Argentinian Patagonia – Neuquén

Neuquén is so far away from El Calafate that it takes 30h bus travel (or a flight), and so far away from everything I knew as a 21-year-old kid

Neuquén is not a touristy destination, but one I wanted to visit 13 years ago. Let me explain why! I studied an Erasmus Mundus Masters degree in 3 countries of Europe, and one of my colleagues was Bruno, an Argentinian from Neuquén. When he was telling me about his hometown of Cipolletti (a somewhat smaller town adjacent to Neuquén), I had this feeling of “woooooow, soooo far away”! I didn’t travel much up to that point. So something In central Argentina, in “the middle of nowhere”? I never thought I would get there! It’s a place from my childhood books with gauchos, wild-west kind of scenery, something that was unimaginable, beyond reach for a Croatian kid from a numerous lower middle-income family. Which is why I really wanted to get there now – it was about proving to my old self that I can be where I thought I would never be.

Neuquén and Cipolletti are towns at the heart of Argentinas agrarian industry. Apples, Pears, Bananas… they are grown in chakras (plantations) powered by irrigation canals, and exported to the whole world. They are sitting on the confluence of two rivers, which are giving an oasis feel to the otherwise desert kind of landscape. The river’s water is taken out with a massive system of canals to chakras, so you can see green fields around the rivers when looking at google maps satellite view.

Meeting Bruno and his partner Liv, for me, was about seeing what I imagined to be the true Argentina. Away from the flashiness of the capital, and the beauty of luxury tourist spots. They welcomed me with open hands and introduced me to their friends, and families. They made the famous Argentinian grill, showed me great local beers, and took me to places where they go out, where they spend summer days. We talked culture, mate, politics, history, problems, about life being difficult, and about the good stuff going on for us…
I was given a fraction of their life in this part of the world.

I got what I wanted to see already, and I was falling for Argentina..!

Mate is a herbal drink consumed in huge quantities in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Southern Brazil – I’ll write more about it later