Jeff Gunn

Iguazu Falls and South to Mar Del Plata

by Jeff Gunn | Feb 16, 2022 | South America

Had we realized just how long and tedious the drive would be from northwest Argentina all the way to Iguazu Falls in the far northeast corner, I’m not sure we would’ve actually made the effort. Frankly it just seemed to take forever. Perhaps it was the monotony of the scenery – for the most part flat scrub and cattle ranches – and it didn’t really get interesting until the jungle-like to terrain of Misiones province ( it’s that little bit of Argentina in the northeast that is tucked up between Paraguay on the left and Brazil on the right).

Desperately needed a truck wash. Drove all over Iguazu looking and found these two young guys running a front yard “Lavadero” ( common in Argentina ).

They spent over an hour on it – the best clean the truck has ever had !

Having made the long haul to get there we were of course glad to have done it, though the humidity there was intense. Our previous visit almost 20 years ago had been in the middle of the southern winter which, I would suggest, is actually a far more ideal time to visit Iguazu falls ! At least the campground had a pool – it got lots of use.

The refreshing pool at Camping MaRi in Iguazu.

Iguazu straddles the border between Brazil and Argentina ( with Paraguay only a stones throw away ) and most visitors take the opportunity to see the falls from both sides. We’d done that on our previous visit when there were no Covid border restrictions but this time such a seemingly simple thing was far more complicated. Crossing into Brazil would have been easy – visitors need only show proof of a double vaccination, however getting back into Argentina required yet another PCR test. We have no fear of a PCR test itself nor do we have any concern about getting Covid since we are both triple vaccinated and any infection would likely generate only mild symptoms. Those aren’t the issues. A positive Covid test around this time, however, would seriously limit our ability to cross borders in the next two weeks and thus seriously interfere with our ability to ship the vehicle back to North America ( planned for later this month – more on that below ). Needless to say we stayed on the Argentine side !

“Tres Fronteras” ( Three Borders ), the point where Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay meet. The falls are about 15 kms down river.

We briefly considered viewing the falls from Brazil. Went to the Brazilian border post in Iguazu to ask about re-entry requirements to Argentina. While the news we got was good ( no PCR test needed ) we later found out it was completely wrong ! Lucky we did not cross.

With January and February being absolute peak season in South America, the crowds at Iguazu falls were unbelievable. It was actually difficult sometimes to take photographs because there were just so many people around and in a situation like that the social distancing that we have been practicing fairly rigorously was also rather difficult to maintain. Add to that the fact that while some Argentines wear masks religiously there’s a fairly significant percentage of the population that does not – not the kind of situation you want to be in in a very crowded spot. Regardless, Iguazu Falls has lost none of its majesty and, crowds or not, is an incredible sight ( and one of the Seven Wonders of The World ). They are truly amazing no matter which side you see them from and the setting, with the jungle backdrop, only adds to the allure.

Sign at the entry to Iguazu National Park. We thought this was overkill until we later read that a park ranger’s son had been mauled to death by a jaguar back in the early 2000’s !

Close up of Garganta Diablo ( Devil’s Throat ), Iguazu Falls. While it does not show the height of the Falls, we caught it in a moment with little mist so the image was at least reasonably clear.

Despite the heat it was a pleasant few days in Iguazu and we spent much of the time with a young Argentine fellow who spoke impeccable English and who was about to set off for two years to my home country of Australia. He had many questions for us, and that gave us an opportunity to ask many of him in return – we whiled away the evenings talking about our respective countries, our different cultures, and various assorted problems of the world. Not sure we solved any, but we enjoyed the robust discussions !

Sadly, this image and the next were somewhat blurred due to spray from the Falls.

Managed to catch a rainbow in this part of the Falls.

One of the great things about Iguazu is how close you can get – from above and from below.

Selfie time ! Everyone, including us, was drenched from the spray and it made picture taking difficult.

The park had some neat wildlife as well – the area is known for colorful birds…….

.From Iguazu we headed to Mar Del Plata, Argentina’s famous seaside city a few hours south of Buenos Aires with plans to relax for a few days at “Mardel” ( as the locals call it ) before winding our way up the coast to Buenos Aires. The weather looked good and as we had not been near the sea in a long time we appreciated the breezy coastal climate ( and no humidity ! ). The change of scenery was a welcome relief.

