Puente de la Mujer

Friday 8, the onward leg to Buenos Aires was a little under three hour so we finally landed at about 11:30. Immigration and security were very quick, plus we had no checked bags to collect, but we did end up having to wait for our taxi driver to show up. It was a pain free drive to the Sofitel where Tammay had managed to book a room at a bargain price via the BA website.

After exchanging some US dollars for Pesos we picked up a Starbucks and walked to the famous Cementerio de la Recoleta. They took one look at the Starbucks cups and told us we couldn’t take them inside. Given that Tammay would take about two hours to finish hers we decided to purchase tickets for the following morning and instead walked around the market stalls nearby.

We then walked down to the old docks and walked across the Puente de la Mujer (Woman's Bridge).

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Dinner at Elena

On the way back to the hotel I started to feel extremely hungry so picked up a couple of apples and a pack of biscuits from a supermarket.

That evening we walked to the Four Seasons where we had a couple of Pisco Sours in the Pony Bar before moving to Elena which was regarded as one of the best restaurants in Buenos Aires. I had sweetbreads to start and New York Strip Angus for the main. Perhaps it was because I’m used to ordering a fillet but the steak was not as good as I was expecting, certainly not up to the Hawksmoor standard where I’d been just a couple of weeks earlier.

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First run

Saturday 9, I set my alarm for 5:15 in an attempt to stay on UK time so that the 3:15 wake up tomorrow wouldn’t be so painful. By 6:30 I was out for my first run, 8km around a number of the park squares.

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Running lanes

When I left for my run I noticed a few police officers outside of the hotel.

By the time Tammay and I sat down in the hotel’s patisserie for a light breakfast there was a heavy presence ranging from uniformed officers, armed police, sniffer dogs from the explosives division to those that appeared to be senior officers in suits. Soon a car arrived and a woman entered the hotel with a suited guy wearing an ear piece. She must have been a senior political figure, perhaps related to the new government that was to take power the following day. Apparently there were also ‘fashion shows’ being held at the hotel which perhaps explained the crowds of young people forming in front of the hotel. It felt very strange walking by the crowds, the queues and all the police without being stopped.

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Cementerio de la Recoleta

We walked back to the cemetery. Unfortunately our guided tour had been cancelled as a result of insufficient numbers but we found a guide waiting just inside the entrance. We spent about 90 minutes walking around with the guide and another 30 minutes on our own.

For lunch we stopped at La Parolaccia which was just across the square from the cemetery. We both had really good pasta dishes plus a complementary glass of bubbly.

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The Congress Building

We walked to Plaza del Congreso, making a quick pit stop at the hotel along the way. The front of the congress building had been draped in Argentinian flags and giant speakers were being setup ready for the change of parliament the following day. We joined a “free city tour” which stopped at about a dozen points of interest around the centre of town.

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Pisco Sours at The Pony Bar

That evening we returned to the Pony bar at the Four Seasons for a few more Pisco Sours and bar snacks.

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Reserva Laguna Nimez

Sunday 10, a 2:45 alarm for a 3:15 taxi to the domestic airport. There are bank robbers who drive slower and go through less red lights. The queue at check-in was very long so Tammay suggested we just chance it and go to the gate even though we knew both our bags were a bit bigger (and heavier!) than that allowed for cabin bags. Thankfully it paid off and we even had plenty of space in the overhead bins (frustratingly passengers at the rear of the plane often seem to leave their bags at the front as they board).

We landed in El Calafate and given it was a domestic flight and we didn’t have any checked luggage we were away in no time. Our driver must have only just walked into the terminal building as he joked the flight only just landed but he seemed happy we came through quickly. We reached the hotel, Mirador del Lago, by 9:00.

We were too early to get a room so we left our bags and took a walk to the Reserva Laguna Nimez, a 3km loop walk of wetlands filled with bird life.

We had lunch at Nina, a motorbike themed restaurant. We both had pasta but Tammay was a little put off by the very pink ravioli! We washed it down with a Pisco Sour. We followed this up with a couple of coffees and a slice of tiramisu to share at Olivia Coffee Shop. On the walk back to the hotel we sidestepped a bar fight that had just spilled out onto the street.

