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Published: February 14th 2009
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Aaagghhh Ruta 40.........how do words describe it? Ok, I admit it was my (Gordon) perverse love of road trips which made me first suggest the Ruta 40 option from Bariloche to El Calafate to Eamo and Ann. There is something magical about derserted roads and being in the middle of literally nowhere. Eamo wasnt convinced and thought that the cheaper coastal route option, though it meant an overnight in Commodorio Rividavia (an industrial/oil town) would get us there slightly quicker. In the end the promise of 2 nights accomodation, side trips to Cueva del las Manos and the Viedma Glacier swayed us towards Ruta 40, the dusty inland route.
The route itself from Bariloche to El Chalten is around 1200 km. The prospect of a couple of days on a bus was one which we didnt mind. It offered an opportunity to chill out and relax and just enjoy. Also given that the company running the route catred mainly for tourists we´d meet up with some like minded people! To be fair Day 1 probably delivered just that.
Once you leave the lake district and enter the Patagonia Steppe, the terain gives way from dramatic mountains and forest basically
nothing, no towns, no industry.....nothing! The stops were all little tiny towns, the highlight being our lunch stop in Tecka where they were holding the Fiesta Provincial de Caballos.......a horse festival, because the one thing there is in Patagonia is gauchos......cowboys! After leaving at 7am, we arrived in Perito Moreno town at about 9pm tired after a day on the bus and more than a little jolted since Ruta 40 turns to an unsealed dirt road at Rio Mayo about 135kms from Perito Moreno. Perito Moreno the town (not the famous glacier), has about three restaurants and 2 bars and 1 nightclub! We hung out at the local and sank a few cervezas with our day 1 guide and some peopel from the bus!
Day 2 was an early start as we had chosen the option of the excusion to see Cueva De las Manos (the Cave of Hands), mainly because if you´re going to take a long straight dull road down through patagonia it makes sense to do whatever sightseeing is on offer. The cave is ancient (pre-historic) paintings of hands and other caveman thngs like guanacos (wild llamas). They are between 9000 and 5000 years old and
the manner in which they have been preserved is amazing! After our excusion and some confusion over lunch......apparently we were supposed to buy lunch from the cave of hands shop, though all they had were biscuits........by now we are accustomed to empanadas as a minimum.......we hopped on our minibus to rendevouz with the main bus. The rest of the day was pretty average to be honest........we didn´t get to El Chalten until half 11 on a bus which had no bathroom, a couple of very grumpy bus drivers and a temperature akin to the sahara desert.......alternating from night to day. No beers on this night, but hey we had survived Ruta 40 al the way to El Chalten and tomorrow promised the excitement of finally seeing a Patagonian Glacier!
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