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A Life Less Ordinary

Category: Sightseeing (page 1 of 20)

Four Final Destinations & Highlights in Brazil – Buzios, Arraial do Cabo, Ouro Preto, and Tiradentes

October 1, 2025 / / 23 Comments

When we left Rio de Janeiro, the idea was to meander up the coast and eventually make it to the state of Bahia to reconsider our route and plans.

Since our camper is for sale, we had to be flexible. The issue with Brazil is that it is huge! And because, as Americans in an American vehicle, Venezuela is off limits for safety reasons, we couldn’t drive the northern loop back to Colombia. This meant that wherever we drove in Brazil, we would have to backtrack that distance south in order to leave. There are no (decent) roads in the Amazon.

Brazil in South America

Since Niteroi didn’t work out for us, we needed a plan B, namely driving north to Cabo Frio and camping there. We had a horrible day on the road with tons of (unmarked and camouflaged) speed bumps, narrow and busy lanes, hot weather, and three potential camp spots that didn’t work out, because of new rules against campers or the wind being too strong, whipping up seawater.

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Can you see the speedbump we missed?
Big trucks on narrow lanes

São Pedro da Aldeia

Eventually, we settled in a quiet waterfront suburb of São Pedro da Aldeia, on the south side of the giant saltwater lagoon. The wind was less strong, the people were friendly, and our backyard was grassy with palm trees and nice views.

Our free camp spot in São Pedro da Aldeia
Still windy, but less windy than elsewhere in the area
Cute lighthouse along our walk
Rest spot for the fishermen
Curious cows. Maya wasn’t a fan.
Hot and still day on the lagoon
Resident burrowing owl
Happy hour on our grassy beach
A tropical scene along the salt lagoon

Despite being parked close to the dirt road with through traffic, we enjoyed our stay and walks with Maya and even returned from Cabo Frio once the wind picked up again.

Prominent statue in São Pedro da Aldeia
Interesting name for this pet store in São Pedro da Aldeia

Cabo Frio

Close-up Cabo Frio

We had hoped for a pleasant week of beach camping in Cabo Frio, but it was not meant to be. This area is notorious for its strong winds. The three of us did manage to snatch a few nights and our new Australian friend Larry joined us. We’d seen him in Rio as well, but due to my work assignment we hadn’t had time to hang out with him.

Drone shot of our camping spot in Cabo Frio (Photo courtesy of Larry Tofler)
The beach in Cabo Frio
Beautiful sand and water in Cabo Frio
Bird’s eye view of our camping area in Cabo Frio (Photo courtesy of Larry Tofler)
Sunset in Cabo Frio (Photo courtesy of Larry Tofler)
Sunset over the freshwater pond in Cabo Frio
Maya rinsing off in the freshwater pond

In Cabo Frio, we went for beach walks and a stroll into the dunes. Across from our parking spot was a small freshwater lagoon, which was perfect for doggie rinse-offs after sandy and salty outings. The weather was heating up a lot.

Walking in the dunes with Mark, Maya, and Larry
Good exercise for Maya!
Pretty, soft sand in the dunes
Mark and Larry scaling another dune. It was too hot for Maya and me.
Rest in the shade with my companions
Looking back towards the dunes
One last dune shot

Arraial do Cabo

The four of us (including Maya) organized an Uber from Cabo Frio to the most popular and stunning beach of Arraial do Cabo. Except, the driver could only drop us off 4km away from the praia – only authorized cabs and vehicles were allowed past this point – so we faced a steep, hot, and sweaty walk to cross the hills towards the beach.

Sweaty walk to the beach of Arraial do Cabo (Photo courtesy of Larry Tofler)
Walking towards the main beach of Arraial do Cabo

Once there, a refreshing dip in the icy waters followed for me and Maya, who seemed to be tolerated on leash, despite the information we had read beforehand about dogs not being allowed on the sand and in the water.

