Saturday 25th March 2017
Crossing the Andes… again.
Early start to get the 9am public bus from Santiago through
to Mendoza, Argentina. VERY posh (old)
bus with large leather seats, a soft leg support, reclining chairs and an
assistant supplying us with coffee and biscuits. As usual, fell asleep but woke in the
foothills of the Andes. Spectacular scenery, very rugged with huge boulders and
scree close to the road from avalanches. Could see glaciers in the background
and the remains of an old railway line which had been demolished by landslides.
One particular piece of road to get over
the mountain had about 30x switch-back corners which I tried to photograph –
definitely one for Top Gear to practice on.
Once over the top we then had to wait at the Chile/Argentine border
crossing which was at about 2800m. Nothing compared to some of the mountains
around, the highest peak being nearly 7000m.
A tiny café was raided to get a large bottle of beer which we shared –
the froth went crazy due to the altitude.
A long boring wait ensued with the passport and customs control taking
about 2 and half hours. By the time we left, there were about another 10
buses/coaches stacked behind in addition to the cars – they seemed to be
checking for any new equipment bought from Chile and tax not paid. My mobile
was checked for usage – glad I hadn’t bought it just before I left! 
The Argentine side of the mountains was immediately very
different. All the volcanic ash and small scree was on that side, with finally
some greenery (scrubby grass) trying to establish itself. Further down was a fast running river coming
from the glaciers, finishing in a large dammed lake. Great place for kayaking and white water
rafting, and a small yacht also spotted. Then finally we were off the mountains and
the land became incredibly flat, lending itself to agriculture – olive plantations,
grapes, tomatoes, pumpkins, garlic. 
Arrived at the hotel 5ish and straight to the swimming pool
on the 17th floor with a fabulous view over Mendoza. Our hot sweaty bodies went into shock on
hitting the water which felt bloody cold. Suitably refreshed, we lurked around
the pool drinking rum and fruit juice.
Then a room party in Gunna’s room where again all the illicit hooch was
produced and quaffed. Gunna’s leg still
bad, so we staggered to the nearest restaurant and all ordered Fillet
Mignon/mixed roast veg/Lyonnaise potatoes washed down with Malbec and Pinot
Gris. Gorgeous.
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