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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Dec 13, 2019 10:00 PM Across La Pampa
After a hard night in the poor hospedaje in Bahia Blanca ( mosquitoes and whistling shisp/ trains) we were driving north, across Argentine pampa - the grassland. It is very wide and I saw a lot of pastures with thousands cows on them. In the middle of the day we reached the capital of Pampa Province - Nice town of Santa Rosa. On the main plaza there is an interesting, modern cathedral... the tower of the cathedral has an interesting profile - I did not see anything similar in the world... Some 50 miles onward we found accommodation in the provincial hotel Ambientes Patagonia. It is quiet and great place to have the rest, to make the laundry and to prepare for tomorrow's long way to Cordoba... Roomy twin room with bath and breakfast included cost 29 USD (they are hapoy to accept dollars)
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Dec 12, 2019 10:00 PM 4000 sea lions to see!
I didn't gave up. In the morning we started to drive RP1 rooad from the Viedma end. On this end this is paved road. It took us after 30 kms to the beach township of El Condor. Here, at the end of the beach you will find high hill with a steep cliff on the sea side. This cliffis hosting the largest colony of the parrot in thd world - they calculated the number of birds: 35000. They make a big noise. If you are lucky to be there at the low tide (this was our case) you can walk the beach ond see the birds face to face. Great experience!
Then we drove another 30 kms along the coast to Loberia. In this little settlement they cut the stairs through the cliff down to the sea. We went down, but no single lobo marino there. Let you know that the animal paradise is located 3 kms onward by the gravel road. You pay 100 pesos entry fee and walk 1 km to one of the 4 viewing balconies on the cliff. It is paranoia - from the balcony you see almost nothing. But is you will come to the edge of the cliff (take care) you will recognise the terible stink, then yoh will hear the noise and finally you will some 80 m below 4000 sea lions: big and youngsters occupying the beach at the bottom of the cliff. Bring good zoom with you for great pictures. This is great theatre... Poor Valdez (UNESCO site) - what you see here is much more interesting!
Then, happy and satisfied at 1 pm we started a long drive to Bahia Blanca. No 3 highway was difficult with dust and strong left side wind. BB is a big port and railway hub with some stylish houses in the old quarter. A lot of industry... Not much to see. But we must have a rest before the next big jump...
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Dec 11, 2019 10:00 PM Rio Negro - on the gravel again!
Today we were driving at the beginning ruta nacional 3 north to Las Grutas. This little town is unimpressive, but there are nice beaches and dunes. Thousands of the birds are nesting in the coastal cliffs. Strong sun, strong Patagonian wind.... New experience.... Then I decided to drive gravel road RP1 instead of paved RN3. This was good decision - during 1,5 h we did not meet any other car. We were passing wild, empty beaches and coastal cliffs, great views! But finally in the middle of nowhere I stopped in front of the sign "no further passage" Sorry - we were forced to go back to roads 52 and RN3. Another adventure! :)
At 3.30 pm we entered Viedma - the capital of Rio Negro province.. It is nice city with elegant governer residence, cathedral and Salesian center. But even more interesting is little town of Carmen de Patagones on the other side of the huge Rio Negro river. We crossed thd river using the little launch - I paid 20 pesos each way. Info office near the pier gives the free maps for easy walk around the old part of the town...
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Dec 10, 2019 10:00 PM Peninsula Valdez -UNESCO site
Puerto Madryn is a main gateway to the peninsula. They offer organized tours, but car gives you more flexibility. We visited peninsula today. Some gold-worth practicals: The maximum loop from Puerto M to peninsula and back was 410 kms. First you by asphalt road to national park gate. They charge 850 peso per person and 120 peso per car handing ouf poor park map. Then you drive 22 km on asphalt to the information center in the flat and boring landscape. Here you can get info and better map. Then you can continue to the only settlement on peninsula Puerto Piramides 25 kms - still on paved road. 5 kms before PP gravel road goes left to the park. All fauna observation point are on the east coast. Northernmost is Punta Norte (42+37 kms)
Here on the coast is sidewalk overlooking the beach for tourists : you can go 100 m left and 100 m right. On the beach there are laying sea lions and young elephant seals. They are in the distance 50-70 m from you. They said that yesterday 4 orcas were visible, but not today.
