Stunning Argentine Lake District
If there was only one place in South America that I could return to it would have to be the Argentine Lake District. It is in the north of Patagonia, and I really fell in love with it. The scenery is truly spectacular lush green mountains awash with crystal clear lakes and rivers.
However, as we entered Patagonia at the end of a long bus journey from Mendoza, we weren't too impressed with what we saw out the window. The ground was covered in white and looked really cold; but when we got off the bus it wasn't cold. I guess we were dazed and confused from our long journey but it wasn't until the following morning that we figured out the area was covered in ash from the Chilean volcano that has been erupting recently.
We arrived in a blustery Bariloche late in the afternoon; it was too late for activities but perfect time for happy hour in the local bars! The following morning we woke to torrential rain that had the persistency of British rain. Bariloche is on the edge of a huge lake with postcard views all around; however, with high amount of ash in the atmosphere we could only make out faint outlines of the scenery. I was thoroughly disappointed.
A visit to Hertz car rental and we concocted a plan to catch a bus north to San Martin de los Andes, where we could then hire a car for a couple of days and explore unhindered by the poor weather. The 4-hour bus journey to San Martin took us through some epic scenery (as usual Nil missed it all, as she was fast asleep within minutes of leaving the terminal). San Martin de los Andes is described as an "upper-middle class resort". I think this is quite apt. The town is well kept and there are scores of expensive shops and eateries and flash 4x4 cruising the streets; the backpackers were in the minority here. The town has a very alpine feel and a lot of Swiss and German influence in the style of houses and some of the restaurants.
Rain continued the following morning, but we set off south along the Ruota de Siete Lagos (Seven Lakes Route) for Villa la Angostura in our Vauxhall Corsa. Half of the road is unpaved and full of potholes. The Corsa, which was brand new with only 600km on the clock, got a complete battering. The rain did not let up all day, but there was much less ash, so we could start to appreciate the beauty of the region. Villa la Angostura was badly hit by the volcanic ash, so much so they had huge piles of ash where they had ploughed it off the road.
That night in San Martin we treated ourselves to a cheese fondue. This was a new experience for me; it was thoroughly enjoyable although I needed a hiatus from cheese for the next few days.
The following day we headed north through Junin de los Andes to Volcan Lanin. Fortunately there was a break in the rain but it was replaced with gale force winds. Although a stroll in the national park would have been nice, we were grateful to have the car and had a car-picnic by the lake shore with the volcano in the background. We got some awesome pictures.
I would certainly like to return to this region sometime in the future, but beforehand I will be checking for any erupting volcanoes!
