After the delightful days in Caviahue, it was time to get back on the road. We had a good drive ahead to San Martin de Los Andes, and then to Bariloche.

Leaving Caviahue, we backtracked all the way back to Route 40, then headed south. The drive to San Martin de Los Andes was uneventful, the road in good conditions. It was cloudy and we could not see Volcan Lanin, what a shame!

We arrived in San Martin de Los Andes, found our accommodations, got some food ( thanks PedidosYa!), and rested. Then we noticed snow blowing and the skies darkening. It was a storm that lasted for 2 days, delaying our departure to Bariloche. Road conditions in the spring change rapidly, and it is best to stay safe.

San Martín de Los Andes is a town in Neuquen, by the shores of Lake Lacar. Nearby there is a sky resort (Chapelco). The town is quite beautiful, lively and with plenty of shopping and food opportunities. It is the gateway to the ‘Ruta de los 7 Lagos’ and the Nahuel Huapi national park.

The ‘7 Lagos ( 7 lakes)’ is a scenic road that starts in San Martin de Los Andes. There are lookout points everywhere, plenty of traffic and sometimes animals on the road. Caution is advised.

The first town we reached is Villa La Angostura, which sits at the shores of Lake Nahuel Huapi. This lake is huge, an Bariloche also sits by the same lake. Massive bodies of water.

La Angostura is a charming town, great for a pit stop and gift shopping. The road was excellent, so we continued to our destination, Bariloche.

Bariloche for many is the gateway to Patagonia, well served by flights from Buenos Aires. It is a town that has grown significantly due to the tourism industry. The town spreads along the slopes by the lake, so it is quite hilly. During our time in Bariloche it was quite windy, so we stayed in town and did not get a chance to partake on some of the wonderful hikes around.

Tips:

1. Monitor the weather forecast and road conditions. Snow and wind combined can make for hazardous road conditions.
2. Visit the Rapa Nui store in Bariloche. It has great chocolate, ice cream and even an indoor skating rink! The hot chocolate is superb.
3. Be prepared for changing weather, and have fun.

Walk good,

Alex

We awoke early and excited for the trip to the volcano. We had a choice, hike sixteen kilometers or go by dog sleds. We chose the latter and were not disappointed. We had eight mushers pulling our sled. Porter the lead was great. He had earlier introduced himself boldly on the drive up from the town. Periodically our guide Javier had to roll down the windows because porter was releasing himself of accumulated gas from prior day’s meat meal.

We crossed two frozen lakes, passed a hydrothermal installation for steam and electricity as we headed for the peak of the volcano. We arrived at the Chilean border and our destination. A place that is the embodiment of peace, beauty and majestic views.

On our way back to town, we stopped at an old military compound literally on the edge of volcano Copahue. We were treated with the most exhilarating mud lake bath ever. In a pool of hot mud and boiling water we soaked, swam and scrubbed. You actually felt the soft, hot mud from below slipping under your feet with every step. We spent nearly an hour in this glorious and natural spa alone, breathing sulfurous steam and soaking in the views. We emerged when another small party and their guide appeared. We felt refreshed, energetic and ready to continue exploring Route 40.

TIPS

1. Summer is hiking season. You can hike to the Volcano and all the way to the border with Chile.

2. Copahue is the town with many hot springs. It is open December 1 to May 1.

3. For the wild mud lake, you need permission in Las Máquinas.

Until next time,

Walk good

We enjoyed an exhilarating hike into volcano Malacara in Malargue. This volcano had rivers of lava that solidified as magma erupted in water over 450 thousand years ago.

We continued the drive south and stopped for a short hike in Manqui Malal to see the angel hair waterfall and hunt for Amnonites (fossils) by the river. It was a fun and educational activity. We were rewarded with several fossils finds.

We continued over 80km on mostly “unpaved highway” then crossed the river Barancas into Neuquén province and drove to the beautiful town of Chos Malal. A Patagonia frontera town Chos Malal lies between the Curri Levue and Neuquén rivers. The town has amazingly beautiful landscapes and an abundance of roses of almost every color and huge blooms. After a peaceful rest in the hotel Terra Malal, and a gem of beauty and tranquility we continued south.