As the day progressed, it got really crowded on and off the water.
Maya and Mark check out the cold water
Cooling off in the pretty but icy water of the bay
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Rio de Janeiro – The Vibrant Heart of Brazil

September 16, 2025 / / 23 Comments

In our lifestyle, flexibility is key. I’ve often mentioned that Mark and I both work while traveling the world as nomads—a routine we’ve maintained for over 20 years. Usually, as freelancers, we have a fluid schedule and can adjust our work around the demands and challenges of daily life. But every couple of years, a massive translation project lands in my inbox, forcing us to make solid changes to our plans in exchange for a welcome chunk of income. That’s exactly how we ended up in Rio de Janeiro earlier than planned.

(As always, click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Rio de Janeiro in South America
Rio de Janeiro in Brazil
Rio de Janeiro, the city

When Mark returned from his three-week annual visit to the US at the end of July (while Maya and I held down the fort at a campground), we were eager to meander along Brazil’s famously beautiful coastline, wild camping along the way. That plan lasted two weeks—until the translation assignment arrived. Soon enough, we were parked in the driveway of Fritz House, the property of a Brazilian man of German descent who welcomes overlanders for a fee. His setup included WiFi, water, electricity, toilets, and showers.

Entrance to Fritz House
Not the nicest of campgrounds
The toilet and shower blocks were located down the driveway
This level was the nicest one on the hillside property
View from the “main level” of the campground
The bathroom blocks on the nice and grassy level – only the women’s had a hot shower
Orchid-like flowers on the property

Since I had already started the two-week project en route, we ended up staying 11 nights at Fritz House. I worked full-time while Mark tackled camper projects like repainting our ladder and four electric jacks. We also did laundry that had to line-dry and cleaned the water tanks with bleach.

Mark removes all four jacks
Priming and painting the smaller parts of the ladder
Priming and painting the four electric jacks and the camper ladder
Back to work: spray painting the camper ladder
Freshly painted camper jacks with a new, black touch at the bottom

First Glimpse of Rio

During our stay, we hitched a ride with a tour guide friend for our first look at Rio’s famous beaches. To our pleasant surprise, dogs were welcome. We started at the “fancier” Ipanema Beach, framed by an impressive rock on one side (which technically overlooks Leblon Beach) and a scenic peninsula on the other, where we stumbled upon a professional photo shoot.

Ipanema Beach with the prominent Dois Irmaos rock in the distance
The vehicle of our tour guide friend
Islands off Ipanema Beach
Foot-volley on the beach
The boardwalk of Ipanema
Mark and Maya on Ipanema Beach
Bikini fashion photo shoot
Ipanema is popular with surfers and surf schools
Rocky outcrops on the edge of Ipanema
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The Brazilian Coast – Driving North from Bertioga to Rio de Janeiro

August 31, 2025 / / 26 Comments

Our coastal route from Bertioga to Rio

Bertioga

On July 7th, 2025, Mark took a cab to São Paulo’s airport for his annual visit to Massachusetts, our official state of residence in the US. For almost three weeks, he visited doctors, family, and friends, while Maya and I stayed at the Jorai Campground in Bertioga.

(As always, click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Mark is ready for his ride to the airport.
The employees of the campground installed these lights just for us.
Home for three weeks

My illusion of a three-week beach vacation—just my dog and me—quickly evaporated. The weather was chilly and rainy, the environment basic, I had to be extremely careful with our fresh water since Bertioga’s city water isn’t potable, ultralights took off multiple times a day creating frequent noise, and paid work arrived almost daily.

One of the ultralights
Laundry facilities at the campground
Basic shower block for women
One of the ultralights on the beach
Weed whacking around Thirsty Bella – Maya hates it!
Doing laundry at the campground

Still, I made the best of it and settled into a routine: morning exercises, laundry, shopping, cleaning, working, long beach walks with Maya, chatting with my fellow UK camper, hot showers, cooking and cleaning, nightly phone calls with Mark, and catching up on writing, Portuguese practice, and online interactions. I also prepped the camper and took photos for our upcoming “camper for sale” ad.