Then we went along eastern coast to Punta Cantor -47 km.. Just before Punta onthe seaside is a little colony of Magellanic Penguins. The terrace for the tourist is 30 m wide. Penguins ( about 40 cm high) have nest in the holes - some of them just 3 m from you, but most of them stays on the beach - like 50 m away. I think I saw 40 of them in total...
On Punta Cantor 1 or 2 kms onward there is restaurant an viewing balcony - you can see young elephant seals laying in the distance of 70 m maybe... The activity on the beach is minimal :)
There is a little trail to the left to the next two observation balconies, but therd is even less to see.
Then the road took us further south - to Punta Delgada 42 kms again on geavel. But nothing to see there: the nice punta gate is closed - they say that punta is occupied by army. No reason to drive there and to continue 70 kms to Puerto Piramides... White salt lake is visible from the gravel road on the way.
Summary: if you didn't see the penguins and seals you will be happy. If you have been to Antarctic like me - you will be disappointed.
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Dec 09, 2019 10:00 PM From the Andes to the Atlantic
Check your car, fill the fuel tank to the maximum, pock extra amount of the drinking water, start early... In Tacka village (yes, there is petrol station) we said goodbye to the legendary RN40 road heading east. Road 25 crosses Argentina west to east. it goes through uninhabited demi-desert territories to the coast of Atlantic. It is a long way... I was a little bit afraid reading about a number of the holes in this road.
Yes, first part to Paso de Indios was boring , even depressing. We saw one passing car only every 30 minutes and the landscape was monotonous. Many lonely, abondoned farm houses in the middle of nowhere. In the little, lonely settlement of Paso de Indios they have now the fuel... But after Paso till Las Plumas the landsczpe is like in Arizona with cliffs, rock formations, canyons. Great to see! Then after Plumas (some 20 kms of gravel detour there) RN25 bacame flat and semi-deserted again. We did it! After 9 hours we reached Puerto Madryn on Atlantic coast. RN 25 is in the better shape then I expected - they repaired many holes (but no bumps) but it is still the challenge...
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Dec 08, 2019 10:00 PM Snowy peaks, flowering roads, national park...
The southern exit from Bariloche is very spectacular: flowers on both sides of the road RN 40 and huge wall of the mountains in the front. Then we enjoyed three mountain lakes and finally the Virgen waterfall around 70 m high. Oit is possible to climb the primitive path to the bottom of the fall, but use the path on the right side of the stream!
Then we reached little town of El Bolson, once the Mecca of the hippies. It has spectacular location between high mountains. Legendary route 40 took us later to the semi-desert area and to Esquel. Esquel is located at the mountain full of colors. Twin room with breakfast in the hostel costs us just 12 USD.
In the afternoon we still had enough time to drive 40 kms to the Alerces National Park. The lakes & mts landscapes are the main attraction but I expected to see also huge and old alerce tree. There is one 2600 years old - they say. But to see it you have to catch 11am boat taking people to the other side of the lake.
Too late. Of course there are many smaller alerce trees spread uout in the park - you will see them, but with their miniature leaves they are not too impressive. Summary: not worth 150 kms RT drive and 400 pesos entry fee :)
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Dec 07, 2019 10:00 PM The route of the Seven Lakes
San Martin de los Andes is a little lovely town located at the end of the huge mountain lake. To appreciate the beauty of this location you can climb to the mirador (viewpoint) overlooking the town. By walk it could be 40 min each way. By car -10 min, but be prepared that half of the road is a bumpy gravel. After taking the great pictures we started to drive again Ruta 40 - the part which is famous as Camino de Siete Lagos. It is wort the fame - the road goes though the forested mountains to.the seven different lakes and an Impressive waterfall. It is about 150 kms to Angostura - we were enchanted by the beauty of the nature. Imagine blue sky, yellow flowers, snows on the peaks... From Angostura we were driving along the huge Lagos Angostura to Bariloche, making nany stopovers on the lakeside for breathtaking views. Years ago I was going along this road from Chile by bus with no possibility to stop... Bariloche seen after years looks even more fancy. Santa waits in front of the city hall to.be photographed with the tourists... 31 deg Celsius :)
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Dec 06, 2019 10:00 PM On the level of the snows...