Note to self – don’t get stuck needing fuel in a border area when you are in the country with the cheap fuel. Brazilians and Paraguayans flock to Argentine border towns to get fuel for less than half the cost they pay at home. Makes for long line-ups ! And we saw many line ups MUCH longer than this one.

The roads were good, mostly 4 lanes, but it was still a long haul from Iguazu to Mar Del Plata. It took us 3 days.

Mardel itself was really nice. We enjoyed the city, it’s sights, cool sea breezes and the whole gastronomic experience, but found the beach ( for which it’s rather famous ) a tad underwhelming. It did not help that it was absolutely packed with people ( summer holidays- I suppose we should not have been surprised ! ) but the number of vendors was incredible, the sand was not the golden stuff that I had expected and the water was rather murky. Perhaps it will be better at the smaller seaside communities we plan to visit as as we head north to Buenos Aires. I can think of many better places than Mardel for a beach holiday !

Downrown Mar Del Plata, pedestrian street.

View of Mar Del Plata from Tanque Torre. It looked a bit like Sydney, Australia with so many red tiled roofs.

Tanque Torre ( Tank Tower ), a Mar Del Plata landmark. It’s actually a water tank – but very elegantly disguised !

The massively crowded beach at Mar Del Plata. It was a bit disappointing.

A ”churro” vendor setting at up at the beach. Churros are hugely popular snacks in Latin America.

The architecture in Mar Del Plata was varied. Highrises everywhere but some funky smaller homes dotted among them as well.

Upon returning to South America in November last year, our goal was to complete the Carretera Austral in Chile, get to the bottom of the continent, then work our way back up through Argentina to Iguazu, before wrapping up our trip in Buenos Aires or Montevideo, Uruguay. Fortunately that ( so far ) has gone as expected and pretty much in the 4-5 month time frame we thought it would require. We planned to then ship the vehicle back to the USA and drive it home to Canada by April/May at latest. While in Iguazu, and after many weeks of searching, we finally got passage confirmed for our truck/camper back to the USA. We can’t overstate what a huge relief that was !
Unlike when we shipped across the Darien Gap in Panama ( where we shared a 40 foot container ), this time the vehicle will go “RoRo” ( Roll on Roll off ) – essentially put on a giant vehicle carrier. In the last couple of months as we started exploring container shipping options, we got some nasty surprises. The whole process has been a bit stressful actually. Containers are in very short supply and Covid has played havoc with the global shipping industry – costs have tripled and in some cases even quadrupled. We had one quote to ship the vehicle back to North America in a container that ran to almost US$12,000. That’s over three times what was once normal and what we had expected ! With so few overlanders travelling down here at the current time there was also no hope of sharing one ( as we had before ) so we had started looking at the other alternatives. RoRo is a bit cheaper, but considered less secure. RoRo prices are higher than they were, but not nearly as bad as containers. In any case, unless there’s a curveball that we don’t expect, we’ll be loading the truck on the ship in the middle of next week for the 30 day sailing to the US East Coast. We will pick it up early April and then plan to drive it home it to Canada.

What will we do for 30 days with no ”home” ? While the ship is en route, we hope to split most of the “shipping time” between Buenos Aires ( in a hotel or an AirBnB ) and travelling around Uruguay ( likely in a rental car – it will be so weird with no truck camper ! ). We’ll also be trying to avoid getting covid at what would be a most inopportune time. Our plan would then be to fly to the US a week or so before the ships arrives to meet up with the truck.

So, while we wont be in the truck camper much longer, you’ll still be hearing from us for a little while yet. We hope to provide a full account of the RoRo loading experience in next week’s blog…..stay tuned !

