Once in San Martin, I was a bit disappointed to find out that the Ascent of Volcan Lanin could only be done with a guide and the price would be somewhere in the $300 range. Deciding that this was not in the budget, I planned to head straight up towards Pucon, Chile to try another climb. 
Until I saw the sign posted in a bike shop window advertising an off-road duathlon, that is. After such a great experience running the road race in Bariloche and meeting many locals, I decided that I HAD to do this race. Never mind that I have only been on a bike once in the past 6 months, have never done an off-road duathlon, and am completely ill-equipped (no bike, bad running shoes, lack of race clothing, etc) to compete in such a race. As I realized I would not be winning this particular race, I went into it fairly relaxed (read - I got back from the bars at 5am as you do in Argentina on the weekends. After all, dinner is not until 11pm). Fortunately, organizers are aware of such behavior and this race started at 11am unlike the races 
that start at 7 or 8am in the states. Anyway, with 
an old, borrowed bike (complete with the ever-aerodynamic kickstand), I struggled through the first part, felt surprisingly strong on the run and finished third in my age group. Okay, so there were only 3 people in my age group, but c'mon. After the race, I was invited to lunch by a group of local racers/volunteers. Again, it was so great to meet and hang out with not only locals, but locals with a similar passion for sports, racing, etc. One of the girls even offered to take me to Pucon the next day as she was heading that way 
(the 5 hour ride was much more pleasant than sitting on another bus).Apart from the race experience, I absolutely loved San Martin and the many people I met. It is a resort town (ski area nearby) that felt very much like a Breckenridge or a Telluride. Over 5 days here, I spent time with 2 Argentinian girls, a German guy and a couple of Americans.
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