This was taken last year while traveling in Argentina for four weeks. We camped at Lake Alumine for a night and after departing from Lake Alumine, we headed to San Martin and later on to San Carlos Bariloche. You can check out the some of the pictures of San Carlos Bariloche HERE. On the way to San Martin, we stopped at the roadside for a break and I took this picture. This was taken in February last year, summer time in Alumine,  Patagonia region of Argentina. Nicknamed as the “home of gods”, this is one of the pictures I took while traveling by the Andes mountains. At that time, it was chilly and it was quite surprising to see a snow top mountain during summer. This is the Picture of the Week: Alumine Neuquen ARGENTINA.

My trip to Argentina last year brought me to amazing places in Patagonia region. The thing about Patagonia is the inner beauty landscape that many would die for. That’s why Patagonia is also known as the home of gods.

A: San Carlos de Bariloche in South America Map

One of the cities that I loved most is San Carlos de Bariloche. Situated by the lake, Bariloche itself is a beauty.

A: San Carlos de Bariloche by the lake

Bariloche is located in the province of Rio Negro, in the foothills of the Patagonia or Andes. It is surrounded by lakes such as Nahuel Huapi, Gutierrez Lake, Moreno Lake and Mascardi Lake and mountains like Tronador, Cerro Catedral and Cerro Lopez.

Though it is located in remote Patagonia, Bariloche is a major international tourist destination.

To have the best view of San Carlos de Bariloche, you must to go Cerro Otto via cable car.

I took the picture from Cerro Otto. I had almost 360 degrees view of San Carlos de Bariloche.

Check out the reflections of the clouds on the lake.

It was summer, February 2010 and it was snowing. Hard to believe but it is true, it was really snowing during summer in San Carlos de Bariloche.

Can you spot the snow from the clouds?

It is a lovely city, its really hard to put in words. I stayed there 2 nights and loved the city and the people there.

Check out the clouds, it was snowing in summer!
I will write more about San Carlos de Bariloche in this few days, trying to finish my posts before moving on to my new trips or adventures if you want to call it.

Other San Carlos de Bariloche posts:

My Stay at Grand Hotel Bariloche, Rio Negro, Patagonia, ARGENTINA

My gambling experiences at Tresor Casino De Bariloche, Patagonia, ARGENTINA

A: Bariloche, Argentina: Sources – Google Map

It is one of the most beautiful places in Argentina. I’m talking about Bariloche, which is located at Rio Negro, Patagonia region of Argentina. Facing the huge lake, Bariloche is crowded by tourists from Chile and all around the world.

The entrance of the hotel, Grand Hotel Bariloche
As popular as it is, it is common sense to know that it is not cheap to stay in Bariloche. I stayed at the Grand Hotel Bariloche which is located at the heart of the Bariloche town.

Retail outlets and shopping arcades is just next door.

It is within the busy shopping street of Bariloche town and it is just a few minute walk to the famous San Carlos de Bariloche Cathedral. The hotel has a restaurant located at their basement and they have a small lift. There are 75 rooms in this hotel.

To be frank, the room is pretty small with an attached small bathroom. It was my mistake of not taking the picture of the room and the bathroom. However I did take a picture of the room view.

The beautiful lake at the background and the buildings in Bariloche
I stayed 2 nights in Grand Hotel Bariloche and it was alright. I loved how convenient staying there as well as the warmth of the locals there. I shopped some winter clothing there as it was very cold even though it is summer back then.

Grand Hotel Bariloche Address and Contact:

Mitre 408
8400 San Carlos de Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina
(0)2944 15 535 428

http://www.grandhotelbariloche.com/ingles/

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Rio Mayo, Chubut, Argentina: Sources – Google Maps

Rio Mayo, Chubut sits on the Patagonia region of Argentina. It is one of the small towns which is located at the Route 40 stretch. We left Esquel and heading to Los Antiguous. It is a 282 km drive and it is one of the shortest we did in Patagonia.

During our road trip on Route 40, there are a few things we must do. Firstly, buy an extra gas tank. Second, try to get a meal when you see a town in the middle of nowhere. Lastly, re-fuel and make sure the extra gas tank is full.

