Road Of The Seven Lakes, 1

In order to see the Argentine lake country, we signed up for a day excursion on the Road of the Seven Lakes, the Ruta de Los Siete Lagos. The excursion was in a Sprinter van, conducted in both English and Spanish, with stops for photo opps and exploration. Technically, the route goes from Angostura to San Martin de los Andes, but since we started in Bariloche, we also got to see rather more of Lago Nahuel Huapi. Huapi is a giant lake, but I think we have now sailed or driven past most all of it. In any case, the seven lakes are: Dopey, Sneezy, Grumpy... wait, no, Machonico, Escondido, Correntoso, Espejo, Lacar, Falkner, and Villarino. We had our longest stop in San Martin de los Andes, enjoying another great parilla lunch, but the town we found most intriguing was Angostura, where we had a brief stop. Jan. 26.

Click to enlarge: leaving Bariloche, a Romulus and Remus and the She-wolf
sculpture in a park by the lake; much Italian culture and heritage in Argentina

Nahuel Huapi

Looking back to San Carlos de Bariloche

Catedral, under which we hiked the previous day

El Tronedor, again

In Angostura, log architecture and log art everywhere; typical of the lake country,
and Patagonia, if more pronounced in this pretty little town

Now starting the Seven Lakes proper

In 2012-2013, one of the Chilean volcanoes erupted and inundated this area with
more than a meter of ash; it took months too clear it all out, first in the towns,
then on the road; this is some of the residue

Big trees all around

We figured this must be called Castle Mountain

Catedral Hiking

Having sat mostly for the previous two days, and with some big hikes looming, we felt the need to do a little mountain walking, so we took bus #55 from Bariloche to Catedral, the local ski resort. Jan. 25.

Cruce De Los Andes, 2

Next morning we boldly set forth from Puerto Varas for the return trip, same route, many different experiences...Jan. 24.

Another depiction of the crossing

The German/Chilean high school in Puerto Varas; Puerto
Varas was settled by Germans in the later 19th century as
part of a Chilean government colonization project; much of
the architecture, including the church in the previous post,
but not the above, is celebrated and preserved for its German
heritage

Summit of Puntiagudo (from a photo)

The outlet from Lago Llanquihue runs fiercely for many
miles along the first bus route

It is rafted, we noted, lots of class IIIs and up

But this day, everything on the western side of the mountains
was socked in

The family that pioneered the Cruce de los Andes route early
in the 20th century--and which still has the monopoly on it--
owns this island and has a nice casa on it; the patriarch is
buried there too

No volcanoes today

So Vicki studies up for the next adventure

While I stroll the deck outside

Nosing in to examine a waterfall

The Andes at this latitude have big and fierce horseflies

Norwegian Blue

Hotel Natura at Peulla

Attempted artsy shot of fuchias and Monte Tronedor

Flora

Humongous ferns

Old forest, mostly southern (hemisphere) beech, some very
large

The one horsefly I was able to bring down; probably in
violation of national park rules

Moving right along...another lake, another bus ride

Welcome to Argentina

Our next bus awaits

And another boat

And back on Lago Nahue Huapi

Another quite memorable excursion