What it’s Like to Live in Bariloche #Argentina

Some of my favorite things in life are mountains, lakes, Spanish, craft beer, and dogs. If you put all these things into a magic algorithm and asked for it to calculate where I should live, Bariloche, Argentina would be the top answer.

Finding out that Bariloche contains all these things and more was pretty much all it took for me to decide to move here. I had time and space, so to Patagonia I went. While I certainly enjoyed all of those things while I lived there, I discovered the imperfections. Life in Bariloche is full of surprises, some good, some… not so good.

Argentina is still so far behind in some things, you just have to laugh.

For me, life there felt super comfortable. I’ve lived in Latin America before, and I grew up in the mountains. Bariloche is a brilliant mix of the two. There is a cute downtown with shops, restaurants, breweries on every corner, gyms, and people who love the outdoors (and drinking beer). It appears to be a well-functioning, developed, small town for outdoor-lovers.

Yet, every time I got comfortable, #Argentina happened, and I literally had to shake my head (or my fist) and laugh (or yell at something). The excuse I have made up for these unexplainable, unbelievable things is simply #argentina. Because, Argentina. Sort of like, TIA, This Is Argentina.

Related: Tips for Living in Bariloche, Argentina

#Argentina

When I finally got an apartment, it took two weeks to get Internet installed (shoot me in the face). WiFi is often fake; just because it shows up doesn’t mean it actually provides access to anything. And it goes out whenever it feels like. One time, a major Internet provider had a fiber optic cable “fail” over a thousand kilometers away and half the town was out of Internet for three days. Do you even KNOW how much madness there would be in the US if that happened? Business without Internet, stores without credit card services. FOR THREE DAYS. #argentina

My electricity surged a lot; sometimes I just unplugged my electronics because I got mini shocks when I handled the cords or devices that were plugged in. Umm… #argentina

I tried to sign up for a running race there, The North Face Endurance Challenge, and it took me over a week. To sign up for a race. Usually I go to the website and register and it’s done. Not in Argentina. There were literally eight steps for registering, including paying a deposit, waiting to get assigned a runner number, then printing out a coupon, then taking it to a store to pay the rest of the balance. Like, a grocery store where they facilitate payments for things. WHAT? (Don’t even get me started on the medical waiver that HAD to be signed by a doctor) #argentina

At that same grocery store where they facilitated the “Pago Fácil” (which, ironically, means “easy pay”), I once had about $40 worth of groceries and the cashier asked me if I wanted to pay it all at once. I stared like a deer in headlights. Did I what? I actually had her repeat the question to make sure I understood her correctly. What was I going to do, make payments on a $40 grocery trip? Smile and nod. Yes, all at once is great, thanks. #argentina

In many places, banks do not like ATM cards. The USA finally got caught up “to the rest of the world” with the chip ATM cards, yet there are entire towns in Argentina where you can’t use an ATM if your card has a chip. Old school only; get out of here with your fancy “chips.” #argentina

Also, we are in Argentina, but there are no dance clubs or tango lessons in Bariloche; however, I did find Muay Thai classes! (Wait, what? WHY?)

What I LOVED About Bariloche

To be sure it’s not lost on you that I really did enjoy living there…

There are stray dogs everywhere, but not in the heart breaking sense that I’ve seen in every other country with stray dogs. The people here love their stray dogs, and the dogs love being strays. Yes, some people have pet dogs, but most live on the streets. Even when humans care for them, giving them food and sometimes even a roof over their head, the dogs are still proud to be street dogs. They belong to no one, and they live it up. They are treated very well, and I love the people of Bariloche for this.

Two words: CRAFT BEER. There are breweries on every corner in this town. So much beer, so little time.

Also, steak? Yes, please.

Bariloche (and the rest of the Southern Hemisphere) is in summer while the north is in winter. This is great news for someone who is drawn to sunshine and warmth.

The Kilometers. Bariloche consists of a town center as well as 30+ km of lakeshore, dotted with residences, breweries, restaurants and small clusters of villages along the way. My apartment was right at the edge of town, and running or hiking out in the kilometers was one of my favorite things.

The people are very friendly and social. When groups go out, everyone is invited, and Argentinians share everything. Take mate, for example, which is passed around in a circle using one single straw, sharing conversation.One day I was on a hike, and I saw just one other guy at the top, who of course offered me mate. #argentina

In Bariloche, there are fewer people who were born and raised as there are transplants from all over Argentina. They are there because they love it and they are proud to live there. This is very similar to (and what I love so much about) the people in Bozeman, Montana, where I’m from.

The Spanish in Argentina is quite different from the Spanish we learn in school in the USA, or even from what is spoken in other Spanish-speaking countries. There are more words that differ from mainstream Spanish, lots of slang, and they use “vos” for “you” (informal) instead of “tú” or even “Ud.” They speak like they are Italian, with similar intonations, and sometimes even with their hands; it is so strange and beautiful to witness. I miss it now.

I spent three beautiful months living in Bariloche, and I would go back to the same apartment next time, given the opportunity, that’s how I know I made the right choice. Flying into Buenos Aires after living deep in the mountains was a shock to my system. Now I’m halfway across the world in the Balkans, and I feel homesick for Patagonia. I haven’t missed the US at all for this entire trip, but for Patagonia, I feel I left a piece of me there.

It’s only a matter of time before I go back… It’s not every day a traveler finds such a comfortable place in the world, imperfections and all.