Date: Friday 19 August 2022
Trajectory: San Martín de los Andes – Chos Malal
Distance covered: 478 km (with diversions)
I finally left the cabin I have been staying in at 10.15 AM, with sun and clear sky and ice visibly melting. Good feeling to be on the road again.
Today’s was always going to be an uneventful drive, the day’s aim being to reach first Zapala and then Chos Malal by nightfall and not to dillydally on the way. No birds, no detours, just put the foot down and get there. With a late start and twisty mountain roads it seemed a sensible plan.
The view from the windscreen was of course spectacular – Patagonia [Argentina even] doesn’t just have the Andes but also other mountain ranges that can be equally impressive. I tend to drive fairly slowly (80-100 kph) anyway, in order to enjoy the scenery and keep an eye open for wild life, which means I enjoy the views so much more.
I’m a member of ACA (the Argentine Automobile Club), which gets me discounts on diesel, drinks and food as well as access to a small number of ACA hotels and camp sites. Stopping for fuel (diesel, coffee and lunch) is a regular part of all my journeys and I choose ACA when I can.
And yes, I did say I wouldn’t photograph birds today, but as I stopped for a pee this Sierra Finch came to say hello and more or less begged to be photographed. And the camera was handy.
There were other animals on the road, and I was held up for a few minutes for some goat-moving exercises.
Just short of my destination, Chos Malal, I made one of the diversions I was not going to make to see the ghost village of Taquimilán. This appears from time to time in the foothills you can see in the picture below, although you need luck (and perhaps a good imagination) to see it. I spoke to several villagers there; about 50% claimed to have seen the mysterious phantom village. They do say that you need a clear sky in the evening; faith was not mentioned but I imagine it is a useful aid.
I reached Chos Malal (the name means ‘yellow corral’ in the language of the Mapuches) as the sun was setting, and found my [very comfortable] hostería. A shower, a meal and an early night and Day 1 completed.
We are enjoying the blog. Today we made the puzzle of RN40. Indi would like to know if there are any actual ghosts in the ghost village.
I guess the key word is ‘actual’. It’s a ghost village because a small number of people think they have seen the outline of buildings. I’ve not heard that anyone says they have seen people. I don’t really believe in ghosts, but … ¡que las hay, las hay!