OH MY GAD

OH MY GAD.....I heart heart heart heart heart to infinity Hostel 1004. It is the best hostel in the universe. Really. It is. The views are amazing, the whole environment is calming, the people staying here are social and intelligent and interesting and fun, it´s clean, has a huge kitchen, and is just great great great great great.

Last night our hostel hosts organized a "full moon splash." Juan, who I also call Juanny Depp, because he looks kind of like Johnny Depp, told us about the event during dinner. As soon as the sun set, which is around 10:30-11pm, we were to head down to the lake, and go for a swim. Sounds good to me! About 20 of us headed down to the lake, and another hostel host, told us that in Bariloche, it is tradition to swim with your friends on the full moon. On the count of three, we all rushed into the water, expecting it to be freezing, but it really wasn´t that bad at all. The night was warm, the full moon out, and everyone was super giddy from the experience. The same night I met Rhonda, a girl from Australia who is taking 3 months off to travel before starting her job as an Environmental Engineer, and Katy, a girl from Portland, who just finished 2 years in Americorps and decided to take time off to travel through Argentina for 3 months as well. Katy was heading up to a Refugio the next day up in Cerro Catedral, and we decided to tag along for 1 of her 3day hike.

The next day we met up at 10am. Dressed in a tshirt and shorts, I was expecting a 3 hour hike from the base of the mountain, and 3 hours back. Should be hot right? I guess I should ask for more information next time, or just pack a sweatshirt since I was carrying a backpack. We caught a bus up to Cerro Catedral, also a ski resort, and were informed that we had to take the ski lift up to the top of the mountain, then start the 3 hour hike to the Refugio. Ok. We bought our tickets, and headed up the mountain. I was enjoying the view and was getting really excited about not having to hike up all this mountain, until I started to realize that we had to take another ski lift to the very top of the mountain. It was then that I started to notice the weather changing a little, the wind started to get colder, vegetation siezed to grow at one point, and rain clouds started forming. Hm. Then I started to get really really cold and noticed that children were yelling "frio! frio!"

We made it to the top of the mountain, I tried to find a sweatshirt shop, there weren´t any, and Rhonda and I decided that we wouldn´t be able to make the hike. Luckily we met some people who were also backpacking and heading in the direction of the Refugio, so Katy parted ways and left with them. Rhonda and I decided to head straight down the mountain. This was also after we decided to go into the lodge and stuff ourselves with potatoes. I had to store up for the cold weather. We rushed down the mountain, the trail was never-ending and 4 hours later we made it to the base of the mountain. Good thing I´m not stubborn, or else I would probably still be up there right now, in pain, in the cold, and dirty. But I´m not, I´m at the internet cafe, all showered and fresh, and about to go make dinner and drink some beers. WOOT!