A bit more Bariloche ... and is that a Drago truck I spy?

Civic Centre, Bariloche

Having been modelled on an alpine village, Bariloche is often referred to as a chocolate box town, and is one of those places that everyone seems to love. Honestly, I couldn't quite see it. That's not to say that there is anything wrong with the place, it's pleasant enough, it just didn't feel as special as its reputation.

My recollection of those chocolate box pictures, is of quaint thatched country cottages, stately manor houses, or rustic cabins, so when people talk about a 'chocolate box' town, I think it has to be either impressive, pretty, or at the least, charmingly old-fashioned. Bariloche is none of these.

Civic Centre, Bariloche

Its Civic Centre, which dates from 1940, is the closest it gets, but even that looked a bit fake, rather than impressive, pretty or old-fashioned. There is something about the stone and wood that looks more like a modern imitation, and alongside the haphazard mix of styles in the rest of the buildings in the main streets, it loses any real impact.

The town has no defining character or style to set it apart from anywhere else. Again, there's nothing wrong with it, just in my view, there's nothing special about it either.

Cathedral, Bariloche

It's a bit like the cathedral here, which has some nicely detailed stained glass windows that includes scenes relevant to the area, but has a strange unplastered concrete look to some of the pillars and walls inside. It just ends up not quite working, and so left me underwhelmed.

What does set the place apart - aside from the unbelievable number, and in particular the size, of the chocolate shops, is the setting. Looking out from the town, you have the lake and mountains, and once you get out into the national parks, or up the mountains, the views are beautiful.

Mind you, the lake - or rather one of the islands in the lake - holds a secret past. Apparently, in the 1950s, the then President Perón tried to build the world's first fusion reactor. It was done covertly, on Huemel Island, but was never completed, despite running up a huge bill.

Confession Box, Cathedral, Bariloche

Then there is the less well kept secret of the link between this area of Argentina and the Nazis. It is well known that a number of them fled to this region after the end of World War II, and some settled here in Bariloche. The most famous, was Erich Priebke, an ex SS Captain, who was the well respected Director of the German school here, until he was 'found' in 1994. The following year he was extradited to Italy, where he was convicted for the Ardeatine Caves massacre of 335 Italians in March 1944. He was given a life sentence, and died under house arrest in 2013.

German School, Bariloche

It is reported that Josef Mengele, Auschwitz's 'Angel of Death', was here for a while, and there are even theories that Hitler faked his death, and lived out his years at a property called Inalco, close to the nearby town of Villa La Angostura, though most consider that to be fallacy.

It appears the local population were quite content to have such people in their midst, judging them on their time in the community, rather than on the acts they committed previously. Perhaps I could understand that if the individuals concerned had acted under pressure, rather than their own prejudices and choices, or if they genuinely showed remorse for their actions, but reports suggest that Priebke and others were still quite fond of the same terrible ideologies, so it seems unthinkable to me.

Civic Centre, Bariloche

Anyhow, enough of the past, let's move back in to the present and a fortunate coincidence. When we were arriving in Chile, we realised that we would arrive in Pucon just after one of our Dragoman drivers, from our Myanmar trip, had passed through on his latest route. He had mentioned though, that he might be in Bariloche at the same time as us.

Of course we'd all forgotten about this, so it was a nice surprise when, walking back to our hostel one evening, we saw a Drago truck parked outside the hostel opposite. We popped in, and sure enough, the hostel confirmed that Duncan was one of the drivers. He wasn't there at the time, so we left him a message, and we were able to meet up the next evening.

It's always nice to catch up with people we know, and even better on this occasion, as we used it as a good excuse to go to Manush, the brew pub on the corner that we had, thus far, valiantly resisted. So we had a great evening, treating ourselves to a burger and a few of their excellent beers. We even had a nice little boost when Duncan said he had immediately noticed the difference in how we looked from before, so that was encouraging.

Civic Centre, Bariloche

Cathedral, Bariloche

Cathedral, Bariloche

Cathedral, Bariloche

Cathedral, Bariloche

Cathedral, Bariloche

Bariloche

Bariloche

Bariloche

Nahuel Huapi Lake, Bariloche