Our First Taste of Argentina


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Published: August 9th 2009
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Valparaiso to Bariloche

Valparaiso --> Mendoza --> San Carlos de Bariloche

Hotel Llao LlaoHotel Llao LlaoHotel Llao Llao

In Nahuel Huapi national park, Bariloche
From Valparaiso, we decided to head east into Argentina in the hopes of experiencing Independence Day on the 9th of July, so we booked some tickets for the 8 hour bus journey to Mendoza. This turned out to be an incredible journey right through the heart of the Andes and was a great introduction to long-distance bus travel in South America.

We got to the bus station in Valparaiso ahead of schedule and waited eagerly for our bus to arrive. To our delight, a huge double-decker coach rolled up to the platform right on queue! The buses here are modern and fast and come kitted out with bathrooms, tv screens and comfortable reclining seats. There are leather headrests, plenty of legroom and even a bus attendant to serve food & drinks onboard - by far more comfortable than plane travel and we were only in the semi-cama class! The fact that there are so many bus companies competing against each other also means that it's a really cheap way of getting around - the tickets for our 8-hour journey cost only €12 each.


Bus Journey through the Andes




We headed off from Valparaiso to nearby Vina del Mar where we picked up some more passengers and then hit the highway towards the mountains. As we drove, the landscape gradually changed; the trees began to disappear and ice emerged at the sides of the road. As we climbed higher up through the Andes, we reached a snow covered pass called Caracoles de Portilloso, a series of S-shaped bends all the way up the mountain. From our seats on the top level of the bus, we had a great view to our left-hand side, where there was a sheer drop-off and we could see all the trucks behind us carefully negotiating their way around the tight hairpin bends. In fact, the turns were so tight that our huge double-decker bus had to practically come to a stop at each one. We drove alongside the Portillo ski resort where beginners were out on the slopes and then, somewhere near the top, we reached the Argentine border so we all had to get off the bus to get our passports stamped. This turned out to be a fairly straight-forward process - we queued up at the Chilean kiosk for our exit stamps and then lined at the Argentine kiosk for
Familia CecchinFamilia CecchinFamilia Cecchin

Organic winery in Mendoza
our entrance visas. After that, all of the luggage on the bus had to be taken off and scanned by customs and our hand luggage searched. Thankfully, it didn't take too long as the temperatures outside at this altitude were freezing!

Back on the bus, we were stopped again a short while later for the local military to board and randomly search people and baggage and then finally, we continued our journey on the Argentine side. We drove through the international tunnel Las Cuevas, where we passed an unbelievably long queue of trucks which had been stuck at the border for several days and had some great views of Aconcagua (South America's highest peak). Then we passed through the Argentinean ski resort Los Penitentes and began to wind our way down through the beautiful Andes foothills, following the course of the Mendoza river to the city of the same name.


Mendoza




Mendoza is the capital city of the Mendoza province and was a lot bigger than we had been expecting with lots of wide tree-lined streets, plazas, parks and shops. As we walked around, the smell of pastry and chocolate filled the air and leather shops were everywhere. Eager to try out some of Argentina's renowned mouth-watering beef, we decided to visit a parilla (Argentinian steakhouse) our first night there and had some delicious steaks washed down with some local malbec.

Mendoza is the centre of the Argentinian wine industry and produces almost 70% of the country's wine. What makes it unique is the fact that most of the province is high Andean desert, so it's impossible to grow any kind of crops here. But thanks to a long, intricate network of irrigation canals fed by water from the Andean glaciers (and originally built by the Incas), vines bloom in this otherwise infertile region. We felt that it would be a shame to come here and not visit some of the wineries, so we decided to book ourselves onto a wine tour the following day.