It is no coincidence we stopped at Rio Mayo, Chubut. They have “mercado” (supermarket), hotel, restaurante (restaurant) and petrol station there. The town is considered complete for a rest and a meal. We had our lunch at Hotel Y Restaurante Aka-ta and trust me the food there was impressive. I missed the clear blue sky of Patagonia.

Hotel Y Restaurante Aka-ta, Rio Mayo, Chubut, Argentina Map:

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In Spanish, Gaucho is a term used to describe the residents of South American pampas or Patagonian grasslands in parts of Argentina, Uruguay, Southern Chile and Southern Brazil. In short, they are the cowboys of the South American pampas.

Traveling on the road in Patagonia region of Argentina was fun. My expedition to there earlier of the year was one of the most memorable trips in my life. I was told by Argentines to look for the “Gauchos” in Patagonia.

As they are permanent resident of the huge land of Patagonia, there is no specific location that we are able to locate them. There is no BrokeBack mountain in Argentina so spotting them is only by chance or by luck.

Throughout my two weeks experience traveling in Patagonia, I had my DSLR / digital camera by my laps all the time. By luck, I managed to capture this picture on our moving car. The car was moving around 60-80km/h, the picture was captured with a high shuttle speed.

There are 3 gauchos riding on their horses with the magnificent landscape of the Andes mountain of Patagonia, Argentina. At the background, you can see the shading by the clouds and how huge the vast land of Patagonia. This picture was taken along the Route 40, the loneliest highway in the world.

I promised myself to finish all my Argentina related posts by this year. The list goes on here. Esquel is part of Patagonia, Argentina. We stop at Esquel from Bariloche before continued to Los Antiguos.

The impression of Esquel was the town is very organized. Not forgetting there is a mountain at the backdrop which is near the Los Alerces National Park.

That’s the hotel! Hosteria Cumbres Blancas
Staying at Hosteria Cumbres Blancas was a blessing. In a walking distance to Esquel’s only casino, the hotel has 2 storeys and they have a backyard parking area for guests.

The room I had was pretty decent. With 2 single beds, clean bathroom and if I have not mistaken, they have FREE WIFI in the lobby. It doesn’t have much rooms but the front desk service was excellent.

Our room with 2 comfortable single beds.

In this region of Patagonia, it is still cold during summer. It was around 15 degree Celsius at night and around 20 plus during day.  Like I said, we had comfortable night after a few rounds at the casino.

Decent bathroom with bath tub, no complains!
I won’t compare this hotel to the big guns in the city, I would rate this hotel above average. I’m not sure about the pricing but the stay was good. The hotel can be easily spotted at the main road near the casino. It is just a few stones away.

Hosteria Cumbres Blancas Address and Contact:

Av. Ameghino 1683
9200 Esquel, Argentinien
(0)2945 455 200

Hosteria Cumbres Blancas Map:

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Malargue is one of the towns located along Route 40, Patagonia Mendoza region of Argentina. Since we were on the road trip, we stayed at the Microtel Inns & Suites Malargue.
Located at the main road of Malargue (it is a very long stretch road towards the town center), Microtel Inns & Suites can be easily seen.

The first impression was the nice stony entrance. As I walked in to the lobby, I was entertained by the lobby staff. There, we got our keys to our rooms.

The walkway was made of wood, very nice. The best part of this hotel is FREE WIFI at the lobby. That was like the best thing to do in the middle of the night to update my blog as well as sending emails back.

The room was average, comes with a TV. Bathroom was okay, clean. That is the most important thing to me.

Room mate Steven was knocked out, too tired after the morning road trip.
We spent a night there so we didn’t have time to try out their facilities such as the sauna and the indoor swimming pool.

I was told it is one of the best places to stay in Malargue. To me, the stay was comfortable and the service was alright, nothing spectacular. Yet again, it is in Malargue, should we ask for more?

