Brazil has little wifi and slow internet = no blog updates for a bit :(

Dear blog followers:

Sorry for the lack of updates, we were super busy in Rio and since then none of the places we´ve stayed have had wifi and the connections always seem to be really slow with a line up for the communal computer. Hopefully we´ll find a solution soon. Great pics from Igauzu falls, Argentina / Rio, Brazil  and Illha Grande island to come.

They let Graham drive in Argentina!! – Road Trip!

Our original route had us leaving Mendoza and heading to Buenos Aires. However at the last minute Sue started talking about Bolivia. The Salt flats of Bolivia are supposed to be amazing (and cheap), so we changed course and headed to the Northern Argentine town of Salta. After weighing our options we decided cramming another country into our rushed South American tour would be too much. 

Instead we rented a Volkswagon Gol (not a typo, it's a Gol, not a Golf) to drive the famed three day, 550km remote circuit of  Salta-Cachi-Cafayate-Salta.  We were not disappointed by the amazing rock formations and colorful landscapes . 

The freedom of having a car for the first time since we left the US was remarkable.  Having the ability to set our own itinerary, explore (we only had to ask for directions once) being able to stop every few minutes for pictures, and still having our belongings locked safely away made life delightfully simple.

Main Square in Salta

View from the cable car over town.

Belated B-day dinner for Graham. Argentine steak and wine, total cost $35 US.

Church around the conner from our hostel lit up at night.

Day 1 of driving was through lush valleys along a river.

Occasionally the Gol had to ford some small streams running across the road. You're looking at  the road in the foreground.....

The view from the top of a 10,000 ft pass and the road we came up on.

Plateaus and mountains just before Cachi.

The roads of Cachi, a village in the middle of no where Argentina.

The view out of our hostel door in Cachi.

A vineyard with a dramatic rock backdrop. 

Our trusty two door Gol. 

The rugged road.

A quick road side climb.

Sue practicing her cartwheels.

Sue discovered some fancy features on her camera.

This canyon was formed by a 5 million year old waterfall. 

More to come from Iguazu falls on the boader of Brazil. 

Olives, Wine, Absinthe AND bikes in Mendoza, Argentina.

We spent 3 days in Mendoza, the wine capital of Argentina. The city featured wide boulevards lined with cafes, colonial style buildings and a fantastic park filled with fountains and gates from the early 1900’s. We took a bus about an hour away, rented bikes and toured vineyard country.  We rode our bikes down the country roads visiting olive oil farms, wine bodegas and one very odd Swiss man with whole shop full of jams, caramels and absinthe (the quality stuff). 

The cast iron gates to San Martin General Park. They were forged in a Scotland foundry for the Red Sultan of Turkey in 1902, but the Sultan died before their delivery and the Mayor of Mendoza ended up buying them out of a magazine. 

The lake/ reservoir that makes the irrigation of the parks 50,000 trees possible, despite the city being in an arid desert.

I want THIS much wine!

Olive oil tasting.

Mid-bike ride self portrait.

 

The wine holding vats at Mendoza's oldest vineyard.

Inside one of the cylinders, now no longer used to hold bulk liquid wine, it holds stacks of bottles for aging.

Our trusty mounts.

The sign in the yard says it all.

The sugar on the spoons is burnt before being stirred into the locally distilled absinthe. Burns a bit on the way down too.

We headed north with thoughts of crossing the border from Argentina to Bolivia.  After a day of deliberating we decided to stay in the Salta (Argentina) region to soak in the amazing scenery.  More to come from Satla!!!

Bariloche- Andean Peaks in Autumn Colors

We made it to Argentina! The first stop was Bariloche, considered to be part of the Patagonia region, and the most southern destination of our trip. 

On the first day we hiked up Cerro (hill) Otto which features stunning views overlooking Bariloche, the 100 km long Lake Nahuel Huapi and Andean mountain peaks as far as the eye can see.  At the top of Cerro Otto is a touristy restaraunt that spins providing a 360 views (think Space Needle) of the area.  To save time and our fatigued legs (from all our outdoor activities) we rode the Funicular (gondola) back down to town. 

After seeing a glimpse of the surrounding peaks we decided to invest a full day venturing into the mountains.  On the recommendation of a Swiss traveller we headed up to Refugio Frey.  The 10 km trail started from South America's largest ski resort, Cerro Catedral.  Towards the top we were rewarded with jagged peaks surrounded by trees turning to their bright autumn colors.  The refugio, which serves as a accommodation for climbers and backpackers, was set on a beautiful lake surrounded by towering rock formations.  We scrambled up between the towers for an idyllic lunch spot before the return hike.  By the end of the eight hour day we had hiked 15 miles plus the scramble and were dead tired, but very satisfied. 

Before we caught our bus to Mendoza we spent half a day exploring the streets of Bariloche.  There were several chocolatiers that smell soooo good, you just can't help but buy something. As part of the in route entertainment during our 17 hour bus ride, they passed out bingo cards and Sue won a free bottle of wine! A good start to our time in the wine capital of Argentina.

More to come from Mendoza Argentina.

Views of Lake Nahuel Huapi from Cerro Otto

Inside the Funicular

The hike up to the refugio.

Another Refugio on the way up.  Half a cabin was built to complete an overhang in the rock.

Gorgeous fall colors everywhere. 

Refugio Frey

We scrambled to the top of the ridge, in between the towers, directly above Graham's head.

Empenadas at our cliff edge lunch spot.

One of the many chocolaterias in Bariloche.  So good.