Villa La Angostura and on to San Martin

Having spent one day here at this charming swiss style hotel on Lago Correntoso Wayne swam in the pool after breakfast and we headed off for San Martin de las Andes. The road between the two cities is dirt/rock and very bumpy for about 100 kilometers but the scenery is filled with many lakes and jagged peaks. We came across other commuters more adapted to this kind of road. We then descended into a valley and Lago Lacar where there is again a village which caters to sports minded skiers, fishermen and bikers. It is unseasonably warm according to the hotel personnel. We are likely going to spend the day at the shoreline.

Cerro Campanario

2/26
Our morning was spent taking the Cerro Campanario chairlift to an observation platform for yet another panoramic 360 degree view of the lakes and mountains. Returning to our hotel we gathered our bags and headed for the start of the Ciruito Grande stoping at Villa La Angostura for the day and night. This is a small town for sports enthusiasts with skiing, fishing, swimming, hiking, ziplining and kyaking. We took the drive up to the ski resort and a hike to a fairly large waterfall (sorry I haven't figured how to turn photos upright) where there was a zip line over the river. Looked like fun but out of time. Headed down as it was turning dark and back to our lodge for dinner over looking the Largo Nahuel Huapi from the west side.

Circuito Chico

2/25 Today we rented a car to drive around the Circuito Chico which takes us past smaller lakes and up to higher elevations where we had a small lunch overlooking the western mountains looking towards Chile. We continued to drive to the popular ski resort Cerro Catedral where in the summer the lifts are running to take bikers and hikers up the side of mountain for views and sport. Our VW was a bit of a clunker so we asked for a replacement on our return to the hotel. The Avis agent brought a nicer vehicle to our hotel the next day. Bariloche is known for it production of excellent chocolate. With the mountains, the architecture and the chocolates the planners appear to be emulating Switzerland.

Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi

2/24 Bariloche is a destination for hikers, skier, fishermen and visitors who just enjoy the beautiful terrain of the large Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi and it many larg lakes. This is the northern part of Patagonia. Today we took the boat excursion on the largest lake Largo Nahuel Huapi spending most of our time on the Isla Victoria where there is a large grove of redwoods transplanted from California and due to the climate and soil they have thrived and grow at nearly three times the rate of those in our state. There is also a grove of myrtle trees (Arrayanes) with distinctive cinnamon colored bark not found anywhere else in the world. Test are being conducted on the island to determine how to best restore the native vegetation since pines have spread and squeezed out other species. Non indigenous wild boar and red deer are on the island having been brought in in the early 20th century for hunting lodges.

The remainder of our day was spent viewing the mountains and the swiss like lodgings lining the lake to the south of the city. One magnificant hotel is the Laoa Laoa with manicured gardens and surrounding golf course sitting on a ridge overlooking the mountains and lake on all sides.

2/23

We left the Postales after having a morning view of the Andes. Driver took us on a short of Mendoza, the city. I say city because the Province of Mendoza is very large and includes over a thousand vineyards. We passed large orchards of peaches, pears, grapes, plums and fields of potatoes, squash, onions and garlic. There is an abundance of fruits and vegetables in the province. Also learned that Mendoza produces 20% of the oil production for Argentina. Surprisingly we could see wells and a refinery on our route. Unfortunately for the ecology there has been massive deforestation of large areas to the north for lumber production. Visionaries who designed Mendoza implemented a plan for keeping the city cool by planting sycamore trees along every street with viaducts under the sidewalks to irrigate them. The mature trees now do a great job of doing just that. A previous mayor had nearly started a revolution when he proposed to remove trees to make room for more development. The city is very clean and very much unlike Buenos Aires in that regard.

Our flight out of Mendoza was delayed by a massive downpour which soaked all the luggage as it was moved to the plane. Ran and hail do fall heavily in the area forcing many vineyards to install nets to protect their crops. One winery lost 70% of its production last year due to hail damage.

We arrived at our hotel on the shore of Lago Nahuel Huapi and spent the evening drying out our clothes after dinner looking over the lake.

Wine Tasting and Andes Trek

2/22

Took a day tour first to two of the Siete Wineries. Originally there were seven owner with different wineries but now there are only five wineries. We visited two of the wineries, where we tasted three Malbec and Malbec blends. Mariflor, Cuvalier de las Andes, and Le Crock. Driver took us first to great outdoor restaurant El Posado del Jamon and then on to the Pass through the Andes where General San Martin crossed into Chile and then Peru to liberate those countries from Spain. There are wild horses and mules roaming the pass but are rounded up and sold in the fall. After returning to our lodge we experienced a tremendous lightning storm with hail that drove Miriam under the covers for the duration.

Some reflections on Argentina so far. Buenos Aires could be the Paris of South America with it numerous french style structures and monuments. The breezes from the ocean and river Plata keep the city relatively free of smog. The main drawback is the amounts of trash and dog poop that liter the streets. Even the Postenos rue the fact that too many citizens lack respect for what they have. The infrastructure is very good with terrific bus and taxi services. Throughout the country the roads and highways are great although heavily congested. These roads are far better than ours are now in California.

Postales valle Uco

2/21

After the fast pace of Buenos Aires today we spent the day at our lodging the Postales valle Uco. The weather is warm and we can see the Andes peaking through the clouds. Walked through the vineyards of this wine lodge. Learned that the former owners had contracted for their grapes to be processed elsewhere and labeled as the house wine and sold without any aging. New owners are taking a more professional approach. Made arrangement for a tour of the Blois de Siete Wineries for the next day.