Argentina Fun

Living in Chile, I am constantly reminded of how close we are to Argentina. The large Andes Mountains, now covered in snow and always visible, serve as the border between the two countries. Having grown up in the center of the United States, the thought of easily traveling to another country is fascinating, and something I usually associate with well-planned and well-financed vacations.

The view from the roof of our apartment building

First snow of the winter, views of the Andes Mountains near our apartment building

That is why, when I learned that for twenty dollars we could take a seven-hour bus from Santiago and drive through the Andes to Mendoza, Argentina, it immediately became an item on my “Must Do In Chile” list. This item was marked off the list as Patrick, Natalie, Roy, and I packed our bags and made an impromptu weekend trip to Mendoza two weeks ago.

Travel books and all Chileans say that Argentina is famous for three things: ice cream, shopping (particularly books, cds, and clothes that are barely taxed and incredibly cheap compared to Chile), and meat. The last two were our main focus, as shown by our first meal in Argentina at an all-you-can-eat steak restaurant followed by several bookstore visits.

For two days, we walked all around the small but very modern town, saw the beautiful plazas and parks, shopped, ate, shopped some more, and then ate some more. We even became accustomed to Argentinean Spanish, something beautiful that only can be described as the Spanish language spoken with an accent like an Italian who speaks English. Boarding the bus to return to Santiago, I was happy with our visit, knowing that we took all that Mendoza had to offer.

Walking in Mendoza and the Plaza Independencia

One of Argentina's many national banks

We drove an hour and a half to the base of the mountains. We knew immediately that something was wrong when we saw a large line of cars and buses parked on the side of the road that stretched for what seemed like miles. This was confirmed as our bus joined the long line and turned off its engine. "The passage through the mountains has been closed due to strong winds," the driver told us. "We are going to wait here and I am sure the passage will be opened soon," he also said. And so...we waited. I journaled about the experience and continued with the knitting project I had brought along for the 2 day trip . We even got out of the bus to enjoy the beautiful scenery that surrounded us.

5 hours later...we were told we were going back to Mendoza. The passage would not be opened today. An hour and a half later, we arrived back in the small town and were told to come back to the bus terminal at 8:00am the next morning to catch the early bus home.

The next day we awoke to news reports saying a snowstorm had passed through the Andes Mountains and travel through the mountains should not be expected. Only after arriving at the bus terminal at 8:00am and waiting for an hour and a half, this was confirmed - they were not even going to let us on the bus and attempt the trip. The passage was definitely closed and we would have to return again at 8:00am tomorrow to attempt traveling home.

After going back to the hostel and sleeping for another three hours (out of pure exhaustion I assumed), Natalie and I decided to leave the boys behind and have a "girls day" in Argentina. We, again, did everything immaginable in Mendoza, walking for almost the entire day before collapsing in our bed that night.

The next day, day 4 of our planned 2 day journey, we arrived again at 8:00am. We sat in the bus terminal for almost 2 1/2 hours...each passing hour brought pessimistic thoughts as no amount of information was communicated to us by the bus company. Finally, at 10:30am, we were told we could board the bus. We were excited and thought "this could be the day" although experience was telling us to believe otherwise.

After driving one and a half hours, again, to the base of the mountains, we saw the long line of cars and buses...again. We pulled to the side of the road...again. We were told the passage was closed and we would have to wait to see if it would open...again. This experience was no longer unfamiliar.

We passed the time as much as we could. I actually ran out of yarn to knit my sweater, the only "free time" activity that I brought with me. That's right - I didn't even bring a book. But hey, it was only supposed to be a two day trip.

4 1/2 HOURS LATER, we were all convinced we were going back to Mendoza, once again. This was troublesome as our funds were beginning to get low (remember all that shopping!) and our good memories of Mendoza were being tested. Frustration and impatience was high. I decided to get out of the bus to stretch my legs, walking along the long line of vehicles and admiring the scenery. I couldn't believe the large number of people trying to get through the mountains; I had to remind myself that it was three days worth of traffic attempting to make up for lost time. With 20 minutes left until the scheduled turn-around, I heard the bus driver yelling "Let's go, we can go through, everyone back on the bus!" Before I knew it, we were speeding through the Andes Mountains, attempting to be the first through the expected long line and wait at Customs. Pictured: Me as I wait to cross through the mountains

Snow was everywhere and it was clear why the passage had been closed. Nevertheless, seeing the Andes Mountains, especially as it turned dark and the stars illuminated against the snow, was simply amazing. "Majestic" is the only word I can use to describe them. A sight of God's beauty and a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience that I will never forget.

Combined with the 3 hour wait at Customs, it took us 14 hours to get from Mendoza, Argentina to Santiago, Chile. Learning experiences aside (uh...never again during the Winter), we had a great time and I am glad that I had this experience. It seems that now, whenever I see the Andes Mountains, I am not only reminded of how close we are to Argentina, but about the great adventure where a good time was had, beautiful sites were seen, and unexpected events allowed for a truly unique story.

Me in front of a mountain at Customs and the boarder between Argentina and Chile, and other various photos of our journey driving through the Andes Mountains.