Argentina - Shopping and last minute walks

For those looking for the glamorous shops, look no further than Galerias Pacifico in Retiro. It's a modern shopping centre with a huge food hall and all the normal glamour brands sold worldwide!

Another street that is great for pedestrians is Florida. This pedestrian street has a " cambio" dealer every 5 steps! Just be careful of these money changers as the high exchange rate offered may bounce back in the form of false notes given!!

Av de Mayo is another good street to walk down and we took a tea break at the famous Cafe Tortoni. This world renowned coffee shop is beautiful inside with interesting decor and decent tables. Supposedly the oldest cafe in Argentina, it was established in 1858. Tea is served with tea leaves which makes quite a change in this era of teabags! Some of the waiters look pretty ancient as well!

Some observations:
Many smokers in the streets - horrible to inhale! Even worse than the vehicle fumes

McDonald's,  Burger King, Tupperware, Subway, Avon, Starbucks (everywhere!) and all the usual brand stores plus many Magazine/Flower Kiosks on the pavements

Kiosks selling chips, soft drinks and sweets are so tiny and there are often 2 or 3 right next to each other.

People are everywhere, dashing somewhere.

Traffic is relentless, fast but well behaved.
Buses go every which way and there are very many all day long.

Drivers are courteous to pedestrians and only seem to hoot occasionally

Architecture is a mixture of old, new or very decrepit!

Most pedestrians wait for the "white" man and when it starts flashing red, there is a second countdown so you know how fast to walk!

Motor bikes have parking permits in the Centre - pieces of paper flapping in the breeze.

Graffiti is everywhere - on every single garage type door  (closed kiosks ) and just on anything that can be scrawled upon.

Parking garages are everywhere - mostly just open plots where the cars are often double parked.

Loads of hawkers in Puerto Madera selling selfie sticks!

Homeless people sleeping in doorways

Bin diggers along the waterfront in Puerto Madera

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

                For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

                                      www.bradclin.com

Argentina - the Gardens of Palermo, Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires from the Japansese Gardens

 Buenos Aires is a concrete jungle unless you get well out of the city. Apartments are the accommodation of all in the neighbourhoods in Buenos Aires so it is pleasing that there are a number of green lungs in the city. Today, we chose to explore those in Palermo, an upmarket area with numerous hotels.

Traffic in BA during the week is continuous no matter where you venture. However, everybody appears to drive well, albeit very fast. There is seldom any hooting - this makes a change from Manhattan, New York or anywhere in India!

Our Radio Taxi dropped us off at the Japanese Gardens for our 1st stop.
We really  enjoyed the Japanese gardens - well laid out and very pretty.

The Japanese Gardens in Buenos Aires

Such wonderful gardens despite the traffic noise from one side and the barking dogs on the other side!
Dog walkers are very common in BA die to all the apartment living. So the owners pay somebody to take the dogs out. These are pegged on the grassed area so they have a few metres to move. However, because they cannot sniff each other as dogs do, they bark continuously! The leads to take them home again all hang on the nearest tree! Watch for the poop as this is not cleaned up!

Dog Walkers are all over Buenos Aires!

Our next stop was the Rose Garden.

This garden is beautifully designed and it must be simply incredible when all the roses are in bloom. The few that are currently blooming have the most amazing scents. It must truly be rose heaven during the blooming season.

There was a photographer on the Greek Bridge doing some sort of fashion shoot. The young girl had to change outfits just below the bridge where they had suitcases of clothing!

One thing that has amazed us in this city are the number of smooching couples. They really go to town and one has to wonder why they are not at home in bed!!
And all in full view of the public! Population explosion?

Botanical Gardens Buenos Aires

Our next stop was the Botanical Garden which is another green oasis. There was not much flowering but the trees are stunning and everything has s green carpet of foliage.

Now that we had enjoyed our "nature" fix we decided to walk back to our hotel in San Telmo. Rather crazy? Yes!!

