Three years ago, I planned a month-long trip through north-central Argentina. I had previously visited the north-east (see here) and the north-west (unblogged) and this new trip would plug the gap between the two. Formosa was the only Argentine province I had not previously visited, and I was greatly attracted by a region in the Argentine Chaco known as ‘El Impenetrable’, no translation needed.
But this trip was not to be, and attempts to resuscitate it failed, twice. Occasions –mainly Covid19 related– informed against me. It was expensive. The rental cost of a 4WD SUV for a month was outrageous and there was a limit to how much useful travelling stuff I could bring with me to my starting point, originally Resistencia. Yes, I had an ageing Jeep Cherokee down in Patagonia but it was in its twenty-third year and not reliable enough for a 12-15,000 km journey. And Jeep spare parts, when you could get them, were costly and notoriously slow to arrive, even in a city, and I wasn’t intending to be spending much time in cities.
Time, then, for some fresh calculations, which changed the basic premise: now I simply had to get a decent SUV, carry everything I needed in or on it, and live in it and from it as I would. I could carry a tent, cooking equipment, a cooler box, a folding chair, etc. Argentina is strong on camping sites, mostly with shower and barbecue facilities, and many are free so that would offset the cost of the gas. And I would have no other flights or surface transport costs at all.
I sold the Chero and bought a Toyota SW4, basically a Hilux with an enclosed back, seven seats and spares available everywhere. In some countries they call it the Fortuner. It was the ideal vehicle. I tried a couple of short (2,000 km) trips in it and it was a dream to drive; high on the road and screaming safety. I slept in it one night, just in the front passenger seat, seat-back reclined. It was a lot better than my economy flight, and I hope to implement a much more comfortable emergency sleeping position. It has a great music system too, and I’ve been stockpiling podcasts and playlists for a while now.
So, the plan looked good on paper, and the revised estimates (allowing for a few hotels and restaurant meals here and there) seemed just about doable without digging into savings. There would be some preparations to the SW4 and in the general planning, but there would have been anyway. I revised the itineraries and finetuned things a bit to allow me to stop by and say hello to more friends along the way. I extended the duration of the trip too, from four weeks to eight, to allow me to revisit Iberá (where new ecolodges have opened) and parts of Misiones (always a great place to visit).
I’m planning to leave San Martín de los Andes on 18 August, heading north at first up the great National Highway RN 40. It’ll be great to be off on a proper trip again, one where the aim is the travelling itself, as much as any particular destination. My focus, as is my wont, will be on birds and other wildlife, but I shall be visiting many people too and enjoying local customs, food and drink. It’s going to be good, and I’m really looking forward to it. I hope to blog the journey, day by day, both on Facebook and also on my own blog [at www.eayrs.com/blog]. It’s unlikely I’ll be able to upload every day given the parlous state of mobile signals and the Internet in provincial Argentina and the remoteness of some of the places I’m visiting, but I’ll upload when I can.
So, if interested, feel free to comment, here or on the blog, and if you live along my route and fancy meeting up for a beer or coffee do get in touch. And watch this space.
