Argentina and Uruguay in a Nutshell

Argentina and Uruguay Fun Facts:
- $1 US = 3.85 AR Pesos
- $1 US = 19.65 UR Pesos
- Argentina’s population is 40.48 million
- Uruguay’s population is 3.33 million
- Argentina is the world’s 8th largest country. It is as tall as the US is wide.
- Uruguay is about the size of North Dakota, and is South America’s second smallest country (after Suriname)
- Argentina’s independence (from Spain) was declared on July 9, 1816

Argentina and Uruguay Superlatives:

Best authentic Argentina/Uruguay experience:
Krista - Tango dancing at a Milonga in Palermo
Scott - Hiking Cerro Colorado outside San Martin de los Andes.

Best blatant tourist trap:
Krista - Iguazu Falls site (Iguazu National)
Scott - Florida Street in Buenos Aires

Favorite dish in either country:
Krista - Chocolate in Bariloche. I think I ate enough of it to be considered a meal.
Scott - I liked trying different kinds of tasty empanadas in Argentina; juicy steak at La Cabrera in Palermo

Favorite Spanish word or phrase:
Krista - Ciao Ciao!
Scott - De Nada. I over and mis-used this regularly

Biggest surprise in Argentina or Uruguay:
Krista - how much they love jamon y queso sandwiches (ham and cheese) and matte tea.
Scott - Buenos Aires grew on me, but didn’t meet my high expectations.

Most likely to never win a Tango contest: Scott

At least one helpful suggestion we can offer for YOUR trip to these countries:
Krista - Bring really good hiking shoes and try the Malbec wine.
Scott - Go with Krista - she’s a good Spanish-to-English translator!

Argentina: San Martin de los Andes (Patagonia)

North some 3 or 4 hours from Bariloche is a smaller, equally pleasant town called San Martin de los Andes. Situated just miles from the Chilean border and on the shores of Lago (lake) Lacar, San Martin de los Andes is nestled in a valley between two forested mountains. A postcard-worthy kind of place, most of the town’s buildings look like ski lodges, and the mountains reflect off the lake. A popular ski town in the winter, San Martin de los Andes becomes a much sleepier destination in the summer, offering a great place to hike and canoe on the lake. With Springtime in full swing, we enjoyed a few sunny days exploring the town and the surrounding area.

On the doorstep of Parque Nacional Lanin, Argentina’s third largest national park and home to 35 lakes and an extinct volcano, the region around San Martin de los Andes offers some exceptional hiking. We enjoyed walking to some nearby lookouts over the lakes and town, but eventually asked around about a more substantial hike. With a hand-drawn (not-at-all-to-scale) map in tow, we set out enthusiastically to scale the mighty Cerro Colorado, some 13kms out of town. An intimidating 1,778 meters high, which translates to over a mile up into the clouds, the mountain’s trail is beautiful but extremely STEEP, providing a natural Stairmaster for our several hour hike. We passed only a handful of people all day long as we climbed through shaded forest, navigated around thick shrubs and eventually scrambled over dusty rocks; it felt like we had the mountain to ourselves. Alas, willed by fresh air and the stunning scenery surrounding us, we made it to the summit after a nearly 3-hour climb. With no one anywhere in the vicinity to snap our “we made it” photo, we were compelled to engage in a goofy self-timed photo shoot. Some snapshots of this session can be found below, for better or worse.

Once our shaking legs reached the bottom of mighty Cerro Colorado, our epic day of hiking continued for another 3 hours (no cabs way out there…!). We walked all the way back to town through a thickly-forested lakeside trail, which included encounters with a random assortment of animals and ran alongside a friendly, indigenous Mapuche community. Back in quaint San Martin de los Andes, we closed down an unforgettable day by stocking up on wine and groceries, knowing full well we wouldn’t be able to move our weary legs that following day.

Argentina: San Carlos de Bariloche (Patagonia)

From Iguazu we flew to Buenos Aires , where we sadly said “adios” to Cousin Nicole, our savvy travel companion for the last two weeks, who was headed back to the States. The two of us then caught a flight connection onward to Bariloche, some 1,005 miles southwest of Argentina’s capital city. Set in a dramatically beautiful area of the Patagonia region, with rugged plains, snowy peaks and glistening lakes abound, Bariloche is a beautiful place. A ski town-vibe with rustic charm, Bariloche hugs the Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi, offering awesome opportunities to explore the nearby nature surroundings, be it hiking, biking, camping, skiing, etc.