But by pounding the uneven pavements in tune with the hundreds of locals we could experience a tiny, noisy slice of local daily life in BA. The traffic noise is horrendous - how anybody can talk on a cell phone is beyond my imagination.

We passed a few beggars - mother, father and child plus an old woman alone. Some blind people as well but thankfully they all had carers.

Crossing these wide roads is another story - we nearly got squashed earlier when the " white" man came on and so did the 6 lanes of traffic! There was very obviously something wrong at that intersection. So we decided to wait for the locals to get going first but that brings on its own risks as some of them cross on the "red" man. Caution is advised as traffic is fast and roads are wide! To be fair,  drivers do wait for pedestrians on the smaller crossings - very patient and polite!

There are many bra and panty shops - do they sell so many as they are taken off so fast? One wonders!

With so many pedestrians to dodge, uneven pavements and traffic we were pleased to make it home safely after also having to cross the widest street in Buenos Aires, Av 9 de Julio which has approx 15 lanes. One cannot cross in one go, it takes about 3 attempts! And wait for the "white" man!!!

And after 2 hours of pounding the pavements we are now resting our wearing bones - tomorrow is another day!

The Rose Garden Buenos Aires

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

                For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

                                      www.bradclin.com

Please share - if you did not enjoy this post .....Shhh - but please still share!

Thanks!

Argentina, Buenos Aires - Recoleta Cemetery and La Boca

Eva Peron - Recoleta Cemetery Buenos Aires

Recoleta Cemetery is touted as the must visit in Buenos Aires. It is huge; make no mistake but whether it is really of that much interest to a Non-Argentinian I don't really know. We have visited many interesting graveyards all over the world that have shown us a slice of history of the people. Recoleta is only for the very wealthy to bury their dead as the mausoleums sell for the same price as an apartment! Can you imagine that? Seems crazy.

You truly require a map to get around this place otherwise you could be lost forever in Recoleta! Maps are sold at the entrance. This cemetery was created in 1822 and covers 4 city blocks.

The streets are narrow and many  - just be thankful that us mere mortals will never end up here as we don't have the famous surnames or their wealth.

Recoleta Cemetery Buenos Aires Argentina

Ostentatious does not even begin to describe some of these mausoleums. However,  some are very neglected and these are being re - sold if no further members of the family can be traced.

All rather gory!

We did spot a very contented cat sleeping in the sun on some very expensive "real estate"!

La Boca - El Caminito
This is one area that tourists go to for the colourful houses. It is only safe in the main tourist area - anywhere else in La Boca and you are asking for trouble as it is not a very savoury neighbourhood. We also saw our first shack time dwellings in this area.

Colourful Houses in La Boca

The tourist area is well worth a visit though with a number of shops, restaurants and those crazy looking buildings. There are a number of artists displaying their works.  The sidewalks in La Boca are all very high as the area used to suffer from many floods. This problem has long gone but the high sidewalks remain. It's a pity this place is so dangerous for tourists to venture on their own and one hopes that it can become safer.

However, in all of Buenos Aires it is not advisable to walk with a camera - this has really annoyed me as I have travelled to many countries without a problem. It means that I have not been able to get a good photographic record of my time here.

Art in La Boca Buenos Aires

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

                For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

                                      www.bradclin.com

Please share - if you did not enjoy this post .....Shhh - but please still share!

Thanks!

Argentina, Buenos Aires - Tigre Delta

Tigre Delta Buenos Aires

Tigre Delta - what an amazing place!
With no running water and only boats for transport, this is a slice of paradise! You can pick up a bargain at around USD 60,000 perhaps but then there is also the cost of the boat and regular maintenance to the house after each flood!

All the homes are built on stilts as the river rises depending on the wind direction. The boats are also moored high up on some contraption so as to escape being washed away when the levels rise.

So its not for the feint hearted!

The area is very lush and the lawns are so green and well kept. I even spotted some residents out on their lawns suntanning.
Most of the homes have water tanks.

Originally there were wild animals in the Delta and the name of Tigre comes from this era although the animals were actually jaguars not tigers.

