What happens when two Germans, two Frenchmen, a Finn, and an American take a bus to Argentina?
(it sounds like an interesting joke. Let me know if you come up with a good punchline.)
My journey started off badly. I got lost going to the apartment of my travel companions to eat dinner together before our trip started, and ended up wandering around dark, unlit streets at 9:30pm, clearly looking like a lost gringa. I was not thrilled about that situation. However, I eventually made it to the apartment and enjoyed a delicious dinner and dessert with great company.
We walked to the bus terminal and I slept through most of the first bus. We arrived in Santiago when it was still dark, then an hour and a half later got on the second bus to take us to Mendoza. I slept for about an hour or two on this one, but when I woke up and looked out the window I couldn't shut my eyes again. We were driving through the Andes - an awesome sight, in the meaning that it inspires awe*. Not the trite "awesome" that I usually use.
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We passed into Argentina! |
We were lucky to spend 3 hours in
aduanas (customs)! Yippee... But we were allowed to wander around outside of the bus for about half an hour of that, which was lovely.
Once we were on our way again, more beautiful vistas greeted us:
When we got into Mendoza, we walked to the hostel to drop our bags off, then headed to the local tourist office to get some ideas for plans for the next few days.
Friday morning we got up early to catch a bus to Potrerillos, about an hour and a half outside of the city, to do some hiking. Unfortunately, we had been given a screwy bus schedule and we ended up having a couple hours free before the next bus. We bought some lunch food to take with us and went to see the lovely Plaza de España, pictured below.
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Louis... how French! |
We then headed to the bus terminal and ended up arriving at Potrerillos at 11:30am. We asked around where were good places to hike without a tour guide, and didn't receive very helpful answers. However, we ended up taking one man's advice and picking a rocky hill/mountain and forging our own path. It was a bit treacherous (especially on the way down!) but the view was phenomenal.
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What a great lunch spot! |
On the left you can see a red river - I'm assuming that the color comes from clay in the ground. It flows into the impossibly blue lake in the center of the picture - but the two don't mix, creating an interesting visual effect. We stopped for lunch a bit below the top of the ridge line of the mountain we were on - "lunch" meant loaves of french bread paired with cheese, accompanied by bananas and apples.
Miraculously, we descended the rock-strewn slope without twisting any ankles or sustaining any injuries. We headed to the blue lake after, in hopes of cooling ourselves off, but it wasn't swimmable, unfortunately.
The next day, we spent the morning exploring the city. I went with Jan, one of the Germans, to the large park on the western side of Mendoza, then climbed the hill that affords a marvelous view of the city and its surroundings.
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I love the makeshift crown. |
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View of Mendoza from Cerro de la Gloria |
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Monument to the Ejército de los Andes |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7qgn_e0QP4qSI0ah19hwml6zwJhfCgDPFdmQgnrz6Y4n4YCgeZ2hUyjOH8XIG_kZRoFSFIR3-FZgjsLfxDIWFDhGlJwHMqTsDStjPDkz8y7Z7gWJO6VbVonadAkz0oqlJsLGuzAWbV7E/s400/DSC01303.JPG) |
Panorama from Cerro de la Gloria |
After exploring some of the plazas and parks in Mendoza, we all went on a tour of the
bodegas (wineries) of Maipu. Maipu, in the Mendoza Province, is well-known for its abundant wineries and excellent wine. First, though, we went on a tour of an olive-oil factory. That was both interesting and delicious, as it culminated in a taste test of various types of olive oil paired with bread.
Tours of two of Mendoza's many bodegas ensued, both ending with wine tastings.
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Wow. Huge. |
When we returned to the city after our tour, we went out to eat for the first time in Mendoza rather than cooking in the hostel. We ate outside, since even at 9:45pm the weather remained in the 70s. This meant that we were serenaded by street musicians hoping for tips throughout dinner, which was a blessing and a curse depending on the performer. We slept soundly after another full day.
Unfortunately, I had to get up early to leave on Sunday due to a test Monday morning, but the others stayed in Mendoza until Sunday night. Though getting up at 5:45 didn't really agree with me, I was glad to be traveling during the daytime to be able to enjoy the wonderful
paisajes on the return trip.
I wish I could have stayed in Mendoza for longer! I would have loved to get to know the city more, since there was so much to do. But as it is, I had an amazing trip that was well worth the many travel hours it entailed.
*Awesome. Awe-some. Some-awe. I don't understand why the word is not "awefull" - full of awe. But instead, we have awful... which is on the opposite end of the emotional spectrum.
One of the many reasons I'm glad I'm a native English speaker. It must be brutally difficult to learn English.
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