San Martin de los Andes

The smaller town of San Martin de Los Andes is about a 3 hour drive north of Bariloche. It's a relatively modern, up-scale creation that has tried very hard to look rustic. The architecture is neo-tirol with a heavy emphasis on stone and cedar logs. Imagine Banff 15 years ago (when it had the upscale shops, but the escalators hadn't yet been installed!). Note that no one is swimming at the beach - the air temperature is a lovely 26 degrees, but the water's cold.

Truth is, this place has the best food I've had on the entire trip! Evidence: (a) a salad made with smoked deer, boar and trout; (b) venison medalians in a Malbec reduction with a mushroom and potato latke; (c) a magnificent pink trout filet in a lemon glaze with grilled vegetables. I have photos, just won't publish them here. And while San Martin is considered expensive, none of them cost more than $15.

On the drive back to Bariloche, I saw more typical landscapes of the region - worn rolling hills and grasslands - and some very unusual rock formations in the area around Confluencia. That's the Rio Lxxx in the foreground - a famous trout fishing stream.

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