Boats are a MUST as the only means of transport!Tigre Delta

There are many tourist boats - ours was with Sturia . The delta is immense with over 5000 waterways. Current population is around 3000. The islands in the Delta supply the cellulose, paper and plywood industries.

There is a huge difference between the Tigre Delta, Buenos Aries and the backwaters of Alleppy, India. The first is really only for the more well heeled Argentinians whereas the Indian backwaters house a very much poorer population of thousands. It has been interesting to view both and realise the vast difference between the 2 although both are living in the same sort of natural environment.

Everything in the Tigre Delta has to be delivered by boat and this starts with the building materials, then all the furniture  required.  There are boats for all occasions supplying the residents e.g. Supermarket boats, ice cream boats, pizza boats, plus a hospital boat for emergencies. We saw huge bottles of water and cola being dropped off at a jetty.

Supply Boats (Supermarket by boat!) Tigre Delta

Whilst we obviously only saw a minute section of the enormous delta area, the wide lawns and interesting homes really fascinated me and I would have loved to have spent a week- end in this glorious spot. Oh well, can't have it all!

Rowing is an important part of life here and there are numerous rowing clubs on the other side of the river such as Italian and English. Many are housed in beautiful buildings.

Rowing Club Buenos Aires

There is also the very interesting
"Market of the Fruit" close by the ferries. The older section of the market is open all week whereas the many other shops only open at week-ends. Upmarket goods are on sale here in the permanent section - beautiful to browse around.

A truly beautiful spot just an hour out of Buenos Aires or approx. 50 by train.

"Market of the Fruit" sells all sorts! Buenos Aires

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

                For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

                                      www.bradclin.com

Please share - if you did not enjoy this post .....Shhh - but please still share!

Thanks!

Argentina - Buenos Aires on the Open Top Bus

Buenos Aires

Today we braved the cold and rain to explore the city via the Hop on Hop off bus.

This tour gives one an overview of the city and takes about 3 hours if you stay on board for the duration.

Buenos Aires is a melting pot of old Colonial architecture, high rise apartments, horrid, decrepit areas that look very unsavoury plus the better, more expensive areas where one can spot the professional "dog walkers". Handling at least 6 dogs, all on individual leads must take some doing in the traffic of Buenos Aires!

This city has many statues and memorials plus very many museums. The dramatic change in the centre today, from Sunday, was the sheer volume of people scurrying about as if they are all late for a very important meeting. One has to wonder where all these locals are dashing to in their sombre outfits?

Traffic is also manic with everybody in a hurry to be somewhere important. For me, a slower pace of life is much better! Who wants to be chasing the rainbow either on foot or in a vehicle? It's no wonder that the city is deserted over week-ends as the locals take to Palermo parks or the long walk in Puerto Madera  where the vendors do such a roaring trade. Apartment living? Even upmarket?

With just a balcony pot plant as your garden? Nope, not for me.

Seeing some elderly folk walking gingerly along in the more down trodden areas of Buenos Aires makes one realise the great divide in the income and social brackets of this immense city.

However,  there are extremely beautiful areas further out of the city with palatial homes that even feature GARDENS!!!
This is where I would feel happier rather than in the concrete jungle, even the upmarket one in Puerto Madera!

Pope Francis hails from Buenos Aires and has recently visited Cuba and USA to promote peace and goodwill. Let's hope the message reaches worldwide!

Soccer is alive and well in the city with the Boca Juniors who play in blue and yellow plus the River Plate who play in red and white. Both stadiums can be toured.

The river Plate is the widest river on the world being 220 km at some point. It looks like a sea as one cannot see land on the other side! Only problem is that's it's brown. The river water is purified in Buenos Aires and makes up their water supply. The brown colour is due to clay from the upper regions of the river plus minerals. No swimming is allowed in this river although apparently some folk do ignore this rule during the heat of summer.

Argentina is made up of 24 provinces and each has their own government. So laws are different!

