http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Neuquen/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from South America , Argentina , Neuquen en-us Sat, 26 Jul 2008 21:11:33 BST Sat, 26 Jul 2008 21:11:33 BST We learnt another lesson on our second overnight bus and that is that its better to be warm and cramped than spacious and cold. So with the heating broken in cama sleeper class and Matts failed attempt to complain to the driver Leanne could only hear Frio Frio we decided to attempt the unimaginable and sneak up stairs into second class where we were able to find a couple of nice warm seats http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Neuquen/blog-272191.html And so after a more than pleasant extended stay in the city of Mendoza it was time to head off into the country side this time for a spot of camping. Our destination was a small town in the heart of the the Argentine Lake district which is famed for wait for it lakes.We arrived in the lovely town of San Martin de los Andes which sits at the end of a huge lake called Lake Lacar Lago Lacar set http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Neuquen/San-Martin-de-Los-Andes/blog-269332.html Yes green at last. We climbed back into the Andes and wiggled our way around 29 hairpin bends before reaching the Chilean side of the border huge mountains all around but not a condor in sight. Drove through nomans land and a 3km tunnel linking the two countries and we popped out the other side into Argentina. Getting past the border officials took longer than expected. We had great difficulty http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Neuquen/Junin-de-los-Andes/blog-263631.html Like eager school kids bursting out of the school yard to begin a long vacation we ended our four weeks of Spanish classes and left Bariloche on March 14. Heading north along a bumpy unpaved road through la ruta de los lagos route of the seven lakes we took in the jawdropping views and began to dream about the adventures that awaited us. The ride ended at the tranquil village of San Ma http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Neuquen/San-Martin-de-Los-Andes/blog-258993.html Many apologies for my laziness I am now foregoing exploring leafy Palermo to belatedly write this. It might be shortMy last day of spanish lessons was the best yet a wander around Bariloche taking in museums one suprisingly interesting given its modest initial impressions one closed and a coffee one of my favoutite pasttimes in the town. The lesson was good because we just chatted and http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Neuquen/Junin-de-los-Andes/blog-252697.html A holiday within the trip After Junin we headed further north to Zapala across a more open but empty landscape of vast plateaus between huge crater shaped depressions. It is dinosaur fossil country. From there we turned back west and headed back to the hills to eventually reach Villa Pehuenia. In case you don't know and why would you Pehuen is the Mapuche indian word for Araucaria or Monkey Puz http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Neuquen/Villa-Pehuenia/blog-252078.html We gave ourselves a late start after the travails of the walk the day before. Leaving Bariloche to start wending our way through the northern parts of the lake district. Picked up another car and drove round the eastern end of Lago Nahuel Huapi and along the northern shore to Villa la Angostura. Another very scenic drive with lots of water trees and moutain scenery under burning blue skies. Our h http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Neuquen/Junin-de-los-Andes/blog-251689.html Well you probably all know now but we are coming home early We are due back on the 24th March Easter Monday. Paul got offered a job he was on a panel for and he simply couldnt turn it down. So weve shaved about a month and a half off our trip and tried to put the foot on the accelerator ..... well it turns out we have become lazy so we shaved the plans instead and have opted to just vis http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Neuquen/San-Martin-de-Los-Andes/blog-250008.html BenWell from Puerto Madryn we went a little south and then a little east some up and then some down to Puerto Natales Chile. In fact we were so lucky with our south then east that we arrived an entire day early which was much better than the alternative being about half a week late some of our connections ran about twice a week. We ended up staying in a random hospedaje house with spare http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Neuquen/blog-245254.html So I skipped out of Buenos Aires pretty quick realizing how much time I would be spending there afterwards and caught the 1300 bus to Bariloche. The drive was scenic and beautiful but I was only able to sleep for four hours of the twenty hour ride. We passed fields of sunflowers countless estancias and I even saw a flamingo hanging out in a pond. As we got closer to Bariloche the terrain ch http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Neuquen/Villa-La-Angostura/blog-243615.html February 1st 2008We departed on the 1st at 1845 bound for the city of Neuquen. Nothing special there... Mainly an oil rich resource town. We rode on the top of a double decker bus in the front seats so we got a nice view.I managed to sleep on and off throughout the night. The highlight was dinner. We were served sandwiches some sort of cake roll with ham and cheese and cooked chicken breast http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Neuquen/San-Martin-de-Los-Andes/blog-242370.html Back to ArgentinaTravelling across international borders in South America on a Sunday is never a good idea. Our journey from Pucn to San Martin de los Andes in Argentina which normally takes 4 to 5 hours took us a whole 8 hours. We were delayed for three hours outside Pucn waiting for cyclists in the Ironman competition to finish their cycle. They had a worse journey than us though having to http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Neuquen/San-Martin-de-Los-Andes/blog-240323.html Liebe Zurueckgebliebene Wo waren wir Wie doch die Zeit vergeht bzw. wie weit man kommen kann in kurzer Zeit. Von den schoenen Straenden Uruguays in die Berge Patagoniens.Auf dem Weg von La Paloma nach Buenos Aires legten wir zuerst nochmals einen Zwischenhalt in Colonia del Sacramento ein das sich als wunderschoenes altes Kolonialstaedtchen mit einer sehr entspannten Atmosphaere entpuppte. http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Neuquen/San-Martin-de-Los-Andes/blog-238511.html After a month in Chile we were yearning for some Argentinian steak and so decided to take a quick turned into a weeklong trip across the border back into Argentina. We crossed from Pucon Chile to San Martin Argentina and spent 6 days enjoying the highlights of the area. Our original plan had been to climb Volcan Lanin but unfortunately recent events which seem to have included a