Rained very heavily in the Resistencia night. Indifferent breakfast, ruined by too many noisy kids assembled in the dining room for a Tae Kwon Do competition. Went to pick up car from cochera and realised it was cold, quite a surprise after the heat of last night.
The rain had stopped by the time I left
It was a short drive today, so I took it very easily, exploring byways a piacere. But first I stopped for a decent coffee, car as always where I could see it.
My standard service station work environment
And then I hit the open road …
Like so much of Argentina, long, straight roads and dramatic skies
My little deviations took me through some pretty towns, which the highways tend to bypass …
Just a little town in the north of Argentina
… and I passed quite a few shrines, the red flags on this one linking it to the cult of the Gauchito Gil.
Finally I came to the border with Formosa Province, the only province in Argentina I had not previously visited.
My bird of the day: the Shiny Cowbird, because there were so many clouds of them all along the highway …
… but a special mention for this wood stork and great egret who were sharing a roadside pool.
And I recorded the demise of a roadkill comadreja – not at all sure what this would be in English.
And finally to my Formosa hotel, booked for me by Ariel, my guide for the next few days. It’s a bit 1984 inside and there was no hot water until 18.00 but it seems comfortable enough.
It was warm last night at Resistencia, and it was warm in the morning as I left. No more sweaters, I feel. Typical if uninspiring hotel breakfast, and off to pick up last night’s laundry – then on the road again.
This seems to be the standard breakfast for two and three star hotels
Curiosity of the day was undoubtedly this tower, beautifully built of brick in the middle of nowhere. Once part of a sugar cane refinery it has been restored and apparently then abandoned. It’s still very impressive.
Very striking brick tower, not least because it is in the middle of nowhere
Today’s bird of the day was probably this juvenile roadside hawk ….
… while this crested caracara’s tussle with a largish snake is surely worth a mention.
About half way through today’s drive I came to the town of Florencia, for personal reasons well worth a picture. I love the way all these northern towns spell out their names for passing travellers in colourful fashion.
I stopped for coffee here, and as I drove off was stopped by a nice police lady for not having my lights on as I entered the highway. She had me bang to rights and offered me a fine of the cost of three hundred litres of petrol but together we agreed this would mean a lot of paperwork and a long delay so we settled for the price of some meat and wine for an asado for the lads and lasses at the local police station. This is Argentina.
Shortly afterwards we entered the province of Chaco …
….. where the roads turned seriously bad
and in another half hour I was in Resistencia, where I was to spend the night.
But first there was the matter of a spot of lunch …
with pudding, flaming as it arrived at the table …
And then the check-in at the hotel. If it had been warm last night it was positively hot tonight … I guess it’s going to get worse from here northwards.
Tomorrow will be the final leg of my journey north to Formosa
Short leg today, the first half done in darkness. I wanted to get to Reconquista, a larger town/city, with time to find a laundromat as I was running low on clean clothes.
Bye bye to the comfy lounge and back on the road
So, I said goodbye to the comfy roadside hotel and drove towards Reconquista, at the top end of Santa Fe Province. As the sun came up it was clear we were approaching more tropical countryside, with palm trees everywhere.
Noticeable changes in the landscape as I get further north
It also seems to be the land of citrus fruit too – here I present Miss Orange, one of several roadside fruit sellers..
One of many roadside fruit sellers
My bird of the day is the red-crested cardinal. They are very attractive, and have been everywhere for the last couple of days.
The ubiquitous red-crested cardinal
Arriving in Reconquista in time for lunch, I couldn’t resist this place …
With a name like that, who could resist …
… but milanesa a caballo seemed to be about the only option on the menu.
… though the menu was somewhat limited
Reconquista seems a pleasant city and a busy place. I found this lovely old church ..
… and most importantly this laundromat, where I left my dirty clothes to pick up in the morning.
That blue boat bag has seen a lot of service …
To my hotel for the night, another roadside venue, very quiet and comfortable.
Tomorrow morning to pick up the laundry and on to Resistencia.
Uneventful night, warm as toast in my sleeping bag. Looked in at the police station to offer thanks and make my goodbyes and was on the road by 08.00.
Looking in the back of the car as I left I realised that the neatness had somehow disappeared. Made a mental note to do something about it later – at least I know where everything is! I took away a souvenir of Lake Ansenuza in the shape of a handy bag.
I also carried away a bit of the mud from the lake on my boots!
I stopped for a couple of coffees while I finished yesterday’s blog. Back on the road by 10.00 and drove fairly slowly as it was good birding country, especially when I hit the dirt road I had chosen.
Very quiet roads today. A few farmers riding roadside …
Local farmers going about their business. Note the sheepskin saddles and rawhide rebenque..