Argentina, the Far North

by Jeff Gunn | Feb 11, 2022 | South America

From “Utopia” our route north took us back through Salta, via Route 9 to Jujuy, and on to the primarily indigenous villages of Purmamarca, Tilcara and Humahuaca. At this point, getting close to Bolivia, things began to have a strongly “Andean” feel….a completely different vibe than further south. When staying in Purmamarca, a popular detour west ( towards Chile ) is to visit the salt flats at Salinas Grande – as they were close, albeit at a considerably higher altitude, we decided to take a look. Worth it ? Probably not, and certainly not if you have seen the world’s biggest in nearby Bolivia. The Salinas Grande salt flats in Argentina simply pale by comparison. Frankly, the drive, crossing peaks at well over 4,000 metres ( 13,500 feet ) was more interesting than the salt flats.

Route 9 to Jujuy was scenic, but windy and narrow. I can confirm it was an “adventure” passing oncoming traffic on this road.

How narrow are the roads sometimes ? This narrow ! Route 9 on the way to Jujuy.

Crossed the Tropic of Capricorn heading north. Not much of a marker, it was easy to miss.

Typical scenery near Purmamarca – once in a while, an oasis appears in the desert-like landscape.

The windy, high mountain pass en route to Salinas Grande.

Salinas Grande – nice, but nowhere near as good as the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia.

A narrow street in Tilcara – we had been warned about them, but decided to soldier on anyway…..

I had gotten a bit ahead of myself…..no way could our truck fit down this street so we ended up putting the driver side wheels up un the sidewalk ( much to the amusement of the locals ).

Tilcara was very pretty…..but in places a bit ”tacky touristy”

Tilcara had some renowned restaurants – we found this funky bicycle themed ”Resto Bar” which served great food.

Relaxing, taking in the view at the campground in Humahuaca.

At this point in our journey there were some critical route decisions to make, given our final “big” destination in Argentina was Iguazu Falls ( it’s in the north east, and we were in the far north west ). One route route was to zip across the south east corner of Bolivia, cut into Paraguay and drive drive more or less straight, across the Paraguayan Chaco, on to Asunción and then Iguazu. Option two ( much longer – and we were NOT looking for more long drives ! ) was to reverse south slightly, drive across Route 81 in Argentina and do the big loop around Paraguay before driving up Route 12 along the skinny neck of Argentine territory that allows you to get to Iguazu without crossing borders. Given the COVID situation and the risk of getting it at any time, crossing borders is a fraught process with implications for getting back into Argentina. That said, we still had time to deal with that should it materialize.

Some gaucho-like horsemen. it was quite common to see them in the north.

Decision made – we’d head to the Bolivian border ( at Tartagal ), see how easy it was to cross and try that route first. Sadly, it turned out, the Bolivians ( usually fairly lax with rules ) required a PCR test ( neither Paraguay nor Brazil do ) and results would take at least two days. Not only was any time and driving distance saving now lost, but so too was any hope that we could use the 72 hour PCR test window to cross Bolivia and Paraguay before briefly taking a look at Iguazu Falls from the Brazilian side and then returning to Argentina. In normal times, almost all visitors to Iguazu view the falls from both the Brazilian and Argentine sides ( as we had done in 2003 ). Bummer ! We’d now driven further, wasted more time, and STILL faced a circuitous route around Paraguay to get to Iguazu. Well, we had the time, so just decided to get on with it !

The route we took this past week. Some backtracking required and the circuitous route we ended up taking to Iguazu.

Lois always navigates and drives ”relief” only. We pass police checks multiple times a day without incident but on this occasion they wanted to see all our papers. Here the cop is trying to read our documents, struggling with English…..

Then some French cyclists pass by. He stops them too – and then asks if they could help translate our documents.

All done, all is well…….until he then tries to return all our papers – to the French cyclists !!!!

With no campgrounds available, we parked up ( once again ) at a remote YPF has station on Route 81. Unusually there were no dogs to come and watch over us this particular night. Then we noticed someone else was keeping an eye on us……

Crossing the massive Parana river near Corrientes.

What was notable as we drove across the north of Argentina and then up the eastern corridor towards Iguazu was a distinctly changing landscape – and very different than the rest of Argentina. The northwest landscape resembled the very dry, “Andean” appearance of Bolivia, the flat Chaco area in between was different again being much greener, and the north east ( unsurprisingly due to its proximity ) seemed very much like the Brazil that we recalled from our visit there almost 20 years earlier. We were reminded again that Argentina really is an enormous, and very diverse country.