The main fuel stations in the country are YPF. Apparently, the government sold all the national assets in the 1990's but have now bought them all back again! 

Schooling in compulsory in Argentina and English is taught at all Government schools. It must be fairly rudimentary as not many citizens speak English.

Private schools are expensive but offer certificates from different countries for languages which assists those persons  looking to deal with tourists in Argentina.
Many of the private schools are Roman Catholic.

Subsides do exist in certain areas of the city on electricity and gas. But if you live in the more upmarket areas there are no subsides!

Taxes are also targeted at the rich with Property and Income Tax. Sales tax is currently 21% and affects all. Tax on higher end cars such as Audi and Mercedes Benz are also higher! 

A Presidential election is coming up soon - there are 6 candidates and the winner must have at least 45% with the next in line at about 35%. If there is no clear winner then there is a second round of voting featuring only the top 2. Seems a fair way to elect a president.

Motor bike riders are supposed to have their number plate numbers either on the helmet or jacket - however, not everybody abides by this rule!

A melting pot of many people and many things, this city!

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

                For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

                                      www.bradclin.com

Argentina - Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires - Puerto Madera

Now for the big city! After visiting Cordoba, the 2nd largest city in Argentina and then into the countryside of Villa Angostura, we now look forward to the big BA.

Moremo Hotel will be our base for our stay. Art Deco architecture, large, modern rooms, wonderful old lifts with cage type doors  (these remind me of the old lifts in Garlicks, Cape Town!) and pleasant staff who speak English. The road outside of the hotel us pretty grotty though!

Puerto Madera, Buenos Aires

Our first outing was to Puerto Madera. Easily within walking distance from our hotel, there are numerous restaurants, very upmarket apartments and the Hilton hotel plus the famous dikes. Nothing is too cheap here but it it still thronged with locals over week-ends. Roller blading is very popular along the smoother side of the dikes as the opposite side is rather cobbled. Both sides have numerous eating spots with both inside and outside tables.

There are a number of crossings from one side to the other but the most outstanding is the Pentagon de La Mujer

Puerto Madera Buenos Aires

This white structure is supposed to represent a couple dancing the tango but to my eyes it is more like a harp! This bridge swings open for traffic and cost AR6million! 

It's a great spot for people watching!

San Telmo:
The famous feria  (street market) on Sundays turns Defensa street into a very long and busy flea market. All sorts of goods are on offer from the gorgeous to the silly. Buskers can be entertaining. This street gets very crowded and busy so take care with your possessions!

The market truly goes on forever and at the end it turns into an antique market with old cutlery, crockery and all sorts!

Buskers in San Telmo at the Sunday Market

It's very hard on the feet but worth it for the atmosphere of Buenos Aires on Sunday's!
Most of the shops lining the street are closed on Sundays, however some remain open with more upmarket goods and cool interiors.
Prices to match so take your credit card or lots of cash!

Plaza de Mayo

Our early morning walk was towards Plaza de Mayo where the Piramide de Mayo stands proud. This white obelisk was built to mark the 1st anniversary of BA's independence from Spain and the square is surrounded by beautiful buildings. The most well known is the Casa Rosada - the pink palace!

Unfortunately, we were caught by the "old mustard" trick. We were walking along when the "tourist" in front of us with his map and cell phone looked up and then started wiping his jacket. We walked past and then suddenly he called us to show us all the marks on our clothes! Offering a tissue to clean it off! Luckily it seemed there was only him. We took out our own tissues and thanked the bastard!  Further along a cop stopped us to ask if we were ok and if any of our belongings had been stolen. The cop spoke perfect English and warned us about this trick and advised us to get changed before heading any further. Thankfully,  all the mess washed out and we will be more aware in future.

This city is not the safest for tourists and it is the first time in all my travels that we have been molested like this. One cannot walk with a camera in full view which I have been doing all over for years - including in the slums of India with no problem. Anyway, thankfully nothing stolen!

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

                For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

                                      www.bradclin.com

Please share - if you did not enjoy this post .....Shhh - but please still share!

