Burning tires in protest 

Our drive back into the west of Argentina became a little more exciting when getting gas became a problem. Apparently Argentina has a fairly constant issue with its gasoline; companies want to increase prices but the government will not provide subsides, so to make sure they have as much control over the market, companies limit the amount of gas available by producing the minimum allowable amount. We both thought the remote region just had less gas, but that was definitely not the case. When we got to Trelew on our way out of town it was decided that desperate times called for desperate measures: we would camp at the gas station and wait until the fuel truck showed up. Luckily, the truck came about an hour later but we decided to camp the night there anyway. It was actually a fantastic idea because a) they had hot showers that cost $1.50, b) there was wireless internet c) they had real coffee and practically a restaurant in there. The following night we stayed at another YPF and had another great experience camping alongside the truckers.

Camping at the gas station

Glaciar Perito Moreno

Next, we made our way to El Calafate to see Glaciar Perito Moreno in Parque Nacional Los Glaciares. This glacier was by far one of the most magnificent things I have ever seen, and well worth the admission fees. The park had a great walkway and many places to sit and listen to the glacier calving huge icebergs into the lake (a sound similar to thunder). It was also declared the eighth wonder of the world by Patrimony of Humanity by UNESCO. We liked it so much, we decided to stay the night, unfortunately this isn’t allowed and we got kicked out in the morning. L We considered walking on the glacier (one well recommended company by Lonely Planet is Hielo & Aventura: www.hieloyaventura.com) but decided in the end it was too expensive.

 

Illegal camping

After the glacier we made our way to El Chalten, a town a few hours north of El Calafate. El Chalten has gotten a lot of hype. I heard about it several times, and decided it would be worth exploring while in Patagonia. To be honest, I think Christmas was not the best time to go. There were tourists everywhere which I found irritating even though I am one. This is mainly to do with the trekking scene: El Chalten is home to Fitz Roy and some world class mountaineering which draws hardcore, skilled, and bad-ass climbers to the area who are attempting to do some pretty insane ascents. However, it also draws everyone else that kind of wants to be hardcore (and who look it), but aren’t really doing anything all that special. For example, it must be trendy to wear bandanas around your neck (even though Iain and I were both baffled at what purpose they served) and to use trekking poles. Don’t get me wrong, I can appreciate if you are older and have a balance issue they might be a great tool to keep you moving with a little extra stability. But generally, they were totally unnecessary and actually caused more damage to the trail than anything else.  I will make a comparison to explain:  using the trekking poles on this trail is similar to using trekking poles on the millennium trail. I think I mentioned the horseflies in an earlier post, and let me tell you, they were out in full force during our time 

Laguna Torre

there. I felt like a bee keeper with bees swarming everywhere around me, the downside being they were actually horseflies trying to bite and there was no honey at the end of it all.  Regardless of all of this, we checked out Laguna Torre and spent the night then went to and Laguna de los Tres the next day and they were both beautiful. The mountain scenery was spectacular and I hiked up a bottle of champagne for Christmas Eve. When we got back into town Christmas day we had one of the best meals we’ve had so far at El Bodegon Cerveceri, the highlight being the best vegetarian pizza ever.

 

Fitz Roy 

Merry Christmas

Hippies and Penguins

Surf check

Iain: The drive out of Canyon Azul involved a very steep and bumpy 4x4 road which bounced us around vigorously and more importantly, the Troopers oxidized gas tank. It became obvious that we needed to flush out the debris in our gas tank. We pulled into “Rally Sport”, a maintenance shop geared towards 4x4s owned and run by Muaricio and Pamela. It somehow seemed that we were priority and were helped right away. I spent the rest of the day assisting Muaricio while Megan patiently read her book and ate cherries.  Our gas tank was free of debris, our 4x4 system was inspected for wear, and or carburetor was cleaned and tuned. The Trooper never ran so well, possibly too well…..  Muaricio invited us over for lunch, a barbeque for dinner, a bed to sleep for the night, and use of his laundry machine.

Megan: Being in El Bolson an extra day longer didn’t turn out to be all that bad because they have a great  feria artisanal (craft market) three times a week. It happened to be a Saturday when we checked it out and was definitely worth seeing. El Bolson tends to draw a hippie crowd into the town with their nonnuclear zone and fair share of organic farming and the market had new-agers and several people that wore genie pants (a fashion trend in South America it seems) but that had also decided to forgo wearing shoes. One man told us that there were a lot of Canadians from Nelson, B.C. that visited the area. For anyone that knows Nelson, it seemed all too fitting. We got a lot of neat stuff from the market: drinking mugs with wooden exterior, hand-made spoons, I got some earrings, berries and cherries, and a thank-you gift for the soon-to-be-born Melana.

Iain: Ready to leave El Bolson we fueled up on fruits, vegetables, and gasoline. The Trooper purred along without haste. Five minutes into the stress free drive our temperature gauge began to climb. We pulled over, popped the hood and saw antifreeze everywhere. One of our coolant hoses had ruptured. Luckily the hose was long enough to trim and the rupture was near the end of the line. I was able to repair the line on the road and we were back on track awaiting the next obstacle.