Truck, parked at campground in Posadas, definitely in need of a wash ! We used 4×4 more in the past 2 weeks than we had in a long while

It seemed like it took an eternity to get there but by the end of the week we had made it to Iguazu Falls

Throughout the past week some serious kilometres were covered but as I wrapped up this blog we had finally made it to Iguazu. Iguazu would represent the northern extremity of our Argentine travels and we’d soon be turning south again and thinking about our possible route to Buenos Aires from where we had always intended to complete our South American odyssey before shipping the vehicle home. We’ll be pondering the Brazilian and Uruguay route options ( both are en route ) although the risk of getting Covid at precisely the wrong time could really screw up our ability to cross borders ( and thus our return to Argentina ) just when we need to and also delay us getting on a plane home. Not a pleasant prospect.

Like the rest of the world we’ll be thrilled when this Covid complication is a thing of the past !

Cafayate, Salta and The Road to ”Utopia”

by Jeff Gunn | Feb 4, 2022 | South America

Rustic Cafayate sits at the entrance to the Valle Calchaquies and is flanked by vineyards on all sides. The hot, dry climate lends itself perfectly to wine production and while not in the same league as Mendoza in terms of production the area is also known for its fine wines. This small town has some well preserved colonial era buildings, and a vibrant artisan scene – we decided it definitely called for a few days exploring before heading on to Salta.

Restored colonial buildings, here seen at night, Cafayate..

Young Argentine couple we met camping in Cafayate, she a professor, he an engineer. Enjoyed our in depth conversations with them on all things Argentine !

Lois, wine tasting at Finca Quara ( our favorite ) in Cafayate.

Yours truly, sampling a white at Domingo Hermanos winery, Cafayate.

The beautiful setting of Fina Quara, Cafayate.

A wine display, the wine history museum, Cafayate. Fascinating detail on the history of wine in Argentina and the unique qualities of Cafayate wines.

Once again we would diverge ( as we casionally have ) from Route 40 on the journey north. Route 68 is by far the preferred route to Salta and encompasses some very dramatic scenery as you drive through a valley known as the “Quebrada de Cafayate”. Years of river erosion have carved some amazing patterns in the sand and rock structures giving rise to a number of well-known features including the Devil’s Throat, The Castles, The Obelisk and many others. It’s a popular route with Argentines and the road was filled with sightseers snapping pictures at almost every turn – including ourselves.

Jeff, with view of Quebrada de Cafayate in the background.

“Garganta del Diablo”, Quebrada de Cafayate ( Devils Throat ).

Terraced rock formation, Quebrada de Cafayate

Salta’s colonial architecture, it’s historical importance as a key stopover on the trade route between Lima and Buenos Aires in the Spanish era, and it’s important role in the struggle for independence from Spain ensures the city has plenty to offer the visitor be they local or foreign. It’s a pleasant city in its own right, easy to navigate, and sitting in an altitude of 1200m means the climate is generally very agreeable in a part of Argentina that can get extremely hot.

For us there was also a certain allure to be once again visiting a larger centre that offered much to see in terms of museums, entertainment and an overall great “foodie” experience. People often spend more time here than they expect and we did as well. The museums documenting its historical role were excellent, the campsite was appealing and it was just an excellent city to wander around, good restaurants and cafés seemingly everywhere we turned – we enjoyed sampling them as we went on our way.

Salta, Argentina, or Paris, France ? Parts of downtown Salta looked distinctly French !

Classic Spanish-era building beside the Saint Francis church in Salta.

Tasted some of the best ”helado” ( ice cream ) in Argentina in Salta ! A lot of Italian influence in here.

A favourite coffee shop of ours – enjoyed the plentiful food and cafe options all over Salta.

In Salta we passed the 3 months mark back on the road, during which time we have only met 3 other overlanders with vehicles – all Swiss. The couple who owned this rig had stayed on in Argentina all through the pandemic.

Our campground in Salta felt very secure – a mounted police presence every day we were there !

Seems every Argentine city has its favourite independence era military hero and Salta is no exception. Martin Miguel de Guemes ( later General Guemes ), born in Salta, was a key figure in the war for independence. He died gloriously in battle and his name is all over Salta – the Guemes interactive museum was one of the best we have seen.