A short detour took us to Caviahue. The home of fresh trout, located by  lake Caviahue and the foothills of volcano Copahue. We will stay here a few days.

Until next post, walk good.

We left Copacabana and after about two hours by bus we arrived in Puno Peru. Puno, like Copacabana in Bolivia sits on the Peruvian shores of Lake Titicaca. Its economy is primarily agricultural and livestock (llamas and alpacas) based. The town is famous for its access to the floating man-made islands on lake Titicaca. We spend only a short time in Puno and soon headed on our road trip to Arequipa.

Arequipa City-After several hours of driving in the dark we arrived in Arequipa. We got off the bus into a taxi and headed directly to our Airbnb for a well needed rest. The next morning when we awoke and looked outside, we observed this giant mountain that appeared to loom immensely over the city scape, It felt so close to us. We did not expect this, so we inquired and were told that is Misti. Misti stands at 5,822 meters or 19,101ft above sea-level and forms part of a series of volcanoes in that region of Peru. The entire city scape and concurrent culture of the city is dominated by the presence of this mountain.

The city has a Spanish colonial era layout. The main historical center consists of a central plaza, surrounded by the Basilica Cathedral, shopping, restaurants, museums set off by lovely palm tress and other ornamentals. This is where you will find the locals gather to listen to music, sale their wares and air their grievances by protesting. The Santa Catalina Monastery is a major attraction in Arequipa. small city within the city.

This very popular monastery is a small self contained city that was founded in the late 16th century. It consists of many cramped but charming streets lined with tiny colorful, houses. These houses we learned, were inhabited by the nuns that lived in the monastery centuries ago. As we wondered around streets, we realized we were exploring a very old but well designed city of plazas, fountains, and cottages. The internal spaces in many of the cottages were creatively designed for the outside light to filter inside. As we prepared to complete our tour, we wondered into a lovely garden, it was like stepping back in time. A space which appeared intentionally designed for serenity and tranquility. It had seating, and planted with flowers and several types of fruit trees.

Over the ensuing two weeks, we immersed ourselves in the food, music, and the culture of the city by walking and hiking around the city. We found Tipika restaurant to be a welcoming and friendly place were you could have tasty meals for a resonable price. We absolutely enjoyed the chicharron de chancho Arequipa. we were impressed by the variety of fruits, meats, food and vegetables for sale in the market. The market was like no other we had encountered. Two memorable moments for us in this beautiful market were having our heads measured for customed felt hats at Elyca Sombrereia and drinking fresh juice from the juice bars.

Visiting Colca Canyon

Driving away from El Salto was difficult. Its that place in the Andes, where families come out in droves on a beautiful spring day, they gather some river stones to protect the fire for the asado as they serve red wines from the backs of their pickups. When the sun sets and darkness rolls in they drink their mate and watch the stars shine brightly and the many satellites stream across the night sky.

We are driving down route 40, and the southern spines of the Andes. Big sky country, four and a half hours to Malargüe, a touristic town known for its historic dinosaur finds. The road is endless and with wide open views of the snow-capped Andes mountains. The range seems to end, yet every turn on the road , new mountains appear. We passed huge fields of garlic, grazing cows and sheep and arrived at our hotel with a front yard filled with sheep.

After spending a memorable time in high altitude La Paz, we embarked on a road trip to visit the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca. The experience was unimaginable to us. The drive was filled with excitement and anticipation while also exhilarating and uncomfortable at times. Mostly, we were in awe of the places we visited; the alluring warmth, the charm and the friendliness of the people we met along the way.

After a long taxi drive in the unpredictable La Paz traffic, we arrived at the bus station for the start of our bus trip to Copacabana. The bus trip was mostly uneventful and we slept. I was awakened by the driver telling everyone we must all disembark from the bus with only small personal belongings to catch a boat to cross the lake.