… accompanied by countless birds. Hard to choose a bird of the day but have opted for the majestic Savannah Hawk.
Savannah Hawk, Buteogallus meridionalis
Not much to report at all today – it was a short drive and I was still a bit birded out after yesterday’s strenuous birding session with Walter. Drove slowly, and took lots of photos but no lifers today. Arrived in Gobernador Crespo at about three o’clock and was grateful for a good hot shower.
Truckdriver’s stop, with accommodation and food. Comfortable, and good craich.
A short siesta before retiring to the restaurant area to catch up with email and this blog. Trying to stay off the beer, so went for the standard Argentine drink in these parts – Fernet with Coke. I just loved the dinky bottles.
Is this the national drink of Argentina?
Not quite sure just yet about tomorrow’s drive. I think a little research is required, along with a bit more Fernet.
Trajectory: Miramar – towards La Para – Altos de Chipión
Distance covered: ± 100 km (driving from place to place)
Circled areas are where Walter and I birded.
Today was my first day dedicated to birding, and an exhausting one. It started with breakfast at my friend Walter’s house. Walter keeps bees, so ‘home-made’ honey was on the menu, and some surprisingly good tea he had brought back from a trip to Sri Lanka.
Good start to the day …
Bellies full, we set off a birding for what would be a six-mile stroll through a variety of habitats.
My super-guide, Walter Cejas.
It was quite hot, but for much of the time a fresh breeze was blowing.
Trudging through the salty mud
It was also a bit wet underfoot, but hey, this is what birders do …
Shoreline of Lake Ansenuza
… and we left our tracks in the mud flats alongside those of the birds.
Footprints in the sand
I took exactly 300 photos which will be processed later, probably much later as I want to enjoy my trip. However, I did have a quick look to choose my bird of the day, which turned out to be a tie for first place between a Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl …
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl
… and a spot-backed Puffbird
Spot-backed Puffbird
My day took an unexpected turn after that, as Walter had arranged for me to be interviewed by a local TV station with him and the local ‘Intendente’ (mayor).
Left to right: the town mayor, me and Walter Cejas
That was interesting, and I also participated in a municipal meeting to plan an upcoming birding festival in the area, recently awarded National Park status.
Being here was especially interesting for me as the project for National Park Status was greatly helped by funds collected at the 2018 British Bird Fair (in the region of $400,000 US). My friend Tim Appleton, who organised the British Bird Fair, had been here a few years ago and was remembered fondly.
How Argentine can you get …. ?
The meeting ended as it should, this being Argentina, in copetín, followed by asado (barbecue).
Choris, chanchito and tira de asado .. with a good Malbec.
At about 11.00 pm we broke up. Somebody had forgotten to book a room at the hotel in Altos de Chipión and I didn’t want to go back to Walter’s house in Miramar (45 kms in the wrong direction, and I had been drinking wine) so the local police arranged a bed for me in a building next to the police station.
My home for the night on the outside …
It felt good to be under police protection (especially for the car and contents) and the accommodation was comfortable enough. With the wine and walking I went straight to sleep. I used my sleeping bag, but it was a bit hot – a reminder of what awaits me further north.
…. and on the inside
Tomorrow to Gobernador Crespo, luckily only about 250 km so it should be another leisurely drive.
A short drive today, and a leisurely one. Spent first 90 mins on urban highways and a four lane motorway – a long way from the dirt roads to come further north. Not so good for driving, either, as more attention is needed on the traffic and even if I did see anything interesting stopping is not really a possibility and turning round on a dual carriageway is impossible.
setting off on day 5.
Lunch as always in a place where I can keep an eye on the car. Not quite sure what it was, but very tasty.
Lunch in La Para
Pretty uneventful day, really. Bird of the day the Muscovy Duck – a large number of which were in a stretch of fresh water in La Para, where I had lunch.
Muscovy Duck, alleged to be very tasty.
Finally arrived in Miramar, on the shore of Mar Chiquita, where I was greeted by this rather kitsch statue on the central roundabout.
Flamingo City?
I decided I could do better than that, and went for a walk along the shore to find my own flamingoes. There are three different flamingo species here and I’m not yet sure which these are.
Just a few of the very many flamingoes on the shores of the lake.
Short entry today as I’m staying the night with my friend Walter, and finishing the diary early so as not to be unsociable when I arrive. Tomorrow he’s taking me birding in the Ansenuza National Park. Watch this space.
No breakfast in hotel this morning (it was only US$10!) so got coffee in an YPF station. Left San Luis at 08.00, very slow start with extensive road works that the sat nav couldn’t handle but eventually got onto the open road.