While an attraction in its own right, Salta is also a base for exploring the region around it. Wineries abound but we had seen plenty in Mendoza and Cafayate so headed west via Route 33 and the windy Cuesta del Obispo to the quaint colonial village of Cachi. A more scenic drive you can’t imagine and the town itself offers some great period architecture as well. Enjoyable just to stroll around and soak it all in.

The windy road to Cachi, known as the Cuesta del Obispo. After so much desert driving it was refreshing to drive through so much green.

……but it’s green due to rain, and that means there were lots of washouts – this one not too bad on the way ”to” Cachi

However, on the way back to Salta the same washout was worse and this car got stuck, later pulled out by a passing truck.

Some typical scenery on the route, in some areas tons of cacti.

Colonial era buildings in the quaint town of Cachi, just west of Salta

Well restored colonial building, near town square, Cachi

Taking a break in Cachi….when in the Salta area one must try a “Salta” beer !

Just beyond Cachi, south of the small town of Seclantas was a big Overlander favourite, the “Utopia” campground run by expats Johan and Martina. We’d heard much about it, read up on it on the iOverlander app and noted the incredible reviews they had received from just about everyone who had ever visited. Rustic ? Yes. Remote and a bit challenging to access ? Certainly. Deluxe ? Absolutely not, but a unique and thoroughly enjoyable somewhat “off grid” experience it absolutely was. Martina’s legendary pizza ( made in a classic clay/brick oven) was divine, the stars are amazingly clear there and we happened to catch the only month that the firefly’s come out. Wandering around in the pitch black with the firefly’s out in full force was an incredible sight.

Getting to Utopia required getting through some flooded roads – made for a big mess, but worth the drive !

Johann and Martina in the Utopia kitchen

Utopia, the kitchen, living area and bedroom. Seclantas has the kind of climate where you can effectively live outdoors year round.

A clay/brick oven – the ONLY way to do pizza !

The focus at Utopia is on relaxation and “chilling” so we did a couple of days of just that while being regaled with stories of Martina and Johan’s extensive travel adventures. As if to reinforce the “relaxed” vibe, they even have a motto: “At Utopia, nothing is done today that can’t be done tomorrow !”. Never enjoyed “not doing much” as much as we did here !

Wine Country and Beyond

by Jeff Gunn | Jan 23, 2022 | South America

Despite being relative newcomers to the international wine scene, Argentine wines actually have a long pedigree. The industry began shortly after the arrival of the Spanish way back in the 1500’s and quality wines have been produced in the country ever since. The 19th and 20th century mass immigration period from Europe saw French, Italian, German and other newcomers expand production and now the country has a respected and established international reputation for good quality products – the Malbec varietal probably being its best known. More detail on the history of winemaking in Argentina can be found here.

Driving through the wine route, Maipu, south of Mendoza

Guided by the extremely helpful staff at the Mendoza tourism office we chose a few different wineries to visit and set out south to explore. Domaine Bousquet, founded by a Frenchman, was highly recommended so we started there. A wonderful Andean backdrop setting, superb wines and staff who could not be more obliging. Would recommend this one to anyone heading to Mendoza.

Wine tasting, Domaine Bousquet Winery, Tupungato, south of Mendoza.

Enjoying the view of the snow-capped Andes, Domaine Bousquet Winery, Tupungato.

The staff there recommended a smaller, more rustic, local, “boutique” winery as our next stop to contrast the Domaine Bousquet experience. Atamisque Winery fit the bill perfectly – in fact their Pinot Noir was Lois’s favorite wine. Got to spend some time with their adorable, but aging, German Shepherd dog, Adolpho. He’s been trained ( it seems ) to approach every seated guest and nuzzle his head on their lap.

Lois, enjoying a Sauvignon Blanc at Atamisque Winery. A small, boutique winery.

Our next day was spent relaxing at and enjoying the delights of Posada Cavieres, a similarly small, winery/lodge run by Hans Devloo from Belgium. Hans has been in the wine business for 15 years and compliments his wine production with a Tuscan style accommodation lodge and restaurant. He has a soft spot for overlanders and invites self contained folks like us to stay on the property while exploring the area. Spent a most enjoyable, relaxing and educational couple of days with him.