Thanks!

Argentina - Low hikes, high hikes!

Rio Bonito

After heavy rain overnight, the day dawned cloudy but not too cold.

The amazing air here just beckons one to get out so we headed for one of our favourite walks down the Rio Bonito river to the lake. The roar of the water tumbling over the huge boulders on the river bed is music to my ears.

Our friendly dog!

Just around the bend a dog met us - another one this time! Do we exude dog friendly vibes or are they just waiting for anybody to latch onto for another walk?

This dog was an absolute treat - she kept picking up stones, saying "please throw this for me!" Getting the stones either off the path or from in the water - either way worked for her. Eventually, James decided to try a stick - this worked just as well!

The dog walked us all the way to the lake and then indicated that she wanted the stick thrown into the water! The lake was like glass this morning and the dog caused a few ripple effects.

With not another soul in sight we walked all the way back throwing either stones or sticks. At the car we said good-bye and the dog wagged her tail and wandered back towards the houses.

A fun walk for all 3 of us.

The gorgeous view of the lake after our walk down Rio Bonito

 The clouds were reflected in the lake and the views were incredible. Not so easy to capture on camera without doing a panorama shot.










 This afternoon our hike was much tougher being uphill all the way to Cerro Belvedere. And it really was uphill all the way. The lazy people do it on horseback, the very fit run up, the school kids puff and pant even more than I do. So besides needing an oxygen tank, I only could rely on my Nordic walkers. I persevered and made it to the view point where there is a sign indicating another route of 3 or 4 hours. Thanks - but not today!

The village of Villa Angostura is way, way below and the bridge over the Rio Correntoso can be seen far away in the distance where we were hiking earlier in the week.

It's a glorious hike but be warned that it is pretty tough unless you are fit as a fiddle.

I don't profess to be a galloping granny so taking it in easy steps works for me!
Who can fail with all that amazing air, the forests and bird song all around?

We should sleep well tonight!

Next morning:
Another good hike is Ultima Esperanza.

Ultima Esperanza Hike

This is accessed off the road to Chile and there is parking on the right with the start of the hike on the left. There are sticks available but if you have your own hiking sticks take them along. There are some ups and quite slippery downs after all the recent rain. The flora is great and we loved the "holly" Whether it is called that in Argentina I have no idea. The trees are gorgeous and the hike ends at the lake after approx. 45 minutes walk.

It was very cloudy so the photos are not great but the water again is crystal clear.

One of the group trying to take photos with a GoPro!

The hike is rated "facil" but a guy of about 45 was puffing and panting even more than I was!

We came to a clearing where the floor was just a carpet of leaves, lying thick one upon the other, to make a soft bed.

Some of the tree trunks are covered in thick, green moss and make for interesting shots.

All in all, another great hike in Villa Angostura.

We tried to drive to the border with Chile but chains are compulsory and the snow markers are very high! While there is currently no snow on the road we would not get our car through the border unfortunately. So near yet so far!  I would have loved to cross the Andes mountains at this point!

Hike to Aguada Del Burro:

Once again this hike is reached by travelling towards Chile. The hike is not signposted but as we were in a group it did not matter.

The start was scary - very steep down with everybody slipping and sliding. Thankfully my Nordic walkers kept me upright, although with great difficulty!

One guy gave up and returned to his car.

The path is very narrow and at a certain point people had to climb underneath a huge fallen tree. I was about to give up at this stage but the guide told me to wait . I had horrid visions of him trying to haul me over this huge truck - the image was not pretty! But he cheated as there was a path around so all those poor people scrambled on all fours for nothing!

After more slippery slopes we reached the beach on the lake. Then it was another treacherous single file trip to view the waterfall. There were so many in the group that it was difficult to get close.

Trying to negotiate back to allow others to pass was another nightmare! However I received many helping hands in hauling me along - I have never said so many "gracias" as in such a short space of time.

We were then offered buns and a sweet, hot drink before winding our way upwards again. Strangely enough, going back was not too bad at all.