San Luis was a city with a lot of road works …
I was heading north-east this time, so was spared the morning sun in my eyes, and after yesterday I learned to keep the sat nav on at all times. Noticed a considerable difference between shortest and fastest route – some eighty km extra for the fastest – I found out later why.
An unprepossessing sign to mark another change of province
After a while the plains of San Luis shifted into the sierras of Cordoba. The Province of Cordoba didn’t have an impressive arch to mark my arrival, just a weathered common or garden road sign, but I did notice the ny new province was more populous, more prosperous and more sophisticated – the latter reflected in the many food options along the route. I had seen a number of rabbits along the route, and it seemed fitting that I should have rabbit stew for lunch – very tasty.
Bunny for lunch – reminded me of ‘Fatal Attraction’
You see strange things along the route, or perhaps anything that’s a slight distraction grabs your attention. I was amused by this family in high viz advertising a roadside eatery …
Strange things you see … selling salami sausages
Again an abundance of birds along the route, and I largely resisted the temptation but was tempted by this Golden-billed saltator at one of the coffee stops.
One of many birds I saw today – and one of the very few I photographed
But my best find of the day was the brocket (?) deer. I first saw one skulking in the undergrowth – he decided he didn’t want to be photographed …
Deer #1 – no wish to be friends
… but a few kilometres along the road I saw another who was more than happy to pose.
Deer #2 – posed for me for as long as I wanted
My bird of the day is this red-backed hawk, one of a pair that kept me entertained at another coffee stop.
Red-backed hawk in flight
The Cordoba hills are beautiful but very twisty – the combination of height and endless bends made me carsick, the first time I can remember since I was a child.
Typical roadside scenery as I twisted my way through the hills of Córdoba.
Fortunately, I felt better as soon as the road straightened out and arrived safely in Villa Carlos Paz, where my hotel was waiting for me.
My resting place for tonight – comfy, good wifi and a safe parking spot.
Tomorrow to meet my friend Walter Cejas at Lake Ansenuza, part of a new National Park established in part through funding from the British Bird fair a few years ago.
Date: Sunday 21 August 2022 Trajectory: Malargüe – San Luis
Distance covered: 459 km (plus extra 108 km diversion)
Left Malargüe (which I have now learned how to spell) in the dark and spent the first 90 mins driving due east and squinting to avoid being dazzled by the surprisingly large number of cars coming into Malargüe on a Sunday morning, many of whom don’t believe in dipped headlights, and the second hour squinting driving due east into a ferocious blinding sun. Moral: when leaving early, don’t drive east (or when driving east, don’t leave early).
Mountains for the first couple of hours, giving way to flat plains. No domestic animals on the road today, but a roadside juvenile rhea and a disappearing fox cheered me up. And of course, lots of birds, with frequent feeding flocks along the verges and roadside vegetation. In the picture are some eared doves and a spotwinged pigeon from a mixed feeding group.
Two eared doves (l) and a spot-winged pigeon (r)
An uneventful drive today, bar a navigation error (see below). One interesting place I drove through was Monte Comán, once an important Railway station with British connections. Much of the infrastructure can still be seen, and the town also has an open-air display of old engines, rolling stock and agricultural machinery.
Railway station at Monte Comán – with clear British influencesNot to be irreverent – but this reminded me of Thomas the Tank Engine
Shortly afterwards I crossed into the Province of San Luis, the countryside now completely flat. It was warm with the sun high, but not so warm when the clouds covered the sun so I was busy regulating the AC (and trying to remember how it worked).
Day by day, crossing from one province to another
Life is full of surprises, and I had to stop and investigate these abandoned plastic bottles. Litter for luck, it seems – or to reserve your place in a better world? Shrines like this often mark the scene of fatal accidents and are dedicated to Deolinda [Difunta] Correa. For the interesting story of Deolinda see here.
Roadside shrine to the Difunta Correa
All the highways today have had solar-powered wifi SOS points every couple of kilometres or so. Splendid idea, with so much sun here, and the posts make useful nesting boxes for the birds.
At least the nest doesn’t obstruct the solar panels ..
And now to today’s navigation problem, and the bird of the day. I drove past a falcon on a post, spotted him and turned round to take the photo. Then I thought this would be a good time to have a sandwich, which I did and then I got in the car and drove on.
‘On’ being back the way I had come. Because there are no road or distance signs and the scenery is pretty much flat and featureless (and because I didn’t have the satnav on – I couldn’t see the point!) it took me 54km to realise my error, so that added an extra 108 to the days driving. Never mind, I wasn’t in a hurry and it’s nice driving on good roads, which this was.