Malbec grapes at Posada Cavieres winery.

Lois, relaxing in the pool, Posada Cavieres Winery.

Hans had the cutest little dog………with the most unlikely name, ”Rambo” !

A winery near San Carlos, south of Mendoza.

Saw lots of horses – horse riding is a popular activity in the wine regions.

One could, literally, spend weeks ( even months ! ) touring the many wineries around Mendoza – there are so many. But we had other sights of interest further north and Route 40 would take us to most of them. First up was the desert sand dunes near Lavalle, supposedly the only true “dunes” in South America. Not quite the Sahara of course but definitely worthy of a stop given we literally passed right by. For the next couple of days it was simply a series of long hauls and getting miles ( or kms ) under our belt as we headed towards Salta, our next major destination. Fortunately the long journey was broken up with a couple of reasonably notable sights, changing scenery and an interesting rest stop.

North of Lavalle on Route 40 we stopped at this rest stop and admired some Argentine motorbikes.

On closer inspection we noticed the flags on the motorcycles made reference to the Falkland Islands War ( Islas Malvinas in Argentina – NEVER call them the Falklands here ! ). It says “Never Forgotten”. Conscious of the word “British” on our plates and the bikers checking us out, we discreetly (but quickly) drove away !

Like so many remote rest stops there were stickers everywhere – seems Argentine travellers like to leave their mark.

Scenery as we were heading north of Mendoza on Route 40.

Sand dunes at Reserva Natural Bosque Telteca, near Lavalle.

Head north, in the southern summer, in desert conditions….and it gets hot !

Ishigualasto Provincial Park is renowned for its panoramic views, colored rock formations and dinosaur fossils ( the on site camping facilities were impressive too ). Sadly, due to rain the day before we could not do the self driving tour. What we could see from the viewpoint and in the museum was impressive but definitely missed the full experience.

Selfie, at Ischigualasto Provincial Park.

Deluxe camping at Ischigualasto Provincial Park – panoramic views, shade cover, power, wifi, and super clean bathrooms and showers ( not something we usually get on the road in more remote places ). This was quite a treat.

Beyond Ischigualasto we took route 76 through Talampaya Provincial Park ( much the same offerings as Ischigualasto), then on through La Union, east to Chilecito via the scenic Cuesta de Miranda before turning north again through to San Blas, Belen and on towards Cafayete, an historic town famous for its colonial architecture and nearby wineries.

So similar to our Australian emu. The flightless bird shown is the Rhea that we have seen all over southern South America

The landscape has started to become more “rocky” than “sandy” desert like. A nice change !

The beginning of the landscape transition, here as we approached Jachal on Route 40.

Red rock outcrops on the Cuesta de Miranda, a famously windy and scenic section of Route 40 up north.

One is regularly reminded that “The Malvinas Will Always Be Argentine”. Such signs are on every highway.

Now well into the north, here on the way to Belen, on Route 40…….and still the roads are long and seemingly “endless”. Measured this one and determined that we could see straight road for 16 kms.

Not far north of Pituil we crossed the 4,000km marker on Route 40. No surprise, many others marked this milestone with a sticker.

In many places near San Blas on Route 40 the road was covered in red mud – comes down from the hills after heavy rain and needs to be graded away. Keeping it clear is a constant work in process

There was a beautiful red hue to the rock formations, seen here near Hualfin on Route 40.

More of the same. It made the desert driving much more interesting.

Only realized as we were pulling into Cafayete that there is an extensive wine industry in this area as well. Nothing on the scale of Mendoza but some impressive operations nonetheless. Will definitely need to explore this further – but will save that for next week’s blog.

Last week’s wanderings. We actually hit two milestones – 4,000kms on Route 40 and just passed 50,000 kms since we originally left home in Kelowna back in May, 2019. Seems soooooooo long ago !

