choice - Hostel 41 Below - for the first night.  It was full.  But they were nice enough to book me into another nearby hostel, Periko´s, for that first night.  Then I´d be at 41 Below for the next two nights.

For the evening, I headed downtown to the main strip, looking for a place for dinner.

  I had told the girls that I´d be at Wilkenny Bar at 11pm and that we could meet there for drinks.  Wilkenny was supposed to be a major party bar, and is dubbed "the best party (or bar) in Patagonia" by a backpacker magazine I was reading.  We´ll see about that.  (I think technically it´s not even in Patagonia, so that statement´s a bit odd to begin with. Or maybe that says something about the other bars in Patagonia!)

Anyway, with my hostel-run around and then dinner-indecision, I was running late.  It was now like 10:15pm and I had to be at Wilkenny at 11pm.  So I just decided to eat at Wilkenny.  Now this is an Irish Pub, so the food wasn´t exactly "tipico".  I settled in on a lamb stew.

  Seemed like a good mix of Irish and Argentina. 

Marieke and Dayenne showed up around midnight  - and from there we settled in on having a great night.  The bar got packed, the music was good, we had a lot of fun.  And we stayed out late.  Real late.  I finally said goodnight around 5am.  The girls stayed on, and in talking to them the next day, I learned that they even went to an after hours party!!  Now THAT´S late!  Or early, I guess.

I never saw Florencia, Judith, or Diana again.  I do hope they read this or find me on Facebook or something...  Although they missed the party at Wilkenny, we had fun together at the market.  I wish them all well on their travels!