We spent the afternoon relaxing in our room and had a light evening meal at the hotel.

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Early run with a friend

Monday 11, I was up early for another short run. There was a large dog curled up just inside the door to the hotel and as I left he followed. He ran by my side for the entire 4km, returning to the hotel with me. After breakfast I snuck out with a large slice of ham. I think he'd earned it!

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Monument

I spotted this monument to the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) close to the hotel.

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Lake Argentina

We were collected from the hotel and driven to Puerto Punta Bandera where we boarded a boat for an excursion to the Upsala Glacier.

The top deck of the boat was reserved for those staying at Estancia Cristina and it was just us and David and Karen, a newlywed couple from Belgium.

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Horse riding

After lunch we headed over to the stable where we donned helmets and chaps ready for our horse ride into the valley.

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Ride across the river

It was a 2 hour loop trail that took us across the river at a few different points. On the return we gained some elevation which gave us a lovely view of the valley back towards the estancia.

Before dinner we took the short tour of the museum that chronicled the history of Estancia Cristina and the local area.

We noticed a headline that the new Argentinian Prime Minister had on his first day in office devalued the Peso by 50%. The ‘official’ FX rate obviously jumped in response to the announcement but the unofficial ‘blue’ rate didn’t change that much. We did however spot a large jump in petrol prices.

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Upsala viewpoint

Tuesday 12, we were taken by 4x4 to the refuge close to the Upsala viewpoint. From there we hiked the approximately 11km back to the estancia.

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The hike back to the estancia

The route took us through ‘Fossil Canyon’ where our guide pointed out some of the many fossils that had been revealed by the action of the glacier. We stopped for lunch about half way down.

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A walk to 'Cristina'

After a coffee break in the ‘octagon’ we returned to our room for a short rest and watched the last episode of ‘Inventing Anna’.

We then took the short walk out to the Cristina boat, following the green posts.

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Morning run

Wednesday 13, after a bit of a lie in I started the day with a run to the old boat ‘Cristina’ and down to the shoreline.

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Horse riding

We went on a horse ride with David and Mary-Beth to the Lago Pearson where we had lunch prepared by our gaucho - a barbecued steak sandwich with peppers. Sadly it was just a barbecued pepper sandwich for Tammay. Desert was a slab of soft cheese and quince.

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The view from our room

After getting back to the estancia we had a coffee and then headed out of the 6km self-guided waterfall hike. We followed the ‘red posts’ marking out the trail and made our way to a couple of different viewpoints. The trail continued on (without red posts) and I couldn’t help but see where it went. While Tammay relaxed with the views over the waterfalls I pushed on to what seemed like it might be close to the top before ‘calling it’ and returning to Tammay. On the return to the estancia I collected a handful of stones to ‘fix’ a post that had probably been knocked askew by a horse in need of a scratching post.

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BBQ buffet

Dinner that evening was traditional Argentinian barbecue.

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Viewpoint hike

Thursday 14, our last day at Estancia Cristina and another easy start. After breakfast we went on a 11.5km hike to a lookout located on the top of a ridge to the south east. Half way out we crossed a small river and a set of waterfalls where we would stop for lunch on the return. At a couple of points along the walk we heard a powerful rumble similar to thunder. We were told that this was caused by ice carving from the Upsala glacier.

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Waterwheel

After getting back to the estancia and having a coffee and a light snack we took the short walk to the waterwheel where we took a few more photos.

The boat trip back to Puerto Punta Bandera took about 90 minutes.

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Dinner at Mako

After checking back in to our hotel, Mirador del Lago, we freshened up walked into town. Mako for dinner. After the waitress talked me out of ordering the trout pasta I switched to the rare tenderloin and didn’t regret it!

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Llao Llao Hotel & Resort

Friday 15, it was just a short taxi ride from the hotel to the airport. We were on the 11:25 from El Calafate to Baraloche. Once again we bypassed the check in desk and went straight to the gate and we didn’t have any issues taking our bags as carry-on.

