We started March 25 at 9am in the morning from El Chalten and arrived at Los Antiguos 22h, a village of 5,000 inhabitants situated on the shores of Lago Buenos Aires, just 10 km from the Chilean border; the lake being a horse on the two countries. Ruta 40 on this section is a gravel track which crosses the Patagonian steppe landscapes very arid, almost desert. It was crossed in 11 hours of travel, only a dozen vehicles ... By cons we still saw lots of guanacos (llama in the Andes), ñandus (the ostrich Andes), and we even saw a zorro (fox Andes, c is very rare to see them) as well as a small animal unknown to us until then: a pinch. Highway not in finished and is much longer that it is not tarmac ... Leaving El Chalten, the view over the Lago San Martin was superb, then a steppe landscape similar to the km. Arriving to Los Antiguos, terrain is shifting in favor of deep valleys and canyons. Since that we are in Patagonia We are amazed by the color of the sky. When it is blue, blue is very clear. The clouds are translucent and have something special forms: they look like flying saucers or springs ... and appear to float in the sky. Los Antiguos
is an oasis of greenery in the harsh landscape that surrounds the. The town is famous for its production of red berries in chakras, or family farms that can be visited. In particular, Los Antiguos is our Bessenay since c is the capital of the cherry with a national holiday is celebrated annually in January.
We spent a great day in the chakra of Señor Padilla, who was the owner of the hostel where we slept. 12 ha of land in the countryside on which he grows vegetables: garlic, beets, peas ... it also has fruit trees, sheep, horses and racing pigs. We arrived as tourists to visit the chakra, and we left as friends. Mr. Padilla was prepared in the kitchen of his small hut a great stew of mutton (which had to be skinned head down) with potatoes and carrots. Some friends came to join us with a bag full of chicken parts that they have kitchens improvising on a barbecue sauce with tomatoes, onions and sour cream ... Accompanies all of a good bottle of red wine. A regal, and a day unlike any other in a natural atmosphere and family. Señor Padilla explained to us the difference between ranch and chakra. The first is at least 1000 ha and includes the intensive rearing of sheep and / or cattle. The chakras are smaller and priority is given to the family culture.
One sign in particular has noted Argentines: their consumption permanently mate, a drink that they cut through the dried leaves in a kind of timbale specially called bombilla , with hot water and drink it with something resembling a pipette. So we see them all the time in stores, on the street ... including the bus driver, with their thermos of hot water in hand and bag of mate. In all, we have a good contact with the Argentines, they are friendly, perhaps less warm and endorsements that the Chileans, in any case less curious and more indifference to us.
We do that a short step to Los Antiguos and continue up the Ruta 40, tomorrow 27 March toward San Carlos de Bariloche.
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