We're Mobile!

For $200 pesos a day ($50 Canadian — expensive yes - but worth it!) we are able to rent a fire red VW Golf and have the chance to drive around this part of the country. After three months of driving on the right side of the road in NZ and Tasmania, it's nice to get back to normal and cruise along on the left. There aren't many rules of the road in Argentina and even less stop signs. You just have to watch what you're doing and be mindful when approaching an intersection.

Tomorrow, we will pack up and leave our apartment, jump in the rental and drive through the 7 lakes region to San Martin de Los Andes. After a couple of nights there, looking around and doing some short hikes in the mountains and surrounding parks, we'll drive back through the Enchanted Valley to Bariloche.

Today, we take our Golf for a warm-up spin, doing the Circuito Chico (plus some off roading!) which again takes us along Avenida Bustillo and into Parque Llao-Llao.





Our first stop is at the quaint chapel Capilla San Eduardo which also appears to be the best place for tourists to get a photo snapped with one of Bariloche's cask collared St. Bernards. We take a pass. But we do get some good views of the famous Llao-Llao hotel.




We then venture into the park and find a number forest walks leading to more panoramic mountain and lake views.


















Our favourite spot is Lago Escondido. Wow, what a view! It was such a tranquil spot that we just sat and took it all in for a long time.





















And then further along the road we went — to the Cementerio Montanes, a resting place for those who have died while hiking mountains and then along some bumpy, rutty roads and over to the ski hill, Cerro Catedral, for a look see at the downhill layout before all the winter rush begins.












And then back home, along the famed Patagonian Route 40, which also takes us through the part of Bariloche they don't show you — where the locals live, not the swishy touristy part we're in. It's a bit desolate. We are reminded that we are still very much in South America.