#argentinianlakes

"La Ruta de los Siete Lagos", or the Route of the Seven Lakes, had been highly recommended to us by Sally; a 120 mile drive up through the glacial lakes to San Martín de los Andes. We were excited for the drive but slightly anxious about hiring a car. Drivers in South America (particularly Bolivia, but in Argentina too) can be kind of crazy, so we had opted for a mid-range car with a car company we knew. However, upon review of the actual hire car, it was utterly pants. A Renault Symbol. What is that?! I defy anyone to have heard of this car model before. Manual windows, no central locking and, worst of all, only a CD player or non-tuneable radio. Given that the brakes were dodgy and the car made a disconcerting rattling noise when turning left, perhaps that wasn't in fact the worst thing. But nonetheless, it wasn't the travel-in-style-and-safety we thought we'd signed up for. Understandably cautious, Olli proceeded carefully and allowed crazy drivers to overtake (some on blind bends - madness). At least the drive lived up to expectations! We were treated to another stunning bluebird of a day and the views were spectacular. We arrived at our accommodation (a mini apartment in a complex with a pool and jacuzzi!) in the early afternoon, a million photos in the bank and a sigh of relief that we'd made it unscathed. Textbook driving from Olli! Priority #1 upon arrival: find somewhere in the town to watch the Autumn Internationals the next day. We were excited about the prospect of watching Argentina play rugby whilst we were in Argentina! We found an "Irish" bar with sleepy waiters, a large screen, Torrontes wine and a promise of playing the games. Done and done. Our two-night stay in San Martín was the only stay during our whole trip that we would have a kitchen. We were keen to make use of it and Olli loves to cook (hurrah!) so we headed to the supermarket for food and wiiiiiiine. A bit of relaxation in the jacuzzi, a bottle (or two) of wine and a wonderful spaghetti bolognese later, we were whoozy and very happy. This is the life! [Note: must savour this for when it's a gloomy, stressful day in the office in February.]

11 November - Route of the Seven Lakes, San Martín de los Andes, Argentina

We opened the curtains to a stunning view of Lago Nahuel Huapi and the snow-capped peaks beyond. Having arrived late at night, we had no idea that we had this panorama from our hotel room. Excited that it looked to be a beautiful day, we ate a quick breakfast and headed out to the tourist office to find information on walks and transport. Errands first: laundry. Ah, laundry. It never finishes. Outside the tourist office there was some kind of parade going on: singing, marching band, waving flags, the works. So we bound into the office with gusto, looking forward to what the rest of the town would bring and me feeling a little over-excited and being a little bit bouncy... Armed with information on the best walks accessible by bus, we headed to the supermarket for supplies and then ran (yes, ran: bus feeeeear) for the number 20 bus to take us to Llao Llao. San Carlos de Bariloche is the 25km that stretches from the centre of town out to Llao Llao at the far end of Lago Perito Moreno. The road took us winding past Lago Nahuel Huapi with beautiful views. We were treated to an absolute bluebird of a day and jumped off the bus at Puerto Pañuelo ready to search for panoramic views. Cerro de Llao Llao did not disappoint, and we had our lunch at the summit, looking out over the beautiful view. After lunch we did a full circuit around Villa Tacul, taking in the designated "mirador" points as we went and drinking in the beautiful vistas. With three weeks in Patagonia from now until the end of the month, we know that we will suffer a little from landscape fatigue, but today at least we were fully appreciative of the scenery! After a long day of travel the day before, and eight miles of walking today, we were pretty pooped by the time we got on the bus back into the centre of town. We opted for an early dinner (read: as early as Argentinian restaurant opening hours will allow, i.e. 8pm) and had a very underwhelming meal at El Boliche de Alberto. Disappointing, given it was so highly recommended. So we watched an episode of The Inbetweeners to cheer ourselves up and got an early night. At this rate, we'll be back on U.K. time by the time we fly back to London!

10 November - San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina