Where We Be
Siete Lagos, Argentina
One of the seven lovely lakes on the Siete Lagos route
We came this close to missing the one bus a day to
the Siete Lagos region because we didn't realize
there had been a one-hour time change between
Chile and Argentina. For two days in Bariloche we
had been living one hour off the actual time! We
had an "Amazing Race" taxi ride to the bus station
and boarded the bus just as it was leaving. Phew!

All the guidebooks recommend you see the Siete
Lagos (Seven Lakes) region between the towns of
San Martin de los Andes and Villa la Angostura in
Argentina's Lake District. The area is just north of
Bariloche and is brimming over with quiet natural
beauty. We took the bus to San Martin and spent
two days in this tranquil upscale town.

Next day we joined a group of seven Argentinians
for a tour (in Spanish) of the Siete Lagos. After
several days of rain, the unpaved middle section
of the route was a muddy mess, so it was good to
have a driver who knew the route and had the
right vehicle for it. The day started out misty and
got sunnier as we went along. We finished our
tour in Villa la Angostura in short sleeves.

We thought San Martin had been upscale, but it
had nothing on Villa la Angostura, which we
dubbed "the Aspen of Argentina."
As we started our Siete Lagos tour, fog filled the lake valleys while sun shone above the mountains
Robin stands lakeside in San Martin
San Martin is full of hotels and chic shops with stone-and-wood architecture
This gives a sense of the Western-feeling scenery on the drive from Bariloche to San Martin along the "Rinconada" route
Beautiful overlook at Cerro Bayo, a ski hill near Villa la Angostura
A band of fog envelops San Martin valley as we drive higher into sunshine
Posing lakeside in full sun
Happy to have some sun after days of rain
A pretty farmstead along the Siete Lagos route where we paused for a rest stop
A muddy stretch of road along the Siete Lagos route after several days of rain
Typical Siete Lagos scenery
We made some new friends during our Siete Lagos tour. Everyone but us was from Argentina, but they went out of their way to include us in the conversation.
Fences and wooden houses make for a tranquil scene along the Siete Lagos route
Sheets line-dry in the sunshine
Moody shot of one of the first lakes we came to when the valleys were still shrouded in fog
Entrance to the town of Villa la Angostura as seen from a hillside park
Typical walkway along the main street in Villa la Angostura
The use of thick wooden logs is a hallmark of architecture here
Quaint cottage  of stone and logs -- a small home by Villa la Angostura standards
Lake Nahuel Huapi in Villa la Angostura -- the same big lake that borders Bariloche
Lookout over the lake in Villa la Angostura
View during the walk between Villa la Angostura and the lake and marina at Puerto Villa
Kitten outside a restaurant
On the road again -- heading towards the border crossing with Chile