Mendoza's vineyards are the highest in the world and there are over 1,200 wineries spread amongst the two big wine regions of Maipu and Lujan de Cuyo. The first winery we visited was an industrial winery named Septima in the Lujan de Cuyo region. The scenery as we approached the vineyard was stunning, with the snow-capped Andes forming
Caracoles de PortillosoCaracoles de PortillosoCaracoles de Portilloso

The winding road through the Andes
the most incredible backdrop. We were given a tour around the facility and then had a tasting session where we tried 3 different wines, including sparkling chardonnay and malbec. Next, we drove to the Maipu region where visited an organic winery named Familia Cecchin. This was a lovely quaint winery where the bottling, labelling and packing was all done by hand and roses, olive trees and vegetables grew amongst the vines. The tasting room at Familia Cecchin was set in an old farmhouse building with high ceilings dating from 1898 - such a change from the modern wineries in Australia and New Zealand! Finally, we visited a family-run winery named Carmine Granata. This winery was owned by Italian immigrants and had underground cave cellars where the wine was stored and aged. Outside the bodega, many of the instruments traditionally used in wine-making were displayed, such as old-fashioned grape crushers and carts. We tasted a malbec and a cabernet sauvignon there before making our way to Cava de Cano restaurant in Lujan de Cuyo for lunch.

The restaurant was set in the former residence of Mendoza’s 1930’s governor and its dining rooms are located in wine cellars. The spread we
Bodega SeptimaBodega SeptimaBodega Septima

Surrounded by the Andes in Lujan de Cuyo
encountered on our arrival was amazing! Our table for 10 was completely filled with a selection of cold meats, cheeses, bread, pate, olives, dried fruit, vegetables of all kinds and sauces. This was just the beginning. After that came several empanadas (a popular snack here; basically pastry turnovers filled with meat, cheese and vegetables) and then two different hot tapas; one a bolognese and the other meat & rice. This was all washed down with plenty of Cava de Cano's syrah. And then for dessert, there was ice cream with dulce de leche (a kind of caramel made from condensed milk). What a feast!


From Wine to Swine!




The following day, July 9th, was Independence Day in Argentina and we had been hoping to enjoy some of the festivities. However, due to the national emergency over the H1N1 swine flu, most public events had been cancelled. Swine flu (or "Gripe A" as they call it here) has hit Argentina hard. While we were in Mendoza, Argentina was in the first 3 weeks of the South American winter flu season and the number of confirmed cases was rising dramatically. Theatres and cinemas had been closed since Monday
Dee on her horse in the Andes foothillsDee on her horse in the Andes foothillsDee on her horse in the Andes foothills

Enjoyable and nerve-wracking in equal measure!
6th July and in an effort to contain the spread of swine flu, the government also shut down all school nationwide, extending the usual 2-week winter holidays by a month. It was all over the news - the latest tallys put Argentina second only to the US in swine flu deaths - and there was mass hysteria over it. The holiday to commemorate Independence Day was also extended by the government, which decreed Friday 10th July a "health day off".

All of this didn't really affect us too much (we had been taking precautions since arriving in Chile), except for the fact that with everything closed for Independence Day, there wasn't much to do. So, we opted to go horse-riding in the Mendocinian mountains instead. We headed out to an area called Blanco Encalada, where we were given a briefing on how to mount and steer our horses, and then started off riding through the Andean foothills. Neither of us had ridden a horse before and it turned out to be an interesting experience! While Lorna and the rest of the group took off galloping, Dee's horse wasn't much interested in the fast life, preferring instead to trail along
Pueblo Nacion MapuchePueblo Nacion MapuchePueblo Nacion Mapuche

Mapuche Indians have been living on the land around Nahuel Huapi national park for at least 2000 years
at the back with the two gauchos. The mountain paths were rocky and the horses would often lose their footing, adding an extra dimension of excitement to the proceedings - especially when we had to make our descent down some steep and narrow trails back down to the ranch! But the views from the moutains over Mendoza and Lujan de Cuyo were beautiful. And we also had our first taste of mate during the adventure. Mate is an institution in Argentina. It's a kind of herbal green tea that is sipped from a gourd using a silver straw. Everyone drinks it here - at home, in parks, on the streets, in bus stations, even while driving - they don't go anywhere without a flask of hot water!


