We left San Martin De Los Andes in the late morning and aimed our bows south toward San Carlos de Bariloche, known to most people as simply “Bariloche” which lies 120 miles south of San Martin.
San Martin is a city of 25,000 people in Neuquén Province so it is in Patagonia by most peoples’ reckoning. It’s used these days as a base for outdoor sports kayaking hiking and fishing sorts of things.
It’s a pretty little town set at the head of Lacar Lake and it’s full of alpine architecture, pitched roofs, wood facades and little balconies looking out over the city.
It’s high summer so the place is packed with tourists like us and because we are no longer in Chile drivers push and shove and pedestrians, instead of owning the crosswalks dive in and hope for the best in a break in the traffic. As you can see parking can be…interesting.
The main plaza was lovely and shaded on a hot summer day and when I dropped off Rusty’s deposit I saw the trash cans were everywhere and quite empty. Which was a pity as the park itself was a bit scruffy.
A reader pointed these out as monkey puzzle trees. They are spiky and considered awkward even for monkeys to climb. We used to have two very tall ones at my father’s home in England and because I was a child I thought nothing of them but as an adult I have to appreciate them much more.
There was a sign pointing out San Martin’s first school built in 1848 at the orders of President Juan Peron ( an interesting character you should look if you want to learn about weird Argentine politics). Apparently the school followed its own schedule running from September to May from Spring through Fall to accommodate the huge winter snowfalls that would have kept students at home during a normal school year.
Argentina is damnably expensive to visit with some foods costing more than US prices (we haven’t checked eggs yet but I think the US has everyone beat). I saw this rather nice motorcycle and noticed it’s a well equipped Honda but only 190 cc’s to keep things affordable.
An old Ford Falcon was cruising too with lights on as required by law. The passenger had his head thrown back guzzling can of soda I hope as it was only 10:30 in the morning.
While Layne was hunting down fresh fruit to replace the stuff confiscated at the Hua Hum border Rusty dragged me all over the place.
The movie is showing “Captain America a new world” which struck rather close to the truth for this old believer in law and order.
For most Argentines the government overhaul of public sector spending after decades of inflation may be tough medicine to swallow but they are hoping it may change the cycle of national bankruptcy which has plagued this inflationary economy. Meanwhile paying for stuff often isn’t easy and young people are emigrating rather than buying their lives on credit.
I see many parallels between Argentina and the US where young people feel forgotten by their elders.
The city was founded in 1898 as a military base to protect Argentina’s border with Chile. The two countries tried have a pretty checkered past and have nearly come to blows over their shared border. Even today the border is not well defined in southern Patagonia around Torres Del Paine where Google marks it as a dotted line which means “disputed.”
The civilian part of the program here in northern Patagonia was logging and ranching sheep and cattle. And then in 1937 national park fever broke out and Lanin was created here with vast tracts of mountains now protected. Tourism followed of course and now summer hiking and winter sling rule the economy.
It’s a bit of a drag for us as all the land hereabouts is national park but prices even to camp privately in those places that do take dogs charge forty to fifty bucks for one night. And you aren’t guaranteed a first rate clean comfortable experience. Many of the reviews on iOverlander would make you shudder. It feels like the sort of tourist exploitation you find anywhere in the world, not excluding the Keys, where your reputation allows you to stretch your prices.
And yet these tourist towns are vibrant do I wonder how one squares the reports of hard times in this freewheeling hope for the best country. It’s not as neat and tidy and well maintained as Chile but it’s leaps ahead of Perú and points north.
The old skier hotel. Winter sports rule but as I tell people who ask, my religion does not permit me to enjoy snow. They don’t know whether I’m joking or whether they dare insult my non existent religion and I smile. I just don’t like snow.
Two gas stations in town and both had long lines. We went to the one further from downtown and indeed the line was shorter. It still took half an hour to get gas.
Everyone was patient except me but it was a Soviet experience. You can see the strength was getting to warm amble across the station to his car to fold his jacket on the back seat. Then he ambled back and slowly pumped gas and make polite conversation. At his pace. Wearing himself out wasn’t going to make people go away. I still gave him a buck for cleaning my windshield. I always do that if they wipe it down for me.
I don’t know about Argentina. I hope they get their economy back together and prosper but I am glad we can leave and regroup from time to time as this country makes Mississippi look frenzied.
But it is so beautiful. It really is.
Ruta 40 toward Bariloche from San Martin through the vast Lanin National Park.
The mountains are vast and dwarf our favorite spots in Colorado…
There is much to see of this extraordinary vast country. We can’t do it all before winter comes.
We found a spot by the side of the road, set up Starlink and Rusty fixed into the grass. I’m not sure it’s legal but it’s just a small overlook and people stop by to look and find chat with us. The views are tremendous and for a night it’s a bit trashy but free and good for us.
Sounds of the ocean as the lake crashes on the pebbles.
Bariloche is still at least an hour away.