The gate from Jorai campground to the beach
You can walk on Bertioga Beach for miles!
Big, flat, and wide Bertioga Beach
My daily beach walk with Maya
One of the rivers entering the sea in Bertioga
My beach for three weeks
Comfy Maya
On the one sunny, warm day, Maya ran in the waves.
Lots of time spent on the computer
My dog and me
Trying to calm down our anxious dog
Lots of organizing and cleaning going on
Morning exercises with Maya
Swinging by British Mark and his dog, Fran, and van
Going out for one drink on the beach with British Mark and Fran

Mark eventually returned with a clean bill of health (yay!), and the three of us looked forward to driving north along the coast while checking out Brazil’s sights and beaches. A slower pace awaited—or so we thought.

City sign
Whale statue along the seaside
Nice walking path along the beaches
Long beach walk with Maya to the southern end of the beach
Our destination was this fort.
Mark returned with goodies for people, dog, and camper

Jureia Beach

Before leaving Bertioga, we washed the car. Near Jureia, we filled the tanks with fresh water and settled in at our favorite beach spot. We repaired a few things with parts Mark had brought back from the US and enjoyed slower days.

Filling our water tank with potable water
Installing a new kitchen faucet
Enjoying happy hour at a grassy “beach”
Our camping spot in Jureia
Pretty Jureia Beach
Not a bad view of our backyard
Sunrise at Jureia Beach
One one side the ocean and on the other side the mountains
Our little family at Jureia Beach

A storm soon swept through, toppling trees and wires across the pretty neighborhood, cutting off electricity and internet. Sometimes it’s good to be self-contained!

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Bonito and the Southern Pantanal in Brazil – Water & Wildlife

July 25, 2025 / / 32 Comments

Instead of staying in Brazil after visiting Iguaçu Falls and driving north from there, Mark and I decided to return to Paraguay en route to our next destination, for three reasons: fuel is cheaper in Paraguay, so we wanted to cover a bunch of distance in that country; we didn’t want to use some of our precious, three-month entry allowance for Brazil just driving; and we preferred more time in Paraguay, since we’d enjoyed it. I wrote about those last Paraguayan days here.

Our Brazilian route

Border Crossing into Brazil

On June 17th, we left Paraguay and crossed into Brazil again, needing to drive all over town to find the required government offices and paperwork. This was a very different method from our usual border crossings, where the buildings and desks are located along the main highway. But we got everything straightened out and found a great and affordable grocery store with new products.

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)

The police acts as immigration
We are not sure what these shacks are on the way to Bonito. Temporary housing for field workers?
In almost every country we’ve driven through in South America, we have seen a flipped semi truck.

Bonito

That first night was spent at a loud truck stop near Bonito, confirming the fact that Brazil – especially the inland areas – is very heavy on truck traffic. The rutted condition of the roads, bumper-to-bumper traffic in cities, the actual percentage of these massive beasts in relation to cars, and the number of gas stations/truck stops with truckers’ facilities all contributed to this reality.

We see way more trucks than cars on the roads in Brazil.
Extra-long logging truck
Our first camp spot in Brazil was at a noisy truck stop.

I had looked forward to snorkeling activities and scenic excursions in Bonito for many years (my blogging friend Gilda wrote an extensive post about it), but a few elements were against us. Prices were sky high (but we did say we’d commit to one excursion); we happened to be there on a long holiday weekend, which increased those steep prices by another 25%; and rainy/chilly days were ahead.

Welcome to Bonito
One of the clear rivers running near town
Loads of fish

Before making any decisions about which company and which excursion to book, we walked Maya along one of the clear rivers, noticed we were close to an attractive-sounding campground, and checked this place out. Not only did we love the grounds, we also spotted our new South African friends Jo and Wayne.

Settled for two days and one night
The truck set-up of our South African friends

The decision was made to move into the campground on that rare hot and sunny day and enjoy the facilities. The price for camping was steep for us, but the employees let us stay the following day until dark without charging extra, so it was well worth it!

