Hotel Huinid, Bariloche – Day of Rest
Wednesday, December 23
We’re sneaking up on Christmas. We had been thinking that we wanted a day where we sat around and read, did little, or at least did not drive a lot. Well, today is that day because it is raining very hard outside.
So we started with a light breakfast. We have had so many leftovers from other meals it is easy to put something together. This time is it yogurt, and some sliced chicken and cheese in a little sandwich. The only thing we don’t have is coffee, which we would like to have, but it is not worth the trouble to locate. Whereas any American Motel 6 has a coffee maker in which you can make what many Americans call “coffee”, they don’t have that here. The bar/snack place is downstairs, but we’re too lazy.
We also had been wanting to get into the “go to gym” thing, and they have a pretty nice one here. We have been doing a lot of walking, but no fine tuning of our buff look. So today we got in about an hour at the little gym downstairs. Our daughter, Heather, gave me a routine of three hip-stretch exercises. I am having some muscle/joint issues with my left hip that causes some pain. I have a commitment to her that I will do these things that relax and spread the hip area, and today is the day to start. “JB, do this for two weeks!!!!” So I did those, plus some other gym work, and Carol did the treadmill. I am listening to “Freakonomics”, a great book similar to “Blink” and “Outliers” that dispels many of the myths about how things financial work – I recommend it. Carol listened to podcasts of NPR’s “Fresh Air.”
Back at the room, showering and stuff, we came across an Argentinean cooking show with Juliana Lopez May – sort of Rachel Ray for parrilla (barbeque) outside. See http://www.julianalopezmay.com – really fantastic. We could actually understand her and her food (a holiday outdoor BBQ) looked fantastic.
We drove downtown to find a simple lunch. There is a place here called “Rock Chicken.” Actually there are three of them – a local mini-chain. Kind of a MacDonald’s on steroids, which is sort of a scary thought. The whole place is loud red and yellow, and they have the menu along up above the counter with “Combo 1”, “Combo 2”, etc., except it says “Promo 1”, “Promo 2”. But these are not blown-up pictures of burgers, these are steaks and chicken and trout and spaghetti. Barbequed sausage, beer, bottles of wine. All at great prices served by kids in their young 20’s. I love this town.
Stepping outside, we were back in the wind and rain, and fearful for flipping the paraguas (umbrellas) inside-out. Can’t have that, so we opted for Plan B, which was for us to return to the hotel in time for Carol to have a massage and me a nap. I love this town. When Carol returned, I popped a movie into the computer. (Remember I got a $50 gizmo that connects the computer to the TV?) We watched Seven Pounds – know that one? It’s Will Smith and we recommend it. (Carol edited this because JB was divulging too much of the plot!)
Man, it’s already time to eat again. The way you do it in this town is drive downtown for a random distance or time, park anywhere, and walk around, generally for no more than 30 yards, until you find some place that looks great, and step in. You have about a 90% chance that it will be fun, inexpensive and have great red wine. This one was another “La Esquina” with means “on the corner” or “around the corner.” Since all intersections have corners, there are a lot of restaurants with this name, as we noted in a Buenos Aires post.
Now we’re inside. They have furniture made of large hunks of wood, like stumps for serving tables, and benches and backs of about 3-inch thick beautifully finished wood that could have been bar tops. About 15 tables crammed into an area the size of your living room. Packed with people, really packed. I found out why. I had the best steak I have had so far – an inch thick, drooling with juice, some hot Hellman’s steak sauce. (It looks like Hellman’s sells 80% of all the mayo and ketchup in this country.) Carol got the “La Esquina” salad, with what we now understand is the “insalada completa”, with hearts of palm, hard-boiled eggs, onions and lettuce. Carol was a palm heart in a prior life. As we have said before, this one the best place we have eaten in Argentina, really.
Another side note: By now you are thinking that we are spending our way through Argentinian restaurants. Actually, except for today, we have generally only eaten one meal out if possible. The other meals are either the complimentary breakfast at the hotel, or we eat leftovers. Wine in the supermarket costs about 10-25 pesos, $2.50-$7 for a good bottle of Malbec or Cabernet. You can spend up to maybe $15, but that is not necessary here. And everything else, like bottled water or bread or cheese, is less than half of what it is in the states. Except for the upcoming Christmas Eve dinner, we have spent no more than 120 pesos for dinner all inclusive, which is $32, and generally it is more like $12 or less for both for lunch and $25 or less for dinner. So you can see that we are well under $50 a day for everything.
Remember, it is Wednesday, December 23. Having been around the block a couple times, we know that tomorrow night dinner it is not going to be a simple matter. Carol had been wanting to try another place for fondue, and just a couple blocks away is her target for this effort, “La Alpina” (“The Alpine Place”). We were hoping to have an elegant fondue dinner for Christmas Eve. We stopped by after La Esquina to make reservations. But they are having a special dinner tomorrow, with appetizers, choice of main course like beef/chicken brochette – all that stuff. 195 pesos inclusive, about $50. Ok, so we’ll blow our budget.
Sorry this one was so long. See you tomorrow!! This is a great hotel. Here are a couple pictures of the room, with JB working on the blog.