San Carlos de Bariloche




Our next bus journey was an 18 hour trip south to the town of San Carlos de Bariloche in the Argentine lake district. Bariloche is situated in the southwest part of the Rio Negro province and is a picturesque alpine town surrounded by lakes, forests and mountains. It's also located in the middle of the Nahuel Huapi national park where the stunning world of Patagonia
Typical chocolate shop in BarilocheTypical chocolate shop in BarilocheTypical chocolate shop in Bariloche

The home of chocolate in Argentina
begins.

After taking a day to recover from the long bus journey, we headed off the following morning to explore the sights. Bariloche is a lovely town, with Swiss-style wooden chalets lining the streets and every other shop selling chocolate or ice cream! It's considered to be the home of chocolate in Argentina and fondue is popular on the restaurant menus here. In the heart of town, civic buildings surround three sides of a plaza but leave the north side open where there are magnificent views of the glacial-formed Nahuel Huapi lake aswell as Tronador and Catedral mountains. During the winter, Bariloche is a popular ski area and the resort at Cerro Catedral is one of the biggest in South America.

We were staying in a hostel about 2km from the centre of town and across the road from us was a statue of Francisco P. Moreno. Moreno was a pioneer conservationist and explorer who was the first Argentine to travel to the glacier areas in southern Patagonia (the famous Perito Moreno glacier is named after him). In recognition of his achievements, the government gave him some land around the Nahuel Huapi lake. However, in 1903 Moreno donated this land to the Argentine people and it subsequently became Argentina's first national park.

We decided to take a boat trip through the national park to visit Victoria Island and the nearby Arrayanes forest. The departure point for the boat was the marina at Puerto Pañuelo in the Llao Llao peninsula. We arrived there to discover the most stunning views - the marina was surrounded by crystalline lakes, mountains and forests - and on this beautiful sunny morning, it was just spectacular. After boarding the boat, we sailed through the fjord-like scenery of the Nahuel Huapi lake to Quetrihue peninsula, where we went for a walk in the Los Arrayanes national park. This park protects a rare forest of arrayanes trees, unique in the world in that they grow only here. After that, we sailed on to Victoria Island, where we again disembarked to explore. The island has steep cliffs and forests along its shores and trails that lead to panoramic lookout points. We followed a trail to Playa del Toro, where we passed indigenous rock paintings along the way. Archaeological excavations on the island indicate that the Mapuche people were living here at least two thousand years ago.
Bariloche cathedralBariloche cathedralBariloche cathedral

On the shores of lake Nahuel Huapi
The day ended with a cruise back to Puerto Panuelo while we watched the sun set on this beautiful and unspoilt corner of the world.

Our first taste of Argentina has been everything we expected and more... We can't wait to explore some more of this magical land as we head deeper into southern Patagonia.


Additional photos below
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The mighty AndesThe mighty Andes
The mighty Andes

Some of the most beautiful scenery we've ever seen
French oak barrelFrench oak barrel
French oak barrel

at Bodega Septima
Organic wineOrganic wine
Organic wine

In the tasting room at Familia Cecchin
The spread of appetisers!The spread of appetisers!
The spread of appetisers!

Cava de Cano restaurant, Mendoza
Trails through the mountainsTrails through the mountains
Trails through the mountains

where we went horse riding
Dee sipping mateDee sipping mate
Dee sipping mate

in the Andean foothills of Mendoza


22nd September 2009

Bariloche sounds absolutely georgous. I am putting it on my list, for when I finally make it to Argentina. And of course the chocolate shops are another reason to get myself to Bariloche. :)
23rd September 2009

Bariloche
Bariloche is really beautiful. We only scratched the surface when we there. If we'd had another day, we would definitely have done the boat trip to Puerto Blest - that's also in national parkland and is supposed to be stunning. Unfortunately, we couldn't do any trekking as it was winter when we were there. But in summertime, there's lots of trekking and other outdoor activities around the area. And the scenery is just magic!

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