Small waterfall at our pay campground
This pretty river ran through our campground – our reason to stay on a hot day.
Maya is more interested in this stick than in anything else.
Cooling off with our dog
I enjoyed wading through this creek, sliding down a small waterfall, and swimming back to the dock. Maya did not join me on this little jaunt.
Final swim back to the platform
Swimming and snorkeling with the fish
Piraputanga fish in the Formosa River
Maya watches the fish through the stairway.
Family portrait along the Rio Formosa
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Spectacular Iguaçu/Iguazu Falls in Brazil & Argentina

July 13, 2025 / / 39 Comments

Truth be told, I didn’t know anything about these gigantic waterfalls before arriving on the South American continent, which is strange, since they belong in the same category as majestic Victoria Falls and Niagara Falls. Like me, you’ve probably heard of those natural wonders. Yet, Eleanor Roosevelt is known to utter the words “Poor Niagara!” when she first saw Iguazu Falls. 🙂

Following a boardwalk on the lowest level in Brazil

Iguaçu/Iguazú Falls are recognized as a natural wonder of the world, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of the “New 7 Wonders of Nature.” The area is known for its immense scale, with 275 individual cascades spanning nearly two miles (3 km), making it the largest waterfall system in the world. The falls divide the river into the upper and lower Iguazu River and have heights of 200 to 263 feet (60–82 meters).

The amazing vista opening up after our walk – a great way to approach this site in Brazil

I had no idea that Iguaçu/Iguazu Falls straddled a border between two countries or that their name was spelled differently, depending on the side of the border. Heck, I didn’t even know just how impressive and numerous the falls were until we showed up!

Best view of the Argentinian falls

Mark and I prefer not to research highlights much or look at photos ahead of time. Just like with other spectacular sites, like Bryce Canyon and Arches National Parks in Utah, we arrived at this site “unprepared” and gazed in wonder. “Wow! Those waterfalls keep going as far as the eye can see.” Impressive! When you don’t have expectations, you can truly be surprised, awed, and inspired.

Overview of some falls at a lower level in Brazil

Iguaçu Falls in Brazil

As I mentioned in my recent expense report for June, Mark and I only planned to visit the Brazilian side of the falls, after asking among our friends which side they preferred (and why), reading comments in our free iOverlander camping app, and considering fees and logistics.

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Paraguay – The Underdog of South America (Part 2: Friends, Cities, and Eastern Explorations)

July 3, 2025 / / 29 Comments

In Part 1, we shared our first impressions of Paraguay and explored its historic Jesuit missions. Now, our journey continues with reunions, big cities, muddy roads, and a deeper look at life in this underrated country.

Southern Paraguay contains most of the country’s attractions.
Paraguay in South America
Map Overview Paraguay

Back to Encarnación: Reunion Time

On May 19th, we reunited with our American friends Duwan and Greg from Make Like An Apeman, who’d just finished backpacking South America for a year. They had booked two Airbnbs — one in Encarnación, the other near Areguá, an hour from the capital — and invited us to stay.

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Our first apartment and its small yard
Using the car as transportation device
Doing heaps of laundry
Yay! The Airbnb has a washing machine!

We quickly separated the camper from the truck, parked on a concrete pad, and shut down our fridge to enjoy house life for a change. The next few days were cozy and productive: we took turns cooking dinners, I did heaps of laundry in the available machine, Mark and I ran errands and caught up on work, and our group explored the city and waterfront with Maya.

Stack near the waterfront
Walking along the river with our friends
Happy hour at the beach bar

We also followed a boardwalk to the colorful city “letters” and strolled past Encarnación’s cathedral and central plaza.

Sunset over “the letters” of Encarnación
The cathedral of Encarnación

Sapucai: An Old Train Yard

As our friends stayed behind for another night, we hit the road towards Asunción, because we required two days of driving to reach the capital area. We stopped in Sapucai, known for its old train yard.