We have thoroughly enjoyed all the hikes in the Villa Angostura area - they are stunning.

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

                For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

                                      www.bradclin.com

Please share - if you did not enjoy this post .....Shhh - but please still share!

Thanks!

Argentina - Huerta Organica, Laguna Verde and Rio Bonito Falls

Our first outing today was to a local organic farm (Huerta Organica) where there are individual plots. It seems that berries are the main crop and they do sell jams that are made from their products. Some of the plots appear to be better managed than others but, of course, they have just come out of winter so I suppose the gardens cannot be looking at their best! Its a lovely spot and worth doing an organised tour if you can understand Spanish!

Our afternoon walk was around Laguna Verde. This small lake is surrounded by many trees and there are boards giving the tree names. The walk is not very long but it features many different tree species. We passed a horse that was very friendly and looking for a snack!

Our last short walk of the day was the 200 metres down to the Rio Bonito Falls.
Once again, the forest fascinates me - there are so many forests in this area of Villa Angostura. The falls are beautiful even though quite small. The roar of the water greets one before the falls are within site.

We sure are going to miss this incredibly fresh air - no pollution!!

All in all, an interesting day.

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

                For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

                                      www.bradclin.com

Argentina - San Martin De Los Andes

Our landmark in San Martin de los Andes!

Does the wind always blow in San Martin de los Andes? The dust swirls in all directions, battering one's face with tiny, stinging bits and making one's hair feel like straw. And the wind chill!

This town is located on Lake Lacar and is well laid out. It appears that there are strict town planning laws which have certainly helped to keep this town looking charming with its many interesting buildings.

We wandered around enjoying the crisp air and the gorgeous trees all decked out in pink.

There are many shops selling/renting ski equipment as the well known Chapelco Ski Resort is about 19 km away.

The nearby Parque National Lanin offers numerous opportunities for hiking and for the very fit there is the 3 day trek to the crater of Volcan Lanin. At 3776 m this is the highest peak in the park.

In our wanderings we spotted a menu in English! Yeah! La Casona is a family run restaurant with a friendly ambience. It's off the main drag and very tastefully decorated. My chicken with mushroom sauce was served with tons of potato croquettes but no vegetables! I am missing the Cape Town restaurant scene and will even welcome the spinach and butternut a La Spur!!!

We were seated at a window and gazing up at us with pleading eyes, was the cutest dog. He just kept looking at us and if eyes could talk...oh my word. As my chicken piece was huge I cut some into bite sized chunks and sneaked out the door to feed him. Well he gobbled this up and then vanished without even a thank you!!!

After lunch we headed back to the Plaza to find our car. Well yes - that was the plan. How does one lose a car in a grid - lined town? It seems easily! At this stage the town was also very quiet as the World Cup Rugby match between Argentina and New Zealand was being broadcast. So nobody to even ask for directions!

The clouds were getting thicker, the swirling dust relentless and the temperature was starting to plummet.

We had visions of walking in circles around these grid-lined streets until we dropped from sheer exhaustion!

Eventually, after about our 5th circuit we spotted the Red Bus parked at the Plaza and there on the opposite corner was our trusty vehicle, quietly awaiting our return.

James just about hugged the car - I don't think he has ever hopped in the drivers seat so fast.

The entire town is covered in this beautiful pink - truly stunning.

We headed back down the 7 Lakes Drive still marvelling at the beauty despite the heavy, dull cloud cover which showed no sign of lifting.

The roads were very quiet this Sunday, maybe because most locals stayed home to watch the WC Rugby 2015? Unfortunately, the Pumas lost to the All Blacks with final score being 26-16.
So there are some sad faces around.....!

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

                For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

                                      www.bradclin.com

Please share - if you did not enjoy this post .....Shhh - but please still share!

Thanks!

Argentina - 7 Lakes Drive

7 Lakes Drive Argentina

Stunning scenery - just magnificent. Sometimes words are just not good enough to describe this drive between Villa La Angostura and San Martin De Los Andes.

