Leaving the old german settlers town of Frutillar behind Team Lipstickis leaving Chile behind today and cross over to Argentina trying to reach Esquel but not before having a breakfast where a Kuchen (Cake) is a must have.
A nice drive along the Lake and through beautiful farm lakes and soon Team Lipstick reached the forest area and the Chile side of the border.
There is a 22km gap between the Chile border post and the Argentinian Border and the road leads into the Nahuel Huapei national Park
Nahuel Huapi National Park is the oldest national park in Argentina, established in 1934. It surrounds Nahuel Huapi Lake in the foothills of the Patagonian Andes. The largest of the national parks in the region, it has an area of 7,050 km2.
The park derives its name from the lake which it surrounds, namely the “Nahuel Huapi”. In the Mapuche language, nahuel means “jaguar” and huapi means “island”
The border crossing was relatively easy although there was a long queue on the Argentinian side but within an hour the boys now were in ARGENTINIA!
Lake Nahuel Huapi is the largest and deepest clear water lake in the lake district of Argentina, with a depth of 425 metres. Located at the foot of the Andes Mountains at an altitude of 767 metres, it measures 544 square kilometres
Patagonia was one of the last regions of Argentina to be colonized by Europeans. Most cities date from the early 20th century. Mainly in the Andean region, rural indigenous people from the Mapuche nation still preserve their traditions, although their language is barely spoken today. From time to time there are conflicts between indigenous settlers and land owners, but tourists are usually not affected.
In some areas, traditions of immigrant groups had a strong influence on architecture, cuisine and festivals. Among people of European origin, besides from Italians and Spaniards making up the majority of the Argentine population, the most important groups are the Welsh in Chubut province, the English in Río Gallegos and the Germans in the area around Bariloche.
After a wonderful drive today,the boys finally reached Esquel a city far away from any other cities or villages in the heart of Patagonia.
Esquel is an Argentinean town in the foothills of the Andes Mountains. It’s known for being the southernmost stop on La Trochita, a narrow-gauge steam train that once ran for more than 400km through Patagonia. West of town lies Los Alerces National Park, home to forests, lakes, waterfalls and rare pudu deer. Nearby is La Hoya Mountain, a habitat for the camel-like guanaco with views across the valley.
