Yes we have driven 10,000 Kms (6000 miles in 3 months is not excessive by UK standards but when days are spent going no faster than 20MPH it feels quite an achievement). Thank goodness diesel is cheaper here than back home. After the colonial road we headed to Mendoza city but like our visit to Neuquén we didn't stay long as it was busy and very hot. We drove north to visit the main shrine of Difunta Correa. We mentioned the shrines of Gaucho Gil and Difunt...

Over the last few warm and dry weeks we have got into a nice routine of camping 3 or 4 nights and then a night in a hotel. Finding a campsite has usually not been difficult as they are scattered all over Chile and Argentina. Most towns even have a municipal campsite if we got stuck. Weekends is not a good time for camping as both nations love to come out with family and friends and camp and barbeque large slabs of meat. Their festivities normally include a lot o...

We set of north towards Parque Congrullo. It is known for its volcanic landscape, the result of a rather active Volcan Llaima. The whole area is covered with evidence of eruptions, the last being in 2008. A massive eruption in 1927 covered most of the area in a thick layer of lava together with rocks and ash from a pyroclastic flow. The landscape in places looks lunar. Several rivers were blocked by lava and the result was some beautiful blue/green lakes, some w...

We have loved the scenery along the Andes but felt a change was called for so we turned east and headed for Neuquen to check out the dinosaurs. Since 1998 the area around Neuquen has become an important area for the discovery of dinosaur fossils from the Cretaceous period (135-70 million years ago). This was when the continents started to separate and the fossils found in the area have shown how the dinosaurs developed differently due to geographic isolation. Sor...

We left Bariloche in the brilliant sunshine and drove north on the Ruta de los Siete Lagos (seven lakes). A very scenic road mostly paved (yipee) that skirts seven large crystal clear lakes between Valle La Angostura and San Martin del Andes. The weather was so great, yes it was a hot 33 degrees, sunny and no rain, that we camped for 4 consecutive nights !! The Ruta runs along the Cordillera of the Neuquen province and is much favoured by the Monkey Puzzle Tree ...