We have done the drive twice already in both directions so actually 4 times and we are still not tired of the landscapes.

This morning the lakes were like glass with incredibly breathtaking reflections of the snow covered peaks.

There are many stopping places in order to take photos and soak up the beauty all around.

Lago Correntoso, Lago Espejo Chico, Lago Falkner are my favourites but there are many more!

Take a picnic - there are many "camping" spots along the way - most have braai places but ablutions are rather basic if available!

The road is pretty good even though you may spot the odd cow munching away right next to the road or some horses that come right up to the car to see if there is some food on offer! The wild horses shy away and look rather neglected. Sheep can also be sighted so do take care.

If you wish to support a St Bernard called Hector, stop at the 2nd viewpoint out of Villa Angostura! A guy with a Kodak sign on his van sits there all day waiting to take photos of you with his dog.

A 2 km detour takes one to Lago Espejo Chico. This is a peaceful spot with great views. The locals really enjoy sitting on their deck chairs even when the weather is very chilly!

Lago Correntoso has views from both the long road bridge and lower down from the small beach areas. The water is crystal clear and has many different hues.

Another great stop is at Rio Ruca Malen where one can turn off the main road and  get down to the river. The old bridge is very photogenic and the water? Oh my word - it is so clear, deep and mysterious!  Incredible!

All in all, a place of great beauty and natural charm.

The Argentinians are preserving their landscapes as most are declared as National Parks.

It truly is a beautiful country!

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

                For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

                                      www.bradclin.com

Please share - if you did not enjoy this post .....Shhh - but please still share!

Thanks!

Argentina - Hike to Lago Espejo

Rio Correntoso

We headed off towards Rio Correntoso to take some photos of the bridge, river and lake.

At the parking spot we saw a sign that said Lago Espejo 5 km. So a hike - that sounded like a great idea as we have done a number of long drives and both felt the need for some exercise.

So off we set uphill. The houses here are set in amongst the trees - some look as if they never get any sun at all. That would depress me totally. A lake view - yes thanks! I am amazed that there are so many people who really live out in nature - no street lights and really in the middle of nowhere. They have to contend with muddy roads and just imagine during winter when snowfalls are also an issue?

I do love the architecture though and the fact that wood is the preferred medium for most of the buildings.

This road is so quiet with only a handful of cars passing us. As we headed further and further there was the load music of the builders working on a new house and even further on a few large dogs! That's the sum total of noise or human interaction  - it's just so quiet and peaceful. In fact, the only person we saw was a guy on a bicycle and he was perhaps heading to the construction site.

The houses must be rather expensive here, I assume, as they are well looked after and look pretty expensive.

However, I am not too sure if I would like to be so cut off from the world? The peace and tranquillity are a given with spaces between homes and quite far from Villa La Angostura.

There are not many places left in the world where one can walk such a distance and be totally safe!

The forest is amazing - very tall trees heading up towards the sunlight although some had such exposed roots that they look as if they will fall over at the slightest puff if wind. As we headed more into the forest, still following the signs, we wondered if a giant had measured out the so - called 5 km distance? By now we were just about at eye level with the snow capped mountains as we had gone up and up! The forest walk was glorious but hey, where is this lake?

Going higher and higher with no sign of  Lake Espejo anywhere close by, we eventually gave up and decided to head back down.

Unfinished home with this amazing view!

We did pass a half completed house with a gorgeous lake view (not Lake Espejo!) - it is for sale if anybody is interested in burying themselves in the country? Really deep in the country!

 



By now my nose, hands and mouth were feeling so frozen that I had visions of losing all feeling and ending up a frozen statue somewhere in the forest!

Luckily, I spotted a very sturdy bamboo stick on the ground and this helped to transverse the muddy and snowy bits on the long way down again.

After a long 3.5 hr walk with no rest we were very pleased to spy our parked car waiting at the Rio Correntoso bridge!