Bariloche is our kind of place. We extended our stay twice, and found several awesome walks and hikes during out time in town, not to mention some particularly tasty chocolates. (Those of you who know Krista recognize this last particular element of town as a very big deal.) Aside from being an outdoor activities hub, Bariloche is know for its chocolate, which stems from Swiss immigrants who settled nearby and saw potential for great chocolate with all the healthy cows in the area. Interestingly enough, much of the architecture in town is also influenced by Swiss, German and English immigrants. It can at times feel like you’re somewhere in Europe. Although we could’ve stayed put in Bariloche for ages, we diligently pressed on to the north to see more of Patagonia.

Argentina: More Iguazu Falls

We returned to Iguazu National Park the following day for additional gawking at the immense panarama of waterfalls. This time around, we walked the park’s mile-and-a-half Lower Circuit, which offered even better views, slightly less other tourists, and provided a significantly wetter, up-close experience. Given the scorching temperatures, the mist from the cascading water was just what the doctor ordered.

Later in the day, we found a much less-traveled 4-km Jungle Trail that led deep into the forest. It was a nice and relaxing walk until we came upon a long stretch of huge spiders in webs just above the trail. Huge. Ducking our way along the dirt path for several anxious minutes through this “Corridor of Death,“ our bravery was eventually rewarded when we came upon a beautiful natural pool with a tall waterfall. Here, we enjoyed a refreshing swim in the middle of the jungle -- definitely a highlight of our stop in Argentina’s Northeast.

On our final day in Puerto Iguazu, we joined an adventurous Iguazu Forest tour that paraded us down some of South America’s dustiest roads and deep into the elements. Upon arriving in the middle of nowhere and receiving instructions in something that resembled English, we took turns fearlessly rappelling down a waterfall’s rock face. And as if that wasn’t awesome enough, we followed this up with a dramatic zipline over the lush jungle canopy. Fortunately, we survived the day’s thrilling activities with nary a scratch, and set off to celebrate this feat with some cold, Argentinean beer and tasty empanadas.

Argentina: A Quick Stop in Palermo, Then on to Iguazu Falls

After a memorable stint in Mendoza, we swung through Buenos Aires once again before moving on to further regions of Argentina. (In Argentina, no travel is direct; everything runs through Buenos Aires.) This time around, we stayed in the quieter, chic and downright lovely section of Buenos Aires called Palermo. The highlight included an epic meat-fest of a dinner at a busy restaurant in Palermo called La Cabrera, a recommended stop of the highest order for all fellow travelers to this fair city. The lowlight, however, was saying goodbye to Sister Danielle as she headed back to - what we have been referring to as - “The Real World.”

With Cousin Nicole’s vacation still in full swing, the three of us anxiously headed northward, waaaaaaay northward, to view the Iguazu Falls, one of the world’s largest and widest water falls. (Even a candidate for the New Seven Wonders of the World.) The falls dramatically mark the boundary between Argentina and Brazil, and Paraguay is just a short ways down river, also allowing access to the falls. The Iguazy waterfall system consists of 275 falls in total, which is an epic indeed. Some of these 275 falls drop 269 feet, or 82 meters for our metric-based friends. Anyway, it’s an immensely impressive sight, so as soon as we arrived in the nearby town of Puerto Iguazu, where we would spend the next several nights, we took off to get a closer look at this legendary, natural wonder. With the temperature hovering somewhere between wicked hot and sweltering, we were also hoping this waterfall would bless us with a cooling mist.

We spent our first day at Iguazu Falls checking out Devil’s Throat, the largest of the 275 falls, which, thanks to a precariously positioned platform, we felt we were right on top of, and the Upper Circuit, a walkway that offered an up-close look at the higher regions of the falls. With much more to see in Iguazu Nactional Park, and with Rangers kicking us out in not-the-kindest Spanish we‘ve heard thus far, we saved the rest of our exploration for Day 2. Details on that and the rest of our stay in Iguazu soon.