Blogs from Neuquén, Argentina, South America - page 3

Never have I been so unaware of the imminent arrival of Christmas than this year. It takes me by surprise when I remember the date. Today was quieter and slightly anticlimatic after the excitement of the lake and the fishing yesterday. All that smiling and adrenalin had taken its toll and I was very tired today. Good job it was Sunday. Not much was going on and so we followed suite. I had my breakfast of croissants, coffee and orange outside by the river. It has been getting warmer each morning. Nady led Ben and I to a nearby park and we got to see the real side of San Martin, where the non tourists live, just across the other side of the river.She wanted to show us the wee sack swing; a swing that you ... read more

Day 8 ramblings: Rob Bell, Nick Cuthbert and 458 Italias Before I write the real Day 7 Blog, I've written some thoughts and ramblings. Joe thinks you'll not be interested. Andrea thinks you will. So, if you're nearer to Joe's age, then skip to the next Bog, if you're old like me you might find some resonance. Gray Travelling through different countries gives lots of time for reflection. First there’s having left all the stress and business behind, then there’s lots of time just to sit and watch and inevitably the comparisons start. Compared to the Argentina I first experienced more than 22 years ago there have been some major changes, some would say development. The whole feel of the place is very different. In many ways it feels like a European country with the infrastructure, ... read more

Joe’s Blog (day 5) Desert, Grumps and Deer. Mum comes into my, Nady and Bens tiny room waking us at about 8:30 am as we had been told to get out of the room by 10:00 and we didn’t want to leave at 1:00pm like the day before. So we all went down one by one to have the usual small breakfast of bread, a type of croissant and hot chocolate. We managed to leave the little guesthouse by 10:30 but of course after filling up with petrol, buying a few goodies and new wiper blades it was about 11:15 when we finally left the city of Santa Rosa with Mum on the first driver’s shift. Now for the next 6 hours we drove through an endless desert which wasn’t the most interesting of sites as ... read more

There was much debate about where to head after Bariloche. Mendoza was a long way and far from BA and Eileen was tired of being cold in the mountains so we settled on Neuquen. After an easy 5 hour ride in a ‘full cama’ bus (the bus equivalent of business class with large recliner seats) I wondered would Neuquen’s claim to fame be its palindromic name. My researching the bus options out of Neuquen as soon as we arrived at the Neuquen bus terminal had Eileen bemused. Why would I not want to stay a few days in a city that boasts a canal irrigation system built to allow crops to grow and be transported, big hydro-electric power stations, huge lakes, petroleum extraction, palaeontology sites, and award winning wines? She had the distinct impression I did ... read more

Sweet San Martin de los Andes, on its alpine lake, is a way-station on the gringo trail through the Patagonian lake districts. Travelers coming from the popular resort of Bariloche, Argentina, are forced to pause for a night to catch the daily 6 am bus over the Paso Mamuil Malal/Tromen to the equally popular Pucon, Chile. I, too, passed through the town four times as I tacked back and forth across the Andes to renew expiring 90-day visas. However, my stays were longer, and I always crossed the pass on Sundays for the weekly afternoon bus as I'm allergic to early morning anything. I always stayed longer in San Martin because each of my visits was full of color, friends and great trails. Carnival brought drummers and scantily-clad dancers parading down the chilly streets while spring ... read more