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  • South America 2023
    Day 22

    Spectacular Mountain Pass

    April 23, 2023 in Argentina

    Today the four of us boarded a bus to Santiago via a pass through the Andes - the Paso Internacional Los Libertadores, also called Cristo Redentor. The road passed very close to Aconcagua, the highest peak in the western hemisphere. The border is actually in the middle of a 3,080 meter long tunnel.

    The views along the way were breathtaking. We saw majestic peaks, green valleys, and sparkling rivers. Atop the pass we saw the Cristo Redentor statue, a symbol of peace between Chile and Argentina. It sits at 3,832 meters (12,572 ft) at the pass of La Cumbre, the old road that links the two countries. The statue is four tons and was placed there in 1904. There were also some interesting cemeteries near the peak on both the Argentina and Chile sides.

    As an interesting side note, after cross the pass, we came into Santiago on the Autopista Los Libertadores, for which Craig led the financing for the lenders when he was at Debevoise.

    This is definitely one of the most spectacular roads I have seen! The mountains seem to thrust through the clouds as they both race towards the sky. The diversity of rock formations and patterns from centuries of erosion is just incredible. I definitely want to return and explore this area!    Read more

  • South America 2023
    Day 20

    Bike Ride

    April 21, 2023 in Argentina ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Today we had an amazing bike ride through the Parque General San Martin, one of the largest and most beautiful parks in Mendoza. We rented bikes from a nearby shop and entered the park through the impressive Portones del Parque San Martin, a monumental gate that welcomes visitors to this green oasis[.

    We rode along the Calle Los Platanos, a shady avenue lined with plane trees that change colors with the seasons. We saw people jogging, walking their dogs, having picnics and enjoying the fresh air. The park is very well maintained and has many attractions, such as a zoo, a science museum, a lake, a rose garden and several fountains.

    One of the highlights of our ride was climbing up the Cerro de la Gloria, a hill that offers stunning views of the city and the mountains. On top of the hill, there is a majestic monument dedicated to General San Martin, the hero of Argentine independence who led his army across the Andes to liberate Chile and Peru[. The monument depicts scenes from his epic campaign and has bronze statues of soldiers and horses. It was very impressive and inspiring to see, even with the fast moving traffic.

    We learned some interesting facts from the internet about the park :The park was designed by Carlos Thays, a famous French landscape architect who also created many parks in Buenos Aires[. The park covers 865 acres and was inaugurated in 1896. He explained that the park is named after General San Martin because he was born in Mendoza and his house is now a museum that can be visited inside the park.

    After admiring the views from the hill, we descended back to the main road and continued our ride around the park. We stopped by the Fuente de los Continentes, a beautiful fountain that represents the five continents with allegorical figures. We also visited the lake, where we saw ducks, swans and rowboats.

    We had a wonderful time exploring the Parque General San Martin by bike. It was a great way to experience nature, culture and history in one place.

    I will be adding a video very soon!    Read more

  • South America 2023
    Day 19

    Mendoza: First Day

    April 20, 2023 in Argentina ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Today was our first day in Mendoza, Argentina. After settling in our Airbnb, we started our day by visiting Plaza Independencia, the main square of the city. It was a sunny and warm day, and we enjoyed walking around the spacious park, admiring the fountain and the statues.

    The start of our exploration made us hungry, so we had a nice lunch sitting outdoors in the pedestrian zone. We enjoyed a nice pizza and a chicken salad. After lunch we stopped by a travel agency to book a wine tour. We were successful and our tour will be Saturday.

    From there, we walked to Plaza España, another charming square that features Spanish tiles, a mosaic fountain and a monument to the Spanish immigrants. We learned that Mendoza has a strong cultural and historical connection to Spain, as it was founded by Pedro del Castillo in 1561.

    We enjoyed seeing the wonderful architecture in Mendoza. Architectural styles include; Colonial, Neoclassical, Art Deco, Modernist, and Contemporary.

    We had a great first day in Mendoza, and we can't wait to see more of this amazing city tomorrow.    Read more

  • South America 2023
    Day 19

    On the Way to the Airport

    April 20, 2023 in Argentina ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    We enjoyed exploring Bariloche and the Nahuel Huapi National Park. After we left our cabin this morning, and as we approached the airport, we were greeted with amazing landscapes with roaming clouds that hugged the mountains and trees. We didn’t even need to get out of the car to enjoy these views!Read more

  • South America 2023
    Day 18

    Nahuel Huapi National Park

    April 19, 2023 in Argentina ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    We just came back from an amazing two-day road trip to Nahuel Huapi National Park, the oldest and second-largest national park in Argentina. It was a beautiful and adventurous experience.

    We started our trip from Bariloche and drove along Route 40, a legendary road that crosses the Andes and connects many natural and cultural attractions. We visited 10 lakes in total during our trip, each one with its own charm and beauty. Some of them were Nahuel Huapi, Moreno, Escondido, Correntoso, Espejo, Traful, Villarino, Falkner, Machonico and Lácar. We enjoyed the scenery and taking photos.

    Research from the internet: We also saw a lot of bird life, especially the white-throated hawk, a rare and majestic raptor that lives in this region. We saw a lot of lichens that grow in the park, and hung from branches.

    We spent our first night in San Martín de los Andes, another town on the shore of Lake Lácar. It was a picturesque and charming place with a lot of history and culture. The town was founded in 1898 by settlers from Chile who crossed the Andes looking for land. It has a population of about 24,000 people and it is known for its skiing resort on Cerro Chapelco. We had fun exploring the town's shops, restaurants and bars. We had too much fun and drank too much wine and cocktails, but we had a lovely dinner. The weather was cold and windy that day, but we didn't mind.

    The second day we drove along Route 63, another scenic road that goes along Lake Nahuel Huapi. The highlight of our trip was hiking to a waterfall in the park. We followed a trail that took us through lush forests, rocky slopes and crystal-clear streams. The forest had many different types of trees with lichen swaying in the breeze. It was like something out of the pages of a fairytale. Some of the small wooden foot bridges were a challenge to cross. The waterfall was spectacular, with water cascading down from a high cliff into a pool below. It was beautiful, an hidden oasis as described by Kristy.

    We stopped at Villa La Angostura, another town on the shore of the lake. It was a quieter and more relaxed place than San Martín de los Andes. The town was founded in 1932 by pioneers who wanted to create a tourist destination in harmony with nature. It has a population of about 12,000 people and it is known for its skiing resort on Cerro Bayo. We stayed overnight in a cozy cabin near the lake and enjoyed a fire in our cabin. The weather was warm and sunny that day, which made us happy.

    One of the most amazing things we saw during our trip was the spectacular colors of the trees in autumn. The park was like a painting with shades of yellow, orange, red and green. And of course, the lakes did not disappoint. The grandness, serene colors of the water, and the “sheets of glass” on the second and sunny day was simply beautiful. We were mesmerized by the beauty of nature and felt grateful for being there.    Read more

  • South America 2023
    Day 16

    Our Boat Outing: Victoria Island

    April 17, 2023 in Argentina ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

    After leaving Parque National Park, our boat headed to Victoria Island.

    After a 30 minute boat ride our boat moored on Puerto Anchorena, on Victoria island. Once we were off the boat we followed a few of the paths and walked through forests with lush vegetation. We followed one of the trails that took us to Playa del Toro, a volcanic-sand beach where we saw some ancient paintings made by the native peoples that used to live on the island. We didn’t have a tour guide with us this time around but had a great time exploring.

    At every turn there was a magnificent view. We took many photos and enjoyed the fresh air and the amazing island views.    Read more

  • South America 2023
    Day 16

    Our Boat Outing: Parque National Park

    April 17, 2023 in Argentina ⋅ ⛅ 6 °C

    So after getting to the marina, purchasing tickets and park entrance fees, our boat is turning around due to mechanical issues. I guess better to know now than later in the evening further away.

    We’ll get a refund and find a hike or something to do in our last day here.

    Update: We are getting on a different boat! After a quick lunch we boarded a very crowded boat. Anyway, the views are stunning but it’s quite cold outside on the boat.

    Some information I found about the port we boarded our boat - Puerto Pañuelo is a passenger port located in Llao Llao peninsula, on Nahuel Huapi Lake. It is located 25 km west of the city of Bariloche, Argentina. The original port was built in 1965 by The National Park Administration, as part of the tourist infrastructure with which Nahuel Huapi National Park was endowed.

    We had a great tour guide. At the Parque National park, our guide gave us a private tour in English. We learnt about the different volcanic rocks on the beach produced by earthquakes and eruptions.

    Also, we learnt about the humming birds and a tiny marsupial (20cm in size) that inhabits the forest as they eat the fruit of the red flowers which are parasites that grow on these trees.

    The Forrest on this peninsula are quite special as it’s the only place on the world where a type of bush grows to the size of a tree. This bush is the Luma Apiculata. When you place your hand on the trunk it is cold since you can feel the coldness of its sap due to the thinness of its bark. Luma apiculata

    There is a native tree that fights off parasites by closing the area on “infestation” with a bowl shaped wound where these mushroom like spouts are eaten by a certain marsupial (like a large rat). Our guide said this mushroom are quite sweet. We saw these “bowls” up in the branches of this tree.

    We also learnt about the earthquakes and volcanoes that have contributed to the different small rocks found on the beach. What a great tour and tour guide!!!    Read more

  • South America 2023
    Day 15

    Cerro Campanario View Point

    April 16, 2023 in Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    Today we planned on taking a boat ride but learnt there was only one boat going out this afternoon. So we shifted gears and decided to take the chair lift to the top of Cerro Campanario, one of the most scenic viewpoints in Bariloche. The ride was nice and smooth, as we soared above the trees and enjoyed the panoramic views of the lake and the mountains. The weather was perfect, sunny and clear, and we could see for miles. We felt like we were on top of the world.

    When we reached the summit, we were greeted by a cozy café and a souvenir shop. The atmosphere was peaceful and serene, and we felt so grateful to be there.

    We took many photos and videos of the stunning landscape, and admired the beauty of nature.

    We spent about an hour at the top, and then hiked back down. We agreed to give our unused tickets to hikers on their way up as we proceeded down the path that was quite steep at times.    Read more

  • South America 2023
    Day 14

    Battle of the Breweries

    April 15, 2023 in Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    We first visited one of the breweries in Colonia Suiza. A short walk from the center of town - Berlina Patagonia Brewery, which is a family-owned business that produces craft beers with natural ingredients.

    We also got to enjoy some of their beers, such as the pale ale, the stout, and the red ale. They were all very flavorful and refreshing and paired greatly with the french fries we ordered.

    We enjoyed the cozy atmosphere of the brewery, which has a wooden deck. Kristy the dog whisperer quickly made friends with Olympia, a rescued grey hound and some of the other neighborhood dogs who were curious about some of the visitors or our french fries.

    Soon after we hopped in the car and drove to the Patagonia Brewery, which is located near Colonia Suiza. This brewery is part of a famous Argentinian beer brand that produces high-quality craft beers with natural ingredients and pure water from the Andes. We were impressed by the modern and eco-friendly facilities, which use solar panels and recycle water and waste according to internet research.

    We enjoyed some of their beers; such as the Bohemian Pilsener, and the Amber Lager. They were all very smooth and refreshing. As a side note, it was unanimous that we liked the beers from the Berlina Patagonia over these, but the views of the lake and the vibe at Patagonia Brewery were amazing.

    We enjoyed the stunning views of the lake and the mountains from the brewery’s terrace, where we hung out some. We also learnt from one of the staff members, due to the following day’s election, alcohol would not be sold after 9pm and the following entire day nationally - good to know!    Read more

  • South America 2023
    Day 14

    Colonia Suiza

    April 15, 2023 in Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    This afternoon, we decided to visit Colonia Suiza today, a quaint village about 25 kilometers from Bariloche. It was founded by Swiss immigrants in the late 19th century and still preserves its European heritage. We were charmed by the wooden houses, the artisanal shops, and the scenic views of the mountains and the lake.

    We spent the afternoon walking around the village and admiring the nature. We saw some interesting little shops; handicrafts, organic jams, jewelry, and various food items. Craig and Brad enjoyed some ice cream. We then took a short walk to one of them many lakes in the region. Pristine waters, surrounded by trees and mountains.

    We had a wonderful time at Colonia Suiza and felt like we traveled back in time to a simpler era. It was a nice contrast to the busy city of Bariloche and a great way to experience a different side of Patagonia.    Read more

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