Falcon that cost me a hundred kilometres extra driving
Finally reached San Luis. Found the place I had earmarked but didn’t much like the look of it. Despite their online assurances that they had lock-up parking and wifi they in fact had neither. However I did find another place, very cheap, with both.
Home for tonight, safe parking round the corner
Tomorrow I drive northeast towards Villa Carlos Paz, in the Province of Córdoba. It’s a shorter drive unless I get distracted. Today’s lesson – keep the satnav on, even when it says next turn 280 kms.
Left Chos Malal at 08.00, after breakfast in the Hostería Anlu. It was still dark and cold though no sign of snow or ice. It was to be a leisurely day as I had a shorter than usual distance to cover, though it turned out to take longer than I thought. More about that below.
Comfortable stop, with good hot shower and comfy bed. What else do you need?
There were always going to be birds today, but I decided to limit myself to just one for the blog. It didn’t take long to find these black vultures just as dawn was breaking – waiting for the early morning thermals to get up and soaring. Unlike condors, which roost high in the rocks, these vultures are ground roosters and need a solar incentive to get going in the morning.
Black vultures awaiting the thermals
After a few hours we reached the provincial border of Neuquén and Mendoza, celebrated with this pic. Today was to be my last full day on the RN40.
The RN 40 run from the top to the bottom of Argentina and is a national institution
We had hardly entered Mendoza when the asphalt road surface disappeared, to be replaced by a tiresome and tiring gravel road. It was [mostly] not too bad a surface but seemed to go on for ever, and certainly slowed me down. Not that I was in a hurry.
As I was relieving myself I saw a small brown furry thing entering water – perhaps a coypu (if they live so far north)? No pic; it all happened so quickly. And I frequently met cows, sheep, goats and horses crossing or simply congregating in the roads. The braking time on gravel is longer so you need to be careful of these, although this road was pretty straight and wide for most of the way. And although it passed through high stretches there was no sign of ice or snow – quite the opposite, with hot sun and clear blue skies.
Horses this time.
For some time now the Roman Catholic church has been under threat by protestant evangelists, and little nonconformist chapels can be found all over Argentina. This Pentecostal Church is a fairly typical example.
Churches like this can be found in the smallest, poorest villages
Back on the asphalt it was nice to see this sign. I drove slowly for the next few kilometres vaguely hoping to see large felines but it wasn’t my day.
Not my day, but nice to fantasise
And I cruised into Malargüe at about 14.30 to find a room at a pleasant hotel/restaurant on the main route. I always look for a place with a lock-up compound as I don’t want to unpack the whole car, although the valuables do come in with me at night.
Another comfy stop, with a good restaurant.
At the hotel I took time to reorganise the stuff in the back of the car. I packed the travelling stuff when I left San Martín de los Andes in snow and rain, and it was a mess. It may still look a mess, but now I know what is where and things are much more getatable. I reclaimed the back row of seats though intelligent packing, and put most of the stuff in clear sealable plastic boxes as there is a lot of dry dust ahead. I have a roof rack if needed.
Well, if this still looks messy you should have seen it before
black-billed shrike-tyrant (Agriornis montanus)There was time for a daylight walk around Malargüe and I did see a few birds; near the hotel were an Austral Thrush and an as yet unidentified bird, very elegant, perhaps a shrike tyrant. (Ed. Good guess – it was a black-billed shrike-tyrant (Agriornis montanus).
Austral thrush on left, unknown bird on right. (Ed. black-billed shrike-tyrant)
Had we but world enough and time in Malargüe , I would have explored the Witches’ Cavern with its vast cave complex to the southwest of the town or the bird-rich wetlands at the Llancanelo Lagoon’s to the east, but we always have to make choices. My destination is Formosa, and tomorrow to San Luis.
Todays journey. The diversion to Taquimilán is just south of Chos Malal
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.
Off, to the sound of canned Heat’s ‘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.
Hills between Zapala and `Chos Malal. Patagonia id geologically young, and has many fascinating rock formations.
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.
The ubiquitous ACA sign, always welcome after a couple of hundred kms of rough road.
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.
Cheap and cheerful lunch – came in at around US$ 4.00.
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.
Sierra Finch, I think grey-hooded but am happy to be corrected
There were other animals on the road, and I was held up for a few minutes for some goat-moving exercises.
It’s common to see gauchos moving large numbers of domestic animals across highways: in this case a couple of hundred goats.
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 was accompanied to this vantage point, where, had the light and other conditions been ‘right’, I would have seen the much touted ‘enchanted village’.
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.
And yes, I spent all day on the RN40, and will do tomorrow too. Definitely my favourite road anywhere.