A hike to a mythical lake but perhaps it really was just around another few corners? Surrounded by tall trees and an ongoing upward spiral we both had our doubts!

Anyway, some great exercise in air so fresh it should be bottled!

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

                For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

                                      www.bradclin.com

Please share - if you did not enjoy this post .....Shhh - but please still share!

Thanks!

Argentina - llao llao Peninsula, Bariloche

Driving into Bariloche, Argentina

Our drive begins in Villa La Angostura where we are staying. The route to Bariloche is stunningly beautiful, first with the lake and glorious, snowy mountain peaks. Later on, the landscape becomes quite dry and desert like with the odd sighting of some horses and sheep. As one nears Bariloche the lake comes back into view. Today it was very choppy with little white waves.

There are many Police check points in Argentina - to date we have never been stopped but today we were stopped at 3 different points before reaching Bariloche!  As usual nobody speaks English and they all insist on jabbering away even when we say we do not understand! It is a requirement to drive with lights on at all times her

With much sign language and the odd Spanish word, James understood to produce his driving licence, passport and car hire papers. At least he knew what to show on the next 2 occasions!  The cops all smile and wave you on so it appears to be a licence check only.

Nearing Bariloche there were a number of traffic lights - what is interesting for us is the time countdown displayed next to light. 40 secs on both red and green.

Protesters at Llao Llao Hotel

Our focus drive was the Chico circuit on the Llao Llao Peninsula. 

Our first bit of action was at the well-known Llao Llao Hotel where there was a very noisy demonstration taking place. With drums, whistles and a lorry hooter blasting away it was extremely noisy and could be heard way down below in the road. The cops were standing back quietly, just monitoring the situation. It appears that the workers are demanding their increase now rather than in May 2016. It seems the complaint is that they earn 20% less in the hotels in Bariloche compared to equivalent 4 or 5 Star hotels in Buenos Aires.

This hotel is very impressive and has beautiful views over the water. Unfortunately too pricey for us mere mortals!

The road then starts winding through thick forest. Suddenly we saw a huge bird flying above the car. Just around the bend there was a parking spot with pictures of this bird. It turns out that we were extremely lucky to see a Andean Condor, a member of the vulture family. They feed on dead animals. The males weigh from 11 to 15 ks and the females from 8 to 11 ks. The Andean Condor is 2nd only to the Wandering Albatross in wing span. These magnificent birds mate for life and will only look for a new partner if partner dies. A great and exciting sighting! This magnificent birds are endangered.

The views continue to be mind-blowing with many photo stop opportunities. A couple from Chile very kindly offered to take a photo of us both at one of our stops.

Our next detour was via a very weird wooden bridge as we headed to the Swiss Colony about 3 km off the main road. This very cute village, in the middle if nowhere, even has a school! This village was established in the late 19th century when Felix and Maria Goye settled there.

It's an ideal spot to spend a night or two as there are hikes and also Canopy tours close by. The original Swiss culture is evident.

We chose to have a light lunch in one of the restaurants, El Portal. This village brews their own artesanal beer and we were offered Diuka in either white, black or red! That was Greek to us so we relied on the recommendation and chose the Red. It was pretty good. This restaurant charges a Cover Charge so the 2 tiny pizzas and 2 beers came to 300 pesos!
What on earth the cover charge us for I have no clue and did not feel like asking for an explanation in Spanish!

Behind another restaurant there were the cutest rabbits, huge sheep, some fowls and a notice asking the public not to disturb the "dikkops"  We had these birds at Villa Piren as well so I must find out the Spanish name.

We carried on this Circuit Chico to another stunning view point where there is a glassed in restaurant. Overlooking the lake and mountains this is just so beautiful. One can see the back of the Llao Llao Hotel from this vantage point.

Unfortunately we did not get to go up the chairlift at the base of Mt. Campanario as this must offer panoramic views from 1050 metres.

All in all a great drive and highly recommended.

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

                For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

                                      www.bradclin.com

Please share - if you did not enjoy this post .....Shhh - but please still share!

Thanks!