A Road Trip to the Andes

G: This week we took a vacation from our vacation by jumping on a double-decker bus. The main attraction was the fully reclining seats, good for the 19 HOUR trip to San Carlos de Bariloche near the Chilean border. A blanket and a pillow made for a comfy ride and once the sun set, we were into movie mode... I watched 4 in a row... interspersed with a snack and dinner, delivered to our seats by the porter. And then it was lights out and we slept until daybreak.



When we woke, we were still in the Pampas, empty, barren, flat Nebraska-like country. But gradually the hills increased, we followed beside a large lake for an hour, then a snow capped volcano appeared (like the pre-eruption St Helens). Our anticipation did not disappoint.

The mountains around the lakeside town of Bariloche were basking in sunshine when we reached the bus depot at noon and it was pushing 80 degrees. During the winter months, this is a ski paradise for South America, but it is also an all-year destination for outdoor recreation due to its numerous lakes and streams. It reminded us a little of the Pacific NW and Canada (it sits at latitude 42) Not only are there several kinds of fir and pine trees, but cypress, cedar, willow, poplar, maple and birch. And landscaping generally includes extensive roses and lavender, still producing flowers in the early fall season. Alongside the roads in full bloom we saw foxglove, poppies, wild roses, lupine and blackberries--everything in Oregon, so we feel right at home!

For the first two nights we stayed at Villa Huinid, a hillside resort sitting above lake Nahuel Huapi. It was a 20 minute walk along the lake to the center of town. Away from town, the road leads to the super-exclusive resort in this area, the Llao Llao Hotel (pronounced Jao Jao).

We wandered the grounds and facilities of Villa Huinid and met Debora, director of the Spa. She charmed us with her enthusiasm about the area and gave us helpful hints on where to go and what to see. She said we must go and "touch the lake", which we did that same afternoon, not knowing if the wonderful weather would continue. We were struck by the crystal clear water. I have collected a pound of beach glass and lots of feathers, primarily hawk.

J: Since it was a national holiday, all the stores in Bariloche (primarily selling chocolates and ski wear) were closed. But we found a nice Italian/Argentine restaurant for veal cutlets.

A rental car allowed us to visit Llao LLao on Lago P. Moreno Oeste. This luxury resort is very similar to the great CCC hotels in the US National Parks. Huge, tasteful, lots of deer antlers, stone and natural knotty pine everywhere. Incredibly situated on a high point with water on all sides and a golf course below. They are obviously used to tourists wandering through their public spaces and welcomed us. Here we are posing at the view point.  Llao Llao is the light building to the right of my shoulder.


We spent the night at the more modest Estancia del Carmen on Lago Guiterrez…and had a lovely lunch in their restaurant, Las Morillas — cierva (venison) with spetzle and raviolini de cordero (lamb ravioli).

The next day we drove two hours south to El Bolson. The grandchildren of the 60’s hippies are alive and well and selling incense holders in El Bolson. They have a very large crafts market on Saturdays.  Couldn’t talk G into a tie-dye skirt.--been there, done that! And she told me to keep walking when we passed a group sharing a cigarette with a very distinctive odor.

G: From El Bolson, we came back to Bariloche and spent the night at the other end of lake Nahuel Huapi at the town of Villa La Angostura. No, it wasn’t bitter. We decided we needed help finding a room for the  night as we couldn’t find the lake and had no detailed map of the city.   The tourist office held the key to both the room and a map.  The Hotel Angostura  looked quaint from the outside and one look at the umbrellaed tables overlooking the lake in the late afternoon and G was smitten. We were shown to a corner room, dressed for the 60’s.  A most unusual color of bath fixtures—a  yellowish green that matched the daisy motif tiles…but the view from the window made up for the  room’s short comings. Down the slope to the lake were huge lavender  plants, roses galore and hawks sitting in the  tree tops. This sunset picture is completely unedited and is the view from our room.When we went to the dining room at 9 pm for dinner, we discovered we were the only hotel guests…but the young men on duty were adorable and spoke great English. Again we tried the venison steak, berry sauce, and polenta and beef tenderloin with  roasted potatoes. (Here we will mention that vegetables as a side dish are never offered ..…  salad sometimes, but as a separate course.  I  began to miss my veggies and vowed to return to BA and eat them at least three days in a row.)  Both dinners were tasty but the portions were for hungry linebackers!

Leaving early from Villa la Angostura,  it was time to begin the infamous  unpaved road to San Martin de Los Andes, the northern  most city on our adventure.  It was  a mere  120 kilometers from La Angostura, but we were told by several people that the vistas would be worth it.  And the weather was gorgeous and dry roads meant no ruts or mud to contend with.  The many lakes and rivers we saw were worth the dust we ate!  





G: We followed alongside Lago Lacar to its narrow end where San Martin de Los Andes sits.  An unusually designed town, the whole waterfront of the lake is a park Cross the street along the park’s edge and the tidy inns begin, interspersed with houses and small businesses.  Nothing over 3 stories—everything built in a rustic style, most often from logs.  And whole blocks with roses planted along the sidewalk, all in full bloom.  J drove exactly to the right inn—just a half-block from the waterfront.  Small, quiet and all of the comforts of an apartment.   Most welcome was the floor's radiant heat. (Why don’t we install it more in the US?)  It is getting colder at night now—high 30’s.

The cool fresh morning air was just right for a walk to the Che Guevara  Museum ,  the restored barn where Che spent the night with his friend  on their motorcycle adventure of South America  in the early 50’s.  Remember the movie, Motorcycle Diaries ?  We will watch it again to see if San Martin or any of the other sights we have seen on this adventure look familiar to us.

 J:  A bit more about food in Argentina.  Mixed or tossed salad isn’t recognized.  The standard menu offers salad with your choice of three ingredients from a list of six or eight (or more than three for a premium price).  Lettuce is not assumed, it's just one of the choices.  Then the salad arrives, usually in a metal bowl, with your three choices carefully arranged in separate piles.  Maybe lettuce on one side, tomatoes on another, and the third quadrant with shredded carrots/beets/onions or…..

Argentines are infatuated with ice cream.  There are many “Baskin-Robbins”  type stores, with a remarkable selection of flavors.  Often there is a list of different chocolates, then a list of dulce de leche varieties.  G’s favorites so far are lemon cream pie and fig with cognac.  All would put gelato in Italy to the test.

Agua con gas.  I think the Argentines prefer "bubbly" water.  So in the stores they sell large plastic bottles (probably 2 liter) topped with a plastic selzer spout and trigger.  Neat deal, since the fizz stays still the last drop.  Now why doesn't the US have this?

Breakfast:  Every cafe, bar, restaurant, deli, pizza shop offer one thing for breakfast: medialunas (half moons).  They are small croissants, usually with a sugar glaze.  Oh yes, I forgot to mention that breakfast on the bus was coffee and medialunas.

The airplane ride home was almost as long as the bus trip over.  First, they canceled the flight we were scheduled to take, so we sat at the airport for three hours waiting for the next flight.  Then the next flight arrived one hour late.  But we're back in BA and happy to be home.