After a few days trapped inside recovering from a stomach bug, setting off on the road of Seven Lakes (the span of Route 40 between Bariloche and San Martin de los Andes) felt like a grand adventure. We rented a car (trusty Chevy Joy) and headed north with high spirits and lots of snacks. Just as we were leaving town, we picked up two Spanish hitchhikers who were headed to Chile – we were low on hitchhiking karma and always enjoy meeting other travelers. They had already explored the seven lakes area, and laughed knowingly when I insisted that we pull over to take in the view at the first mirador.
After dropping off the Spanish couple, we stopped for a picnic at Lago Espejo, which had been highly recommended. The lake was beautiful, and the perfect blue skies had us giddy.
The day continued with numerous stops at gorgeous Patagonian lakes, lakeside yoga in the warm sand, and singing “Life is a Highway” (or at least the the few lyrics that we actually knew). We reached San Martin de los Andes just as the sun was setting over the lake, and it seemed like the whole town was out to enjoy the glowing sky. We spent the night in San Martin, which reminded me of a tiny Santa Barbara, with a cute main street of shops and restaurants.
The next morning we did a short hike and were rewarded with lovely views of the lake and town. Before heading back to Bariloche, we walked through the rose garden and shared an ice cream!
The lady in the pink racerback is super fiiiinnneeeee