Although I was told this would happen before, somehow, it didn’t quite register in my consciousness. Nevertheless, we climbed down from the bus and were shown a small Kiosk where we were instructed to purchase a boat ticket to the other side of the channel. It felt surreal as we climbed into the small boat and were whisked across the lake to the other side in about 10 minutes. We disembarked and wondered around the small lakeshore port of Tiquina. Some passengers went off to browse the stalls while others took pictures.

After about 20 minutes our attention was drawn to the lake and the approaching barge. To our surprise, our bus was perched precariously on top of the barge. It was a strange sight, so we gathered around to capture this incredible photo of our bus crossing the lake on the barge.

The trip continued, until we eventually reached Copacabana. This lakeshore town is located on the south shores of Lake Titicaca. It is from here that many scheduled trips on boats sail out to the sacred islands of Isla del Sol and Isla del La Luna. The town has several restaurants, coffee shops and tourist shops and stalls. We proceeded to the kiosk to purchase our tickets to Isla del Sol.

The boat took about two hours to get to Isla del Sol. As we approached, we saw a steep rocky island in the middle of the lake with several ruins and agricultural terraces climbing up the slope from the port. When we disembarked, we were met by our transport, a donkey and its lady driver and our Airbnb host. There are no motor vehicles or paved roads on the island and so you must walk everywhere. Our suitcases went with the donkey and we proceeded to climb up the many steps leading up from the port.

We arrived at our cabin, and were rewarded with one the most spectacular views you could ever imagine. The varied blue colors of the lake against even bluer skies and the snow-capped Andes mountains was absolutely divine. We retired to bed early after our tasteful and well deserved meal of local lake trout. Over the next three days we basked in the untamed beauty and serenity of the island. We enjoyed absolutely amazing sunrises, sunsets and views of the impressive Lake Titicaca and snow-caped Andes from our bedroom. Because of the altitude, we avoided any intense hiking but took time to explore a bit of the island. We were well cared for by Teodora, who made sure someone brought us breakfast on the days she was travelling to Santa Cruz for a wedding. Teodora even provided us with fresh muña muña from here garden to help us alleviate the symptoms of altitude sickness (Isla del Sol is located at 13,045ft above sea level). Sadly, due to mounting symptoms of altitude sickness, we curtailed our stay and headed out earlier than planned to Puno and then onwards to Arequipa, Peru.

Isla Del Sol has a rich history, we share these few pictures to give only a miniscule view of the island .

Tips for travelling by bus to Isla Del sol

1. Bus and boat trips are not the most comfortable, there are plenty of bumps and jerks so travel with medicine if you get sick easily.
2. There are not many options for housing, we highly recommend Teodora’s place (Cabanas Ecologicas Santo Campo) in Aribnb. Book your overnight accommodations early or before arrival on the the island.
3. Internet and Wi-Fi connections are spotty or limited so be prepare you might be disconnect during your stay. Local Telecom provider Entel has service in the island.
4. You must pay for entry to the island, about US10.
5. The locals do not like to be photographed so be aware of this, they will let you take a picture with a llama for a fee.
6. There are no roads and your accommodations might be a steep climb from the port if your accommodation is further up the island. I recommend that you travel light to Isla del Sol.

The last quarter of 2022 was an extremely busy time for us. We spent November and December travelling in Bolivia, Peru and Argentina ( we will post some highlights from those experiences later). We arrived back in the US in mid December to spend the holidays with our family in NYC. In January, we took a break from the cold and dreariness of NYC to visit Spain and Portugal.

We arrived back in Seattle primarily for a legal case against the University of Washington. Although the outcome was not in my favor, I remain convinced I achieved an important goal that brought to the public light some personnel practices at the institution.

Bolivia, like its neighbor Paraguay, is a landlocked country in South America.   It shares borders with Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Peru. The two most populous cities in Bolivia are Santa Cruz de la Sierra, a large city located in the eastern tropical lowlands and La Paz, a mountainous city located on the altiplano. One of the most striking observation for me in Bolivia was the drastic change in climate from Santa Cruz to La Paz. One moment we were uncomfortably hot in the humid lowlands, few hours later we were freezing in the dry cold of La Paz Department.