Upon arrival we collected our hire car (no dramas so far) and made the relatively short drive to Llao Llao Hotel & Resort.

It was a huge hotel in the style of an Alpine lodge and the extensive use of wood and high ceilings reminded us of the Awani in Yosemite.

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Llao Llao Hotel & Resort

We walked down to the marina, took in the magnificent views, and had lunch in the bar looking over the lake.

We finished off the evening with a game of Rummikub in the bar.

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Punto Panorámico

Saturday 16, I started the day with a 6km run around the peninsulas projecting out from the hotel. There were some fantastic views.

We then drove around the Chico Circuit stopping at a couple of viewpoints but the Punto Panorámico was the best.

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Kayak

By the time we got back I was starting to feel the effects of a cold so had a midday nap!

Before it got too late we went back to the marina and took out a kayak, being careful to stay near the shoreline where the tall trees provided a little protection from the wind.

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Archery

Sunday 17, I had a bit of a rough night with a head cold. Thankfully a long shower and some breakfast did help and after checking out I felt well enough to join the archery session that Tammay had booked. There were only 2 other guys taking part and we took it in turns firing the bolts at the target. After a few rounds our instructor started attaching a couple of balloons to each target. I think I managed to hold my own!

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Las Balsas

We then had an hour & 45 minute drive around Lago Nahuel Huapi to our next hotel, Las Balsas.

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Las Balsas: The spa

After checking in we spent some time in the spa - the hot tub and sauna - plus Tammay had a massage.

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Las Balsas

This hotel was a world apart from the Llao Llao. It was a small boutique style hotel that looked like it was previously a large family home. More staff than guest and an amazing spa building.

That evening we had a light dinner in the hotel’s restaurant.

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Breakfast & relax

Monday 18, I still wasn’t feeling great so we had an easy start. After breakfast we went over to the spa and sat on a covered circular sofa to read the papers then emerged ourselves in the very hot hot tub.

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Arrayanes National Park

We drove the short distance into Puerto Angostura where we boarded the 14:45 ferry to Arrayanes National Park. The ferry took about 50 minutes and dropped us off at the very tip of the peninsula.

Before embarking on the loop boardwalk through the trees (which in fairness was only 800m long) we paid the Tea Shop a quick visit for a bottle of coke and a pack of Oreo’s - something that I hoped would give me a little energy! There were a few signs located along the loop but some people had clearly arrived with their own understanding of the ‘power of the trees’ and we saw them hugging the trunks.

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Arrayanes National Park

After completing the loop we decided to go around again. This time we had the benefit of being the only people around and still got back to the pier with about 15 minutes to spare.

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We have company...

After driving the short distance back into town we stopped at a restaurant recommended by our hotel and browsed the menu. We then walked along the main street to see if there might be any other good options (there didn’t seem to be) or any interesting shops (not especially) before returning to the restaurant. Unfortunately we only then found that they didn’t open until 8pm so reverted to a coffee shop across the street.

After finally getting our coffees and food a dog took up a position next to the table and watched us longingly. In both El Calefaté and Baraloche it seemed to be common for dogs, often with collars and looking well fed, to be left wondering the streets. They were all remarkably well behaved having learnt that barking or making a nuisance of themselves would get them chased away.

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Route of the Seven Lakes

Tuesday 19, feeling lots better it was a good day to do the “Route of the Seven Lakes” which would take us from Villa La Angostura (Lake Nahuel Huapi) to San Martín de los Andes.

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Lake Villarino

We had stops at Lake Correntoso, Lake Espejo (Mirror Lake, although it was windy when we were there), Lake Escondido (the smallest of the seven) and Lake Villarino.

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Cascada Vulliñanco

We then stopped at a viewpoint to look at the Cascada Vulliñanco.

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San Martín de los Andes

Once we reached San Martín de los Andes (a small town on the shores of Lake Lácar) we were ready for lunch and found an Italian but it turned out to be a little disappointing.

On our return we stopped at Lake Machónico and Lake Falkner. We also tried to find Lake Hermoso, which a blog suggested was pretty but all the access roads were closed to the public.

