<\/p>\n

It was a long two weeks in which almost a third of my time was spent on overnight buses. I traveled from Buenos Aires to Bariloche to El Bols\u00f3n to El Calafate and back to Buenos Aires, all by bus.<\/p>\n

When I arrived in Argentina, I gave no consideration to leaving Buenos Aires. As one of the world\u00b4s largest cities, I figured I would have plenty to do. Then I read Bruce Chatwin\u00b4s, In<\/em> Patagonia<\/em><\/a>, a travel classic and absolutely epic account of man\u00b4s need to see the desolate Patagonian terrain.<\/p>\n

Then I stumbled upon Paul Theroux\u00b4s, The<\/em> Old Patagonian Express<\/em><\/a>, a journey through the region that started in Boston and ended in the desolate, Patagonian terrain. Theroux was a friend of Chatwin\u00b4s by no coincidence.<\/p>\n

So it was, I decided to make my way to the desolation that is Patagonia. I decided to take the bus although everyone recommended that I fly straight to Bariloche. However, I wanted to see the country and meet the locals, as locals don\u00b4t usual have the luxury to fly.<\/p>\n

I now believe, without a doubt, no matter what the maps looks like, that Argentina is a big country. Since I took so many buses, I wanted to share some tip on traveling by bus in Argentina:<\/p>\n

1) <\/strong>Retiro Station: They do not announce when buses are not coming. I was waiting for my 4 p.m. bus with the company Via TAC. It was my first time on an outer-city bus in Latin America. I was a little nervous, traveling alone and with my mediocre Spanish. However, I pushed through. I waited. And waited. The bus never came and I had to change my ticket for the following day with another company — Que BUS.<\/p>\n

2)<\/strong> No soap in soap dispensers — bring some if that kind of thing really freaks you out.<\/p>\n

3)<\/strong> My rid on Taqsa — the bus company that has\u00a0 a monopoly on all routes from Bariloche to El Calafate (with various stops to load and unload people — not for food or bathroom breaks) — was easily one of the worst bus rides of my life. I mentioned this before, but I got this ticket thinking that it would be more comfortable than taking the touristy, yet grueling, Ruta 40. I am not so sure anymore.<\/p>\n

4)<\/strong> Andesmar Buses are a riot! This bus company goes all over and my experience with them was sheer hilarity. The drivers were blasting \u00a8Girls Just Wanna Have Fun\u00a8 whenever we made a stop (and yes, there were 100% percent more stops than Taqsa). What they lack in interior design they make up for in great service.<\/p>\n

5)<\/strong> Pay the extra 50 pesos for Executive Buses — especially at the end of a long trip when all you want to do is relax and think of your bed. It equals to about $15 American dollars and\u00a0I consider it an\u00a0investment for a decent, if not\u00a0good,\u00a0night\u00b4s sleep. Getting executive-class was not a voluntary decision on my part. There were no more public\u00a0buses to Buenos Aires from Puerto Madryn and I didn\u00b4t care to see any penguins. I don\u00b4t regret one centavo.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, I missed the Olympic Hockey game for Gold between Canada and the United States. A no-no for a Canadian like myself. I may be a little disappointed, but Patagonia was well worth it.<\/p>\n

By Brit Weaver<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

About the Author<\/strong>
\n<\/p>\n

Toronto born and based, Brit is an avid leisure cyclist, coffee drinker and under-a-tree park-ist. She often finds herself meandering foreign cities looking for street eats to nibble, trees to climb, a patch of grass to sit on, or a small bookstore to sift through. You can find her musing life on her personal blog,\u00a0TheBubblesAreDead.wordpress.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It was a long two weeks in which almost a third of my time was spent on overnight buses. I traveled from Buenos Aires to Bariloche to El Bols\u00f3n to El Calafate and back to Buenos Aires, all by bus. When I arrived in Argentina, I gave no consideration to leaving Buenos Aires. As one […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":5897,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1,2576,2577,2564],"tags":[1348,44,1346,2305,1347,178],"yoast_head":"\n