Potholed roads of Paraguay
Old train in Supacay
Camped for the night in Supacay
Sapucay along the old railroad tracks

Unfortunately, the train museum closed earlier than indicated (we managed to visit in the morning), our fresh water tank ran dry (so we struggled with the little bit of drinking water we had left), and loud traffic and fireworks made sleep impossible (we should be getting used to this.)

Visit to the railroad workshop
The old railyard is now a museum
Old train engine
Part of the museum: old office equipment
Railway museum
A walk on the grounds of the museum

Still, we walked Maya on a bike path and tried to stay flexible, adjusting our plans due to impending rain and muddy red dirt roads.

This cat stayed with us the entire time.
The railway bed is now a walking and biking trail
Persistent cat

Yaguarón: The Wooden Church

Before reaching the capital region, we visited Templo de San Buenaventura in Yaguarón, known for its ornate wooden interior. A local guide explained the church’s intricate design for a tip.

The interesting church of Yaguarón
Interior of the church
Intricate altar
View from the interior of the church towards the outside
The old bell tower with the antique bell in the foreground
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Paraguay – The Underdog of South America (Part 1: First Impressions and Jesuit Missions)

June 28, 2025 / / 31 Comments

Paraguay is a country often skipped by overlanders and tourists alike. With no world-famous attractions and sandwiched between popular Brazil and Argentina, it remains overlooked. But after traveling through increasingly expensive countries, Mark and I were more than ready for a change. Paraguay promised affordability, authenticity, and, according to our friends — sushi!

Southern Paraguay contains most of the country’s attractions.
Paraguay in South America
Map Overview Paraguay

Encarnación: Entering Paraguay

We crossed into Encarnación on May 11th without any issues — unless you count Mark knocking over the customs officer’s mate cup. That moment confirmed a fun fact: in Paraguay, mate is served cold, unlike in Argentina. Another surprise? The now soaked and hand-written vehicle permit had to be recreated.

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Crossing the international bridge between Posadas, Argentina and Encarnacion, Paraguay
We have arrived in a new country!
Filling out the car permit for a second time
Paraguayan license plate

The city gave us a place to run long-delayed errands, save on gas prices, and visit a grocery store that had many items we couldn’t find or afford for a year. We loaded up, grabbed BBQ from a Sunday street stand, and sat by the river feeling like we’d finally entered another budget-travel paradise.

Our first meal in Paraguay is take-out asado
A friendly face and friendly prices at the gas station
Well-stocked grocery store Super Seis
Celebrating our arrival with a drink
Our first (free) boondocking spot in Paraguay
Sunset over the river

But reality hit that night: loud motorcycles, thumping music, and little chance of sleep reminded us that we were still very much in Latin America.

Waterfront boardwalk
The main beach in Encarnacion
Old warehouse
Old silo
Lifeguard station on the main beach
A pretty river beach in Encarnacion
Beach sign with the skyline of Posadas in Argentina in the background

Life on the Waterfront (and a Sushi Dream)

Knowing Paraguay would be cheaper than Argentina or Chile, we’d saved up chores and repairs. In Encarnación, we tackled a camper ladder repaint, installed a mirror, and found transmission parts — choosing to do the work ourselves to save $400 in labor. The waterfront became our “work station.”

A new mirror
Picking up and installing our freshly painted ladder

Despite the chaos, one night stood out: Mark and I finally went out for cocktails and indulged in a sushi boat at Hiroshima, a Japanese restaurant. We hadn’t felt that luxurious in years.

Cocktail time!
The Japanese restaurant in Encarnacion
Sushi for dinner!
A pretty and tasty sushi boat

Jesuit Mission #1: San Cosme and Damián

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Wrapping Up a Year of RV Travel in Argentina – From Mendoza to Posadas

June 4, 2025 / / 34 Comments

Mark, Maya, and I set foot in Argentina for the first time on March 6th, 2024, coming from Chile and Bolivia. Sure, we hopped into Chile a few more times, and we enjoyed a three-month break in our home countries since then, but we feel we gave our explorations of Argentina a valiant attempt. So much so that, in the end, we couldn’t wait to leave. We realized that slow travel—while it has many advantages—can also wear you down in third-world countries.

