A Weekend in Argentina

Henry got out of school at 1pm on Thursday for the May Day weekend holiday, called the Dia de los Trabajores or "Day of the Workers" here in Chile. It also marked our first ninety days in Chile, since our arrival February 1st, and that meant our visas were expiring and we must leave the country. So we drove the Camino Internacional east three hours around Volcán Lanín and over Paso Mamuil Malal (1,208m) through the border stations to Argentina, where we stayed the weekend in the resort town of San Martin de los Andes.

On the road to Argentina.

We parked under a huge Arucaria or Monkey-Puzzle tree for a view of Volcán Lanín (3,747 m) on the high plateau that descends into Argentina from the border.

Red berries on a tree beside Lago Lacar, the lake at San Martin de los Andes. It is one of the Siete Lagos, or Seven Lakes (the only one actually in Argentina) that are generally reached from roads beginning at the Panamericana in Chile.

Beautiful fall colors add splendor to a day trip on the lake. Richard and Henry skied great powder snow at the resort of Chapelco above the town when we visited here in late August of 2007.

During the evenings we'd cruise the town and eat out at the local restaurants. A couple of times we ran into a young couple from Australia who were vacationing in San Martin. As English speakers, we struck up a conversation and got acquainted. Turns out they worked yacht charters in the Carribean and were in Buenos Aires in the off season to finish college and work part-time. Sunday, we returned the way we came, back to Chile, with fresh visas in our passports good for another three months stay.

The intrepid Aussies took a bus down to Bariloche and rented a car there, which they drove west across the cordillera by another route through the Siete Lagos region, and up to Pucón, where they stayed a night at our house! We guided them on to a local hot springs before they had to drive back over the pass to return their rental car and catch a bus back to BA in time for scheduled exams and work.

Rocke Wilkinson and Sagorika Platel with Susan at our house in Pucón.