Transportation across the city of La Paz is challenging. There are no obvious logic or reason to the manner of driving especially among the cars and taxis. One can easily get bogged down in this type of traffic for hours….not desirable with limited time. An amazing array of cable cars can be seen dotting the entire cityscape to alleviate this transportation nightmare. This organized collection of cable cars forms the backbone of an urban transport system affectionately named “Mi Teleferico“. For a few dollars, you can enjoy some breathtaking sights from up high. This is a delightful way to view the snow caped mountains and undulating and alluring terrain of La Paz city. Although, to experience the array of tastes, scents and hospitality of the people in this awesome city, you must do some walking around in the neighborhoods.

La Paz has a rich and eclectic mix of peoples, customs and cultures and this represent the multiethnic and multicultural diversity within Bolivia. Although a large number of Bolivians have European ancestry, the majority of Bolivians have indigenous ancestry and self identify as mestizo, a mixture of Hispanic and Amerindian cultures. The colorful dresses of the Quechua and Aymara are dominant in the countryside and high altitude places such as  Copacabana, Bolivia, and Isla del Sol in Lake Titicaca. This makes Bolivia an interesting place to explore and learn about some of the oldest cultures in the west.

Tips for visitors to Bolivia

1. Travel everywhere with bottled water for drinking and brushing your teeth.
   
2. If you plan to visit the high cities of La Paz, Copacabana or Isla De Sol in Lake Titicaca be prepared with medications to cope with the high elevations ( altitude sickness).
   
3. Road transport in Bolivia is challenging, plan ahead and be flexible with your time. If time is limited you can get a high up view from the cable cars in La Paz.
   
4. US citizens are required to get a entry visa to Bolivia. The cost of this visa is US$160, valid for 10 years. You can get the visa upon arrival to any port of entry.
   
5. Everyone needs to show an exit ticket (bus/air) from Bolivia upon arrival to a port of entry.

Jujuy is a northwest Argentina province with remarkable landscapes. On this trip, We followed Route 9 headed toward Purmamarca and the Mirador de Hornocal, also known as ‘the mountain of 14 colors’. To get there, we negotiated a 25 km stretch of gravel road past Humahuaca. This road reaches Hornocal and, continues to other settlements deep in the hills.

When we finally arrived at Hornocal, we were at 4350 meters above sea level, 14271 feet. You could immediately feel the effects of altitude as the short walk to the lookout point was strained, a combination of altitude and cold winds. Notwithstanding, It was an unforgettable experience. The presence of nature in its overwhelming magnificence was difficult to ignore.

We continued our journey into Purmamarca, a small town situated off Route 52, which reaches all the way to the Chilean border. Purmamarca sits right next to very colorful hills, and hosts many tourists from all over the country and the world. The market around the main square bustles every day as the tour buses comes through. The town is the gateway to other parts of the Altiplano, like the Salinas Grandes.

Driving from Purmamarca to the Salinas Grandes was an exiting day trip. The road is in great condition, the landscapes change constantly, and you get the feeling you are entering a very special area. There are villages at the edge of the Salinas, and the people help guide your visit unto the Salinas.

The clear skies and bright white salt provide a contrast that is unique and exciting to experience. To see salt blocks being used for construction was unexpected. A major trade road crosses the salt flats and connects to the Pacific port of Antofagasta in Chile and on to Paraguay and Brazil. The large trucks that traverse this region provide a small glimpse into the complexities of moving goods between countries.

TIPS

1. Visit Juan Chani at El Meson in Purmamarca. You will have a great meal in a welcoming space.
2. Mirador de Hornocal closes at 6pm. Plan your trip accordingly. The road is best driven with daylight.
3. You will need a guide to enter Salinas Grandes. They are knowledgeable and happy to take your pictures. Cost of entry is $1500 argentine pesos per car ( September 2022). Well worth it!.
4. Route 52 is in great shape. A true joy to drive it at sunset. Until next time.

Walk good