crevasse op http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Neuquen/San-Martin-de-Los-Andes/blog-238115.html The arrival into Pucon marked the last section of our biking trip. We wanted this to be fun and most of all a success we had several aeroplanes to catch and a late arrival to the airport could make things poco complicadoa little complicated. To ensure this we left behind excess gear to be picked up at the end of our trip. Being the hi tech effecient cycling team that we are ... this gea http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Neuquen/San-Martin-de-Los-Andes/blog-237141.html Adventure is made up of small bumps which at the time feel like nothing more than a continuation of all of ones previous moments. Adventure is only so called in retrospect and so being laid up in a cheap hostel in Bariloche on the western edge of Argentina with an inner left thigh that decided suddenly to swell to uncomfortable proportions on the bus ride from Buenos Aires will one day be http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Neuquen/San-Martin-de-Los-Andes/blog-231282.html In Neuquen I stayed in the beautiful house of a friend Cecilia whom I had met last year in Bolivia. She and her husband who both have other jobs also own what is called in Argentina a chakra or fruit farm. They grow apples and pears and the house is surrounded by the trees and their beautifully landscaped gardens. The energy of the place was really very special. We also met another frien http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Neuquen/blog-230553.html Thurs 8th NovAfter a breakfast of coffee and facturas dolces yesterday morning at the local cafe I visited the city museum it is the original home of the railway guard. The guide spoke good English and gave a full history of the city. The Argentinian meat is really good especially their steaks had one with chips for lunch. Visited the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes National Museum for Arts http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Neuquen/blog-218022.html Wed 7th NovHad an uneventful coach journey on Monday night not even fireworks. Managed to get a couple of hours sleep and arrived in Neuquen just before 500 am with a picturesque dawn breaking over the city. The coach station was massive and very new but without a tourist information centre. Had a cup of coffee and a few facturas dolces small sweet croissants and phoned some hotels re http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Neuquen/blog-217657.html Bariloche is known for its delicious chocolate especially at a little place called Mamuschkas. We headed off after dinner to get a taste of her famous chocolate and enjoyed hot chocolate which was literally a melted down chocolate bar and chocolate truffle cake between the three of us. It was fantastichellipbut so filling that we pledged wersquod never return. The next day we http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Neuquen/Villa-La-Angostura/blog-215947.html The 7lakes tripnbspSouth America raquonbspArgentina raquonbspSan Martin de los Andes By zlatomiraMarch 17th 2007 In the morning Talal and I said goodbye and see you in 4 days' time. His girlfriend from Buenos Aires was arriving and he was going to spend the next few days with her. I on the other hand was continuing my journey as originally planned. I could not wait to do the 4g http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Neuquen/San-Martin-de-Los-Andes/blog-172522.html I decided to take a vacation within my vacation. There is this adorable ski village about 34 hours north of Bariloche called San Martin de los Andes. Everybody has been raving about it so this weekend I decided to check it out for myself.The first difference Ive noticed is that it is WAY warmer up here. I dont need to zip my parka during the day whereas in Bariloche I am pretty much always http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Neuquen/San-Martin-de-Los-Andes/blog-170294.html I tried to pick up the piece of bone but could barely lift it. It was as long as my forearm and as thick as my head pretty thick. It looked like wood but was as heavy as stone. Gigantasaurous was discovered near Chocon in 1993. Estimtated to live about 105 million years ago it was the biggest dinosaur in the world and over 80 of the skeleton has been recovered. With teeth up to 30cm long a h http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Neuquen/blog-153211.html San Martin de los Andes sea kayaking in the lakenbspSouth America raquonbspArgentina raquonbspSan Martin de los Andes By zlatomiraMarch 18th 2007At last I went sea kayaking I thought I was going to miss it... after two unsuccessful attempts in the fojrds in Torres del Paine and lack of time in Bariloche. http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Neuquen/San-Martin-de-Los-Andes/blog-142947.html Nice hike across the Quetrihu Peninsula. http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Neuquen/Villa-La-Angostura/blog-132897.html We rented mountain bikes to bike up a nearby mountain and ride down the ski slopes. Nearly made it to a waterfall along the way but couldn't quite get there. http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Neuquen/Villa-La-Angostura/blog-132866.html A lazy afternoon spent at the small beach on Lago Nahuel Huapi in Villa la Angostura on the northwest side of the lake. http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Neuquen/Villa-La-Angostura/blog-132863.html You know life is too short to rush new motto well get there at some pointWe enjoyed all that San Martin had to offer visted our mate in the shop got some sexy gloves and beanie. then he drew us a map to a special beautiful beach only 50 mins past the look out. I am not sure why but claire and i are very good at getting off the beaten track we have more trouble staying on the tourist rout http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Neuquen/Villa-La-Angostura/blog-121026.html After enjoying some great weeks with Scott Braun and then Marc Avrahm Centor Craig and I are now flying duo for the remainder of the trip. Our time with Centor ended in perhaps the most boring city in South America...Montevideo Uruguay. Centor flew home from there and Kodish and I spent a few excruciating days waiting on our visas for Brazil to be completed. We spent our time looking for Engl http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Neuquen/San-Martin-de-Los-Andes/blog-119805.html Ok so started our real well still no gas for the burner but close enough to real campingAfter having 5 nights camping in National Park Lanin and taking 2 night buses to get our down sth in to the Lake distric I have not showered for a week... yes its all about ey definately feeling at one with the surroundings . We took a bus 2 hours down little dirt track to get to the NP with volcano Lanin as http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Neuquen/San-Martin-de-Los-Andes/blog-119376.html