The Long Haul to Mendoza

by Jeff Gunn | Jan 19, 2022 | South America

Leaving a very beautiful part of the country ( the Lakes District ) for some, well, “less beautiful” parts was not something we looked forward to but such is the geography of Argentina. Given we were very broadly following Route 40 up the western spine of the country, the next area of significant appeal would be the wine country around Mendoza but that meant 3 long days of driving on either of two possible routes. Mendoza and the wine region we were really looking forward to, the bits in the middle – not so much !

Our last days in the Lakes District were spent relaxing in San Martin De Los Andes, a delightful little town, but like Bariloche just packed with Argentine holiday-makers. January and February are the high season months in Argentina.

Lots of street cafes and nice outdoor pubs in San Martin.

The lake was pretty but still a bit cold to swim in – we saw no one in the water.

Leafy street in San Martin De Los Andes.

Having more or less been on Route 40 all the way north so far we were open to a diversion – that, plus the fact that we’d been advised by a couple of Argentines that a good portion of its next 1200 or so kms were in very rough shape, unsealed, and with bad corrugations. Decision made – we’d divert to the more easterly route, through Zapala, Neuquen and on up Route 151 and then 143 entering Mendoza from the east, rather than the south on Route 40. Sacrificing slightly better scenery ( RN 40 ) for much better roads ( RN 151 ) was probably the right move – the very same Argentines assured us the best of Route 40 was in any case much further north. A bit overwhelming to think of all the travel we had done so far in Argentina ( and all in one direction ) yet we were still nowhere close to what they consider the “north” !

Our route north, diverging east from Route 40 – one can’t get too much desert !

Route 40 hugs the east side of the Andes – very rough in parts so many folks divert east around this segment.

Lois loves these plants, great for our dry climate back in Kelowna – everywhere by the roadside this past week.

Not far out of the Lakes District we climbed and passed through what seemed like a giant crater. Possibly it was, note the volcano in the distance.

Two things became immediately apparent as we plowed through the next few days on the road – firstly, formal campgrounds are scarce in the area and secondly, it seemed like half of Argentina was on the roads heading south for their holidays. A lot of traffic but generally going the opposite direction to us ( one benefit of entering the country at the bottom I suppose ). For the most part the roads were pretty flat and the landscape pretty uninspiring and unchanging.

In the abscence of campgrounds YPF gas stations fill the void. They often have enclosed ( segregated ) overnight parking areas, 24 hour service, a minimart, often a restaurant and sometimes even hot showers – who needs a campground ! We stayed in this one just outside Zapala as the only official campground in town had closed.

Look familiar ? Lots of this coming north.

Another gas station “campground” at the end of a particularly long stretch of road, this one near Santa Isabel on RN 143. We were first at this one, the Argentines in the van ( on the left ) followed us……

……by morning it looked like this. We were never short of company at these “unofficial” campsites !

We try to break up the long dreary drives with a supermarket visit to fully restock the camper – can’t just sit in the truck all day ! This one, La Anonima, near Neuquen. Every food imaginable and a good selection of wines and beers.

Have mentioned before that Argentina is exceptionally good value overall but the wines are ridiculously cheap. Here a Malbec red can be had for just $1.16 US. That’s low end obviously, but spend $3-4 and you are getting decent quality stuff.

Entering Mendoza from the east generally offers the advantage of seeing it against the backdrop of snow-capped Andes mountains but some low cloud and the fact that most of the snow had melted made it a bit less dramatic as we arrived. This self-proclaimed “wine capital of Argentina” is a low-rise, very cosmopolitan and attractively tree-lined city of almost 2 million people. Apart from some beautiful parks, and an excellent historical museum there’s actually not so much to see in the city – it’s major attractions lie nearby; the numerous vineyards, mountains, a great ski hill and ( apparently ) the only “Sahara-like” desert in South America. The wineries were a key draw for us, too, but we decided we’d save that for next week. Meanwhile, we spent a few of days in the city, exploring its sights, walking it’s leafy streets ( seems every street is tree lined – right to the heart of the city ) and enjoying its numerous restaurants and cafes. One of those places people just like to hang out it seems and we have to admit getting pulled right into that ! Like many of the bigger cities in Argentina it has a classy “old European” ambience- no surprise given where many of the Argentines in this area originally came from.