(As always, click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Bumpy roads as always
More crappy roads in Argentina
One of the police checkpoints. In Argentina, they usually let us pass without hassles.

After saying goodbye to our friends Heather and Jon in Mendoza, our trio headed east, with the Córdoba region as our first main destination. We stopped at a couple of places beforehand, but didn’t sleep well due to traffic noise and encountered restrictions in national parks because of Maya. After that, we gave up on Argentinian parks altogether.

Walk in the dunes with Maya
In this area, Maya was allowed
We had hoped to go for a few hikes in this national park, but …
… dogs aren’t allowed. Not even when they stay in the camper. We were told to board our dog if we wanted to stay.

What follows is a realistic account of our life and discomfort on the road, with a few sights thrown in. It wasn’t the best month we’ve had.

Route Northern Argentina

Dique Luján

We searched iOverlander for a quiet spot over Easter weekend and found a reasonable option by the dam of Luján. Coincidentally, we had picked a campsite close to a pilgrimage site with Stations of the Cross.

Pilgrimage to the top of the crosses
Top of the crosses route
Procession on Easter Friday
One of the stations of the cross

We managed decent walks with Maya and the sun finally gave us the warm weather we’d been waiting for after our coldest and wettest summer on record. But because of the heat, our fridge started acting up again—running too much, too hard, and draining the camper battery.

Our camping spot by Dique Lujan
Walk along the canyon
Sandy Maya after a swim
Reflections in the reservoir
Maya’s favorite spot in the house

After one warm day, the clouds returned, power became precious again, and the wind picked up. The incessant shaking of the camper upset both Maya and our sleep. We had finally found a quiet place, but ended up moving in the middle of the night to find better wind protection among trees.

The Lujan dam
Crossing the dam on foot
Staring down the dam
View of the reservoir above the dam
Maya poses next to a condor mural on the dam

The following morning, we moved away from those same trees, fearing they might drop particles on the roof that would upset Maya. We found an open-air spot, but that didn’t help with power since it rained all day. We had to run the car for an hour just to charge the battery enough to work—our computers and Starlink need a lot of electricity. Mark and I also cleaned the fridge’s compressor with Q-tips and improved its ventilation. That helped it run more efficiently.

Ready to clean the compressor tubes of our fridge
Relaxing by the river
River view from our camp spot

On Easter morning at 8am, teenagers in two cars pulled up next to us, opened their doors, and blasted music. We had planned to leave anyway, so we took off for a long day in the car.

Capilla del Monte

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Coming Full Circle in Mendoza, Argentina

April 28, 2025 / / 28 Comments

While we were camped at a peaceful lake in Central Chile, snow was predicted in the mountains, where the border stations are located. Since Maya’s international health permit was expiring soon, we needed to prevent getting stuck because of road or frontier closures. So, at the end of March, Mark, Maya, and I left Chile with no intention to return. Unless we decide to sell our truck camper in Santiago, its capital, whenever we are done with this adventure. 

Region in Argentina covered in this post
Southern part of our route to Mendoza
Middle part of our route to Mendoza
Northern part of our route to Mendoza

Loncopué

Entering Argentina for the last time was smooth, but involved a lot of bumpy roads and disappointing campsite hunts for one reason or another; the strong winds, incessant traffic noise, and an anxious Maya being the main culprits. We encountered countless sleepless nights on our drive north. 

(As always, click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Returning to Argentina one more time
Sunset before the winds picked up
Camped in Codihue, before moving to a less windy region

When we moved to a different town and found a relatively peaceful, wind-protected, and grassy spot among the herds and shepherds moving their animals from their summer grounds in the Andes Mountains to the winter valleys and farms, we felt better. It was cool to be a part of “the pack.”

