Also known as 'Ruta de Los Siete Lagos', this is a classic drive involving a winding road through a wonderland of lakes embedded in forest-covered mountains. But today we had rain on the section that is unpaved ('riprap' they call it - a good name) & it made for a tiring day for My Friend who was doing the driving.
Very windy today when we left Bariloche. Blowing a gale in fact (I had temporarily forgotten about wind as we haven't had it for 2 days; we have been quickly jolted back to reality!). White caps on the lake too. Don't think I'd want to be on a boat today?!
Picked up car after late breakfast (we are feeling pretty tired today!): another Chev Corsa like we had in Ushuaia, but this one was pretty knocked around - although not as bad as the black one in the Hertz parking lot which had been completely 'totalled'. Starting to rain a little as we leave carpark.
Drove via Ruta 237 heading north around the eastern edge of Lake Nahuel Huapi. Very dramatic landscape of volcanic landforms in Valle Encantado.
Turned off to the west at Confluencia (where there is the confluence of the Limay & Trafúl rivers).
We started climbing with the temperature dropping dramatically from 14 deg C to 7 deg C & the mountains shrouded in mist. It rained. Muddy. Slippery. A few hardy souls were braving the elements in a number of camping grounds. Good pickings around for the raptors we saw. We see rocks falling onto the road too from the slopes above us.
The colours of the flowers were gorgeous: bright yellow, pinks & whites plus great splashes of bright red Firebush; also what some would call Larkspur & I call Lupins: in purple, pink & white.
 |  |
 |  |
  |  |
Crossed the Rio Minero, the roadside was a riot of yellow flowers, raining coming down.
Stopped at Villa Traful, a small hamlet, on the lake of the same name & had a hot chocolate & home-made apple pie. We are back in submarino territory!
We climbed through deeply wooded forest to 930 m & the temperature dropped to 5 deg C. Intermittently we got glimpses of sunshine.
The road was muddy & slippery at times with water racing down the sides & sometimes across. We encountered a group of cyclists when we turned north on Ruta 40 towards San Martin some of whom were making heavy going of it in the conditions & there was one huge ascent unpaved that some were walking near the top.
Having seen a great deal of Lago Traful as we crossed from east to west on Ruta 65, we now encountered a series of lakes, hence the name of this drive. We stopped by the road for views (mostly obscured by trees) of a small lake: the Escondido (Hidden); then lakes Villarino and Falkner, separated from one another by a narrow isthmus; then another roadside stop for a photo of the Vullinaco waterfall.
It was good to see Lake Lacar finally. Nestled at one end is San Martin de los Andes where we are staying for 2 nights & wow (!) what a gorgeous place. As usual, My Friend was no doubt wondering what the hell I was doing dragging him to a place 12 kms out of town but this really is something! Heated pool, spa, heated floors, views out to the mountains.
Now enjoying a well-earned for him German beer (Warsteiner) & I am having a lovely sauvignan blanc, a Verum: Bodega Del Rio Elorza Gral Fdez Oro Rio Negro. I think we will spend a few pesos here supporting the Argentinian economy, but what the heck.
Had dinner in-house: nice salad with olives to start, lovely & fresh; followed by pork with yummy apple mash; the most beautiful fruit platter with lime sauce for dessert. We went for a local wine from Neuquén, the capital of the Rio Negro province which is what we are in and it is the largest city in Patagonia. So we had another Verum since the sauvignan blanc before dinner had been so nice, a malbec this time: a Reserve 2007.
No comments:
Post a Comment