Megan: The next day we made it from the west all way over to the opposite coast stopping in Puerto Madryn. The drive was really pretty boring and we were both surprised at how flat and baren the drive was. We stayed at a campground which despite the number of people turned out to be great. The showers were clean and hot, plus there were electrical outlets at every site so we were able to charge up the electronics and Iain cut his hair. We left the next morning to go see the Magellanic penguins at Punta Tombo where a colony of 300,000-800,000 penguins reside from October to March. Although the travel time to see these creatures was ridiculously long they were so incredible to watch. We were also lucky enough to see some babies alongside their parents.

Here are a few interesting facts about these little guys:

-they have a 30 year life expectancy

-most have monogamous breeding partners for the season and have strong family bonds

-they can drink saltwater and expel the excess salt by sneezing

Off to Work

After our visit, we decided to get out of the area because it was so flat, with not a lot to see or do. Previously, I wondered why the guide book didn’t say much about the east coast or anything in the middle of central Argentina, but now we know why! Iain said he had never driven so straight, for so long while driving so slow. We couldn’t wait to get back into the mountains for some change of scenery. 

Chile to Argentina

Argentina/Chile Border

Our last post happened in Pucon, Chile on a rainy day. So far, I would have to say Pucon has been my favourite spot. It was a beautiful mountainous location with a touristy feel, but not in a cheesy souvenir kind of way. We checked out some hotsprings called Termas Los Pozones. These were a bit of a disappointment mainly because there were too many people and the water was dirty. There were quite a few termas around the area and Los Pozones boasts the lowest cost and natural pools under the starlight--but when it's bustling it seemed like just an overcrowded bathtub! Needless to say, we got out of there pretty fast and camped by a river that night. The next day turned out to be awesome and we hiked in a natural native araucaria forest.

Araucaria Forest

Our Volunteer Trail Guide

 This spot called El Canl is a spectacular sanctuary that was created by locals to deter logging interests in the area. I read a sign that said the trees were 200 million years old... I'm not sure how accurate that was, or if I missed something there, but I will admit I did feel like I was in Jurassic Park. We acquired another 4-legged friend that day for the entirety of the 6 hour hike who had soft spot for cows which resulted in some pretty angry beasts chasing us down a mountain and then baricaiding the exit. We ended up slipping past them through the barbed wire fence and thankfully they didn't charge after us!

The Blockade 

The Cow Loving Dog

At the Top with the Monkey Puzzle Trees

 After the hiking, decided we needed to search for another shower. It has been a bit of a task at times because some hostels aren't supper keen on car camping stragglers wandering in to just their facilities. However, The Tree House turned out be generous enough to help us out and we were able to fill up on water, plus I finally traded The Help at their book exchange. 

Volcano near Pucon

The next day we decided it was time to move on from Pucon, so after the most fresh, froshy, and tart lemonade I've ever had (at Cassis) we made for the hills on route to Argentina! We managed to get across the border with fifteen minutes left to spare before they closed for the night. They next day we made our way into civilization driving through Junin de Los Andes and San Martin. The latter town was much more exciting then the first with an undeniable European feel. I noticed it right away, looking at the buildings, and the items in the grocery stores: a lot of pasta, real coffee, and chocolate everywhere. As we kept driving, we started to dislike Argentina: no normal left hand turns, so many flies everywhere, and so much dirt. Finally, I suggested that the excessive dust everywhere might be ash from the nearby volcanoes in Chile...turns out it is.

Paddling Around the Ashy Mountains

 So much so, people had dusk masks on and it was impossible to make out any of the beautiful scenery around us.The next day we woke up to finish the trek to El Bolson and decided to hike the Cajon del Azul. The hike was nice, but the real superstar was the water--pristine, clear and amazing. There was a refugio at the top that Iain really loved. Basically a place for people to camp and eat with a great garden, sheep, and homemade beer. An old-timer built this place in the middle of nowhere in the 80's himself and it was a feat in itself having anything up there at all. It was made of natural timbers and the carpentry was unique and impressive.

Safety First?

The Glorious Water of Cajon del Azul

Week Highlights

Asados con Emeterio y Iris

Eating Arroz y Leche ice cream

Drinking Lemon Stone

Feather duvet in the trooper

Bathing in the river

Surfing

4x4ing along the river

Finishing the bed frame

Espanol escuela con Mireya

Listening to ‘If ya think I’m sexy’ on the radio

Discovering pancakes with yogurt thanks to Marjorie

Finding peanut butter in San Clemente

Climbing a mountain

Making it to Pucon

Favorite quote

‘We’re not in the Jeep (Tony’s WW2 Willy’s Jeep) Iain!’

Finally!!!

Life at the gas plant

Thanks Marjorie

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Laundry day on the river