El bus a las nubes
One of my favourite activities in Chile is catching the bus to … Argentina. Now that might at first sound very wrong, and it might connotate that I despise Chile. That is however not true. Chile is a wonderful country! It is the longest and slimmest country in the world – and as it’s clinging onto the South American continent it’s boasting a coastline of some 4,300 kilometres! Since the country is so narrow – wherever you find yourself you’ll be no more than 1,5-2 hrs away from both the beach/coast and the mighty Andes.
Chilean side - just outside Santiago
Going back to Argentina I had the obvious option of flying. But why waste two hours to/from airports, queuing and waiting for security checks when you can hop on a bus and enjoy probably one of the most amazing cross-border bustrips in the world? As I entered the bus in Santiago – I knew exactly what I was embarking on, I had done the same trip in 2007. Boring you say? Perhaps, but I love overland transportation and the 7-8 hour drive from Santiago to Mendoza is by far the most beautiful trip I’ve taken.
Chilean side - the curviest climb of the trip. Not at all scary - simply stunning!
The trip will not expose you to much of Chile or Argentina’s population or cultural highlights. Apart from the odd house and farm every now and then – there is in fact very little of human evidence along the route. Catching this bus – it’s all about the landscape, mountains, colors and steep roads. The journey naturally follows the terrain/altitude profile of the continent. This means that the Chilean side is a lot more steeper than the Argentinian side which slowly descends in such a gentle and subtle manner that you hardly notice. Before reaching the peak (approximately 4000m above sea level) on the Chilean side the bus passes a few skiing resorts which during summer time seem really out of place. These places are medium-sized and are popular getaways for skiing enthusiasts in Santiago. During winters snow depth are normally recorded within 2-3 meteres.
Wow... what a view! The peak in the back is about 5,500m above sea level
Once the peak is passed, the bus descends into a more open terrain where before you reach a small skiing village, pass through the Chile/Argentinian border. At the border crossing there are a couple of kiosks, decent toilets and a building providing shade to waiting travelers. The shade is much appreciated as most days see blue skies and high temperatures during daytime.
Me outside the border control - technically already on Argentinian grounds
Impressive mountain rows surrounding the border station
Andesmar - a decent company that provides good buses and good service
Me on the Argentinian side - having passed through this border for the second time in my life
I wonder what's the story behind this bus?
Green evidence: As we leave the mountains - we close in on Mendoza
Ah! Mendoza and it's endless numbers of wine bodegas!
Mendoza is an amazing city! It is not too big – not too small. The city is located a few kilometres off the foot of the Andes and because of this location it benefits from the occasional high mountain rains. The water is channeled through a clever irrigation system that allows vineyards to control the watering process based on their needs and wants. This is very different from other places where wine is made – seeing as they apply artificial watering to their plants, these vineyards are less prone to see a cyclical tendency in the quality of its vintages. The Mendoza-region produces some 70%+ of Argentina’s wine. Visiting the city one can drop by numerous “Bodegas” (the vineyards) to get a tour, an insight into the production process and of course a tasting round.
Anders, from Akershus, (Berget 2.0?) and me at the "Taste Mendoza Walking Tour"
But there is more to Mendoza than wine. Aconcagua – the highest peak on the western hemisphere is located nearby, and with its 6962 meters above sea level, it attracts mountain enthusiasts from all over the world. The mountain is very “climb-friendly” with visitors basically following a road up to the peak. The altitude however provides its challenges and thus there are strict regulations on how the ascending is carried out and how many days you use. In general “normal hikers” use 12-15 days up and down. The very famous (and crazy) Spanish skyrunner Kilian Jornet – runs up and down in around 6 hours…. Besides climbing Aconcagua, Mendoza offers a wide range of extreme sport opportunities; rafting, paragliding, ski diving, mountain biking, rock climbing etc.
Claudia said it was a good idea to jump the pool in clothes.. (Me, Claudia and Mary)
Happy pool-party crowd - Yes we're not 18 anymore, but it's still as fun!
Plaza Independencia - This guy played "Uncomfortably Numb"... amazing!
Practicing Spanish with new friends from Colombia and Bariloche
Typical Argentinian meal - steak with a big glass of wine, bread and some salad
The city is also an excellent venue to enjoy good food and the typical Argentinian nightlife. With it’s some 120,000 inhabitants Mendoza sizes up to my own city – Stavanger, however the nearby region has some 800,000 inhabitants. This all makes the city a vibrant and fun place to be. Despite the large regional population – Mendoza provides a relaxed and charming atmosphere, this is mainly caused by its wide streets, green profile and low buildings. Leaving Mendoza I caught a 17 hour bustrip back to Buenos Aires, even though the pampas are green and beautiful – needless to say they are not as spectacular as the Andes!
At the border Peru-Chile in there was an old bus as well.. :)