Our camping spot along the river in Loncopué
Being part of the herd
People, horses, and dogs crossed this river throughout the day.
Sunny and still morning, before the winds picked up
Still cold enough to freeze at night!

Here are two videos to get a better feel of the camping scene:

Caviahue

Then, it was time for an unexpected highlight in Argentina. Caviahue contained a few attractions based on our resources, but it was located at an even higher elevation, meaning it would freeze at night. Since this causes condensation and discomfort issues, we wanted to keep our time there to a minimum and managed to complete all our excursions within 24 hours.

Memorials inside the rocks and mountains
A remote existence
First glimpse of Volcano Copahue

First, we drove to this fascinating, beautiful, and diverse area and hiked along a clear lake to a stone bridge. Erosion had impacted the volcanic rock here, creating this natural arch.

Walk to the stone bridge or arch
Explanation for this natural phenomenon
The natural bridge with Maya and me on top
A cool volcanic feature
Mountain reflections in the lake
Scene along the lake

Then, we reached and admired patches of monkey puzzle trees. Also called Araucaria (or Pehuen in the local language), it is the national tree of Chile and of the Argentinian province, Neuquén, where we found ourselves. 

Driving towards a monkey puzzle forest and waterfall trail
The skinny canopy of monkey puzzle trees
Monkey puzzle trees come in many sizes
Close-up of the spiky branches of the monkey puzzle tree
Monkey puzzle trees
Local, indigenous name for the monkey puzzle tree
Among the branches of the monkey puzzle tree
Staring up the monkey puzzle tree
Patterns on a monkey puzzle tree bark
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The Lake Districts of Argentina and Chile

April 21, 2025 / / 25 Comments

Leaving Chile

It was a bit tricky, but Mark and I managed to get a vet check-up and international dog permit for Maya in Futaleufú over the span of three hours and for a total cost of $28. Unfortunately, unlike her other permits, this one was only valid for 30 instead of 60 days. It would keep us moving!

Location of the Lake Districts in both countries
Lake District in Argentina
Lake District in Chile

The same afternoon, we left the country and crossed into Argentina on washboard roads, aiming for six things in one week: sunnier weather on the other side of the Andes Mountains, better roads, cheaper fuel, no ferry schedules/costs that were mandatory on the Carretera Austral, an affordable laundromat, and a full propane tank. After accomplishing those goals, we’d return to Chile for about three weeks.

(As always, click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Back to Argentina
More potholed, gravel roads on the Argentinian side

In Esquel, our first town in Argentina, we failed dropping off our laundry and it took multiple attempts to find a decent camping spot. We did manage to fill our fuel and water tanks for almost half the price than in Chile!

This was a problem… We couldn’t enter our intended camping area in Esquel this way.
After a big and bumpy detour, we reached the camping spot a different way.
Another victim from the uneven roads – We are down to two cereal bowls now (from four).
Pretty and peaceful park for the night
A nice park to walk with Maya

The next stop was Rio Azul, where we planned to take a mini-break from the road for a few days and sit out bad weather. We did have to move once, because it rained so much that the river rose rapidly and we worried about being flooded.

Can you believe this track crosses the river?
We enjoyed this spot, before it started pouring!
Nice camping spot for a few nights
Cleaning our pee container in the river
And then the river rose! Mark put a stack of rocks on the edge to monitor the flood level.
Walk to the other side of the river with Maya
Our walking destination was this pretty waterfall.
Crossing the suspension bridge
We had to move to a higher spot when the river kept rising.

Bariloche, Argentina

The idea was to – urgently – fill our propane tank at a depot on the way north to Bariloche. We were now on paved roads, the sun had returned, and progress was smooth. We had confirmed this depot was open on a Saturday morning, but when we arrived, desperate for gas to cook, shower, and heat Bella, the people capable of filling international tanks didn’t work during the weekend. The facility was only open to swap Argentinian tanks… Right.

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