Chaltén Apart 365

Roberto was lively and welcoming, and even drove us in his truck to the cracker store. His place is right by the trailhead and parking lot, which is handy but means there's activity around. We stayed mostly peacefully, though the metal stairs to the upstairs apartment got loud when people hauled luggage. A friendly cat often came by our first-floor windows, so we had to keep them shut or it would let itself in. The front room curtain didn't give much privacy or block the sun, and a way to open that window just a little would help keep the cat out. Bring earplugs and an eye mask. The apartment was clean-smelling and the basic kitchen gear was in working order, including a kettle, toaster, and small fridge, though quantities of cutlery, dishes, and cookware were limited. The can opener was the church-key type and could be better; the corkscrew was fine. The bathroom had adequate hot water and pressure, but could use more hooks and shelves. Beds were firm, but nobody in our group minded. There was an automatic air freshener that sprayed now and then; I didn't like the noise, though the scent wasn't unpleasant. Fresh towels were available if requested. We also found a couple of non-venomous scorpions. Communication could be difficult because Roberto's English and my Spanish were both limited, especially without Google Translate. It was a good stay, with a few things that could be improved.