Villa General Belgrano

Monday, Jan. 31

You´d think I was in Germany. It LOOKS a lot like Germany, but it is Villa General Belgrano, a tourist town designed to recreate the feel of a German alpine village. There are lots of balconies with hearts cut into the wood, there are biergartens, there are shops selling gnomes and steins, etc. Actually, it is a rather comfortable place. There´s just not much to do here but hike or shop. I am here to go on a day trip further into the mountains tomorrow.

The rain continued all night. It made me worry that it might continue all day, too. By the time I left my hotel for the bus stop, however, it had stopped. It was cold, though! The TV showed the temperature as 12.5 C (mid-50s F) this morning and that was in Buenos Aires where it is warmer than here in the mountains. And there was a strong wind (from the South since this is the southern hemisphere and cold fronts move northward).

There was a mixup at the bus. I finally figured out what happened after it was too late. A woman pushed her way in front of me while her busband stood behind. The bus seemed expensive, and when I got to my seat I realized I had bought two tickets. I thought at first that he might have charged me for two seats because I had to bring my luggage on board with me. But then I figured it out. The woman had said her husband would pay for her. Whether it was planned or not, on one (neigher her husband nor the driver) made any attempt to correct the situation. Fortunately, the extra ticket was only $2 U.S.

I am staying at the Residential Alpino. I have a nice room overlooking the main street. It has a balcony with a table and chairs. Now that the day has warmed up some, I can sit out there to read or watch people.
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This afternoon, the sun became wonderfully warm while the air remained quite cool. I took walking trips through town and around town. It is really a nice place. There are tall pines, spruces, and cedars all through town. Development has not removed the rural feel of the place even when walking down the main street. The businesses cater to a leisurely life. There are lots of bakeries and cafes, candy shops, ice cream shops, etc. There are amusement areas both of the electronic and the carnival (tivoli) kind.

Most tourists here are families with children. There are few young adults. I haven´t seen any backpackers. I may be the only person here alone. Most people have come in their own cars.

I found a “por kilo” (by-the-weight) place for lunch. I like them, because I can sample lots of things and because I can try things I would never know to order off the menu due to not knowing their names. I had some great green beans and a very nice rice salad. Oh, I had such a tasty stuffed pepper which left juices that were so good when soaked up into pieces of French bread.

Since my room is on the main street, I came and went several times. I watched the news on TV and then went shopping for dinner supplies. I sropped them off and then went hiking along an arroyo (a mountain stream with hiking trails along it). I wandered up and down the streets watching people and looking into shops. I stopped at the main plaza to watch clowns performing for families.

I also solved a puzzle today. Since arriving in Argentina, I have noticed storefronts with the word “inmobiliaria” on them. Usually, there is one desk inside with a person at it. My first thought was that it must be a place servicing the handicapped in some way—maybe providing equipment or home services. But I noticed such places every few blocks. Today, I finally determined that they are real estate offices!

I am staying inside tonight. I bought a bottle of wine (Etchart Privado Malbec 2003), some crackers, a package of chunks of deli meats and cheeses, and a package of Oreos. I´ll probably eat out on the balcony unless it gets too cool. If so, there is a table and chairs in the room.

Walking: 21,438 steps (14,070 aerobic steps), 881 calories, 14.57 km (8 ¾ miles)