Microtel Inns & Suites Address:
Ruta 40 Norte,
Malargue Mendoza,
Province of Mendoza,
Cuyo, 5613, Argentina

Patagonia is a geographic region of the southern most of South America. Some named Patagonia as “Home of Gods” and “Foot of Gods”, it comprises the southernmost part of Andes mountains that is located in Argentina and Chile. I was in Patagonia earlier this year for 3 weeks which inclusive of 2 weeks of road trip. I would like to share my personal favourite Top 7 Places To Visit in Patagonia.

1. City of Mendoza

The Mendoza province of Argentina has been very popular for its vineyards and winery. Most of the locals will always recommend wines originated from Mendoza.

Malbec is one of the most popular types of wine in Argentina and it is said that the best wines comes from Mendoza, Argentina. One notable change in scenery in Mendoza region is the hazy condition of the landscape. I was told it was the natural moist from the ground. The city of Mendoza also has lovely restaurants and also a casino at Sheraton Hotel. You can travel to Mendoza by air or by land.

*Check out my story on the Route from Cordoba to Mendoza HERE*

2. UNESCO World Heritage City of Cordoba

As the second largest city of Argentina, Cordoba is one of the first Spanish colonial capital of the region. Declared in 2000, as World Heritage Site by UNESCO, some buildings here are dated in range of hundreds of years old.

The Cathedral which is perhaps the most emblematic structure in the city of Cordoba. Cordoba is located at the north of Mendoza and east of Buenos Aires.

*Check out my full story on Cordoba HERE*

3. Lake Alumine, Nuequen

If you love camping, this could be a perfect place for you. I bet not much people would know about this place. Lake Alumine is located at Nuequen, with many lodges and resorts surrounding the area. I was there camping with the 4×4 Expedition group for one night. It was my first time in my life camping. The experience was surreal. With the breathtaking view of Lake Alumine, this could be one of the preferred weekend getaway in Patagonia. Lake Alumine is located in between Malargue and Bariloche.

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There is no better place to dine than Solar De Tejeda. Located in the UNESCO heritage site itself, the restaurant is next to historical buildings and monuments.

We went there for dinner and the place is packed. Place is slightly small but the environment there is okay.

We ordered the Grilled Rib Cut for (ARS 33/US$8.70/RM27.80). My friend Chuan ordered extra 2 eggs for it. The Patagonian region of Argentina is very popular for its grill food and its beef. The grilled rib cut is grilled to perfection and it was well seasoned and the meat was tender. In short it was delicious!

Next we ordered additional Mixed Grill for two for (ARS 62/US$16.30/RM52). The ribs were well grilled and the sausages were good.

I prefer to eat the mixed grill without additional seasoning or sauces. It is good by itself. Dining at Solar De Tejeda offers a great night view of the historical buildings and monuments. They have menus in English and well mannered waiters and waitresses. This place is highly recommended!

Solar De Tejeda, Cordoba Address and Contact:

27 de Abril 23

Tel: 0351-4219702

In one of those moments that you were so charmed by the scenery, you totally forgot who you are. It happened to me when I stayed in El Calafate.

I was taken away by the beauty of the area and I totally forgot taking pictures of the hotel I stayed. I stayed there two nights to visit the popular Perito Moreno glacier.

There are a few hotels in the area we stayed. Located at Los Antiguos 194, El Calafate 9405, Argentina, Hotel Glaciares de la Patagonia is only minutes away of driving to the town. It is also near the beautiful lake, Lago Argentina.

I didn’t have any problems staying there. Free WIFI and the room I stayed is clean but slightly small.

The bathroom comes with standing shower and pretty standard Argentina’s style of inn.

The hallway and dining hall is a mix of modern and classical Argentine ambience.

Breakfast there was pretty the same as the rest such as sausages, eggs, breads, bacons and fruits.

There are a few decent restaurants in the area, set with the backdrop of the Patagonian mountains and lake Lago Argentina.

Hotel Glaciares de la Patagonia Address and Contact:

Los Antiguos 194, El Calafate 9405, Argentina

Tel: (54) 02902-493920

http://www.glaciaresdelapatagonia.com