We departed early. But there was a long line to wait for the petrol in the only YPF petrol station. No jokes... The next possible feeling station could be 300 kms away... Petrol is slightly cheaper here - we arealready in the Region of Patagonia: 47,50 pesos per litre.
Just after leving Chos Malal we were registered by the police and we crossed a long bridge on big Neuquen River - great opportunity for pictures. Then it was more than 100 kms through the semi-deserted hills. At Las Lajas we left for sometime our Ruta 40 heading by RN242 to the border of Chile. The was good decision: the landscape changed soon: lovely green pastures, flowers, picturesque araucaria trees. Highly recommended area. But we were climbing the same time to the snowfields of the Andes. Just before Argentine border control post it was necessary to turn left to RP23, and this was the beginning of the harsh gravel. Scenery for next 90 kms was fantastic, but the road ver challenging.... :)
-Finally we reached in the afternoon big Alumine Lake - it was like a mirror for the snowy peaks. Alumine village has nothing to offer but Alumine River Canyon we were going onward on the dusty gravel road has a lot of fantastic views. After full day of heavy driving we reached beaitiful little town of San Martin de los Andes at 7 pm. 450 kms only done today, but on the gravel it was still a challenge. Great day! So far the car has no damages. :)
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Dec 05, 2019 10:00 PM At the bottom of the Andes...
Sunny morning in Mendoza. The liter of petrol costs here 55 pesos - we filled the car tank to full to avoid problems in the countryside. It was 9 am when we started to drive the famous RN40 road... It goes all over the way south - at the bottom of the Andes. Till Tunuyan there were vineyards around and snow visible on the peaks reaching 5 to 6 thousands m above sea level. Then we found ourselves in the semi- desert. The most impressive part of this segment were the canyons around Rio Diamante crossing. See the views on the picture. Then we stopover for the meal in the green township od Malargue. RN40 took us again through deserted hills to Bardas Blancas. We crossed the bridge and... what a challenge! More than 110 kms driving on the stoney/ gravel road. Nice views of the Rio Grande river but I was really afraid about our tyres - no settlements on thd way to repair! We were lucky: with reduced speed I reached after 2,5 hours the bridge on Rio Barranca - the border of the Neuquen province. No single control in such a remote point... Good asphalted road took us up and down the mountains 150 kms away on the RN40 - to the town of Chos Malal - this was the first possible overnight point. We did today 655 kms, but the gravel segment should be multipled by 3 :) Good night from the bottom of the snowy Andes
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Dec 04, 2019 10:00 PM 643 kms to Mendoza
Wow! Blue sky. strong sun. We are driving west through the mountains of Argentina. First two hours we were climbing up to the Parador of Condor enjoying great panoramic views of the rocks, high slopes and deep valleys. There were nice waterfall "The tear of the Indio" right above the road. Then from the La Posta pass there were nice descent to the Mina Valley. Much more green here on the way to Dolores. In the afternoon we made a short stopover in the colonial city San Luis. The cathedral is under restauration , but Santo Domingo church is interesting and they two shady plazas with monuments and fountains.
Then finally we reached good highway no. 7 heading to Mendoza . Police and sanitary controls on the province border. They introduced highway fees - 80 plus 60 pesos on this segment. Hot day! More then 30 deg Celsius in the sun. We arrived to Mendoza only at 7 pm. In the evening the city is nicely illuminated - especially the main Plaza Independancia. People are srtolling along main San Martin Ave. With High Andes in the background city has many green avenidas and parks. I must confess I am tired. The bottle of regular wine cost here around one dollar. Let's drink for the great day... We plan to drive even more tomorrow!
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