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A room with a view

When we arrived back at the hotel we were told that a tree had fallen and broken the water supply to the hotel. We decided to spend an hour in the hot tub where we chatted to a Canadian guy who had just arrived for a family vacation. Thankfully the spa still had water so we were able to have a shower.

Following a game of Rummikub in the bar with a few drinks we had dinner.

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Wilderness trail

Wednesday 20, we woke early with the intention of walking the 3km trail around the property but just 200m in we found that rising water levels in the swamp had covered the stepping stones so we had to return. We were however rewarded with a lovely calm view of the lake.

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The drive back to Baraloche

After breakfast we made the drive back to Baraloche making just a couple of stops at viewpoints along the way. We returned the rental car and waited for our 14:05 flight back to Buenos Aires. Once again, no issues getting our bags into the overhead bins.

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La Primera Dama

Upon arrival we noticed signs with QR codes that let you pre-book a taxi into BA and it only ended up costing us £4 for the short drive. Getting out of the terminal was much harder. Probably as a result of some security concern all the exit doors had been sealed and we ended up walking much of the length of the building twice before finding an open door near the far end.

We checked-in to the Legado Mitico, where it looked like many of the rooms were named after Eva Peron - we were in “La Primera Dama”, then took a little walk around the neighbourhood. Tammay finally got her ice cream from Helado Italia!

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Hotel lounge

That evening we sat in the hotel lounge and ordered a very strong complementary G&T.

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Malevo

We ventured out into the hotel courtyard and found their resident cat, Malevo.

For dinner we had a table booked at El Preferido, which has the same owner as Don Julio. Upon arrival there seemed to be a fair queue outside but thankfully it wasn’t long before we were seated.

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Malevo

Thursday 21, the hotel breakfast wasn’t a great showing but we consoled ourselves with an hour in the courtyard with the cat. This time he came straight to me and fell asleep.

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Botanical Gardens

Wanting to not waste the day we took a walk to Botanical Gardens but after completing a full circuit we decided it was closed but that wasn’t too surprising given the amount of storm damage they were still having to clear. Rather than walking straight back we walked around some of the other green spaces in the area, some of which were not enclosed. On the walk back to the hotel we stopped at Don Julio on the off-chance they had a table for lunch but they didn’t. Instead they suggested we return at 6pm.

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Don Julio

We then took a short (self-guided) street art walk based on a few locations plugged into Google Maps. It wasn’t particularly good but only covered a small number of streets near the hotel. We retired to our room to watch the next episode of “The Night Agent”.

We returned to Don Julio at 6pm and joined a queue that was already nearly half way down the block. Turns out most people had arrived earlier to queue and by the time we got to the front there weren’t a huge number of people behind us. Nonetheless we were offered a table at 22:45 and we took it.

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Coffee

With about 4 hours to kill we picked up a couple of iced lattes from a nearby coffee shop (hole in the wall) and took a seat on one of the benches outside. After that we returned to the hotel and spend another hour in the courtyard with the cat before once again retiring to our room for another episode of “The Night Agent”.

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Don Julio

22:30 finally arrived and we made the short walk from the hotel to Don Julio with much anticipation! I ordered the tenderloin (fillet) and the waiter seemed pleasantly surprised that I wanted it rare. It was a lovely steak and melted in the mouth. But the bone marrow sauce I’d had at Hawksmore a few weeks earlier would have certainly taken it up a notch! Tammay had to made do with a few sides. The cooked tomato was also very good and did make me quite curious about the 3 different tomato tasting menus! The food was very good but I’m not sure the restaurant quite deserved the hype.

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Our last day

Friday 22, our last day. After something that just about passed as a breakfast we paid a quick visit to the courtyard for a final goodbye with Maleva.

Our 13:30 flight from Buenos Aires took us to Rio where we once again stayed on the plane while some other passengers disembarked/ boarded them to London Heathrow where we landed the following morning at 08:00. We took the shuttle out to the long-term car park and made the drive to Chalford Hill for our first Christmas.

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