Day 28: Crossing the Argentina-Chile border

I took a bus from Mendoza, Argentina, to Santiago, Chile, and it was a wonderful trip. The route is a two lane highway which cuts through the Andes, offering spectacular views throughout. I snapped some pictures with my phone as we went:

The border crossing itself was fairly rigorous, but very structured. It was a far cry from the ramshackle Central American land border crossings I was most accustomed to. Surprisingly, as we went through airport-style security stations, the government seemed to be fairly unconcerned about drugs/weapons, with the majority of their scrutiny going to foreign goods, perishables etc. They really care about that box you check on the customs form asking if you've been to a farm apparently. The bus company representative did a great job of making sure everyone went through all of the right steps in the right order and keeping track of all of us, I felt a little like he was our camp counselor. The customs station itself was dwarfed by the immensity of the mountains surrounding it.

Immediately upon entering Chile, the mining industry is on full display, various operations underway and trucks whizzing by. However, there was one set of turns which there was very little whizzing by going on at, an ascent/descent of a huge cliff they must have been unable to find a way to go through/around, the bus had to painstakingly go through a long series of sharp turns to get down. I noticed that the highway has markers which show you which number curve you are on, I think it started at 30 and went down to 1, probably took at least a minute per curve.
Next stop, Santiago!

Wine country: Mendoza, Argentina

Quinta Rufino hostel, nice place, nice service:

Mendoza is a beautiful city on Argentina, it would be my final Argentinian location before I would cross the border to Chile. Mendoza is wine country, and the wine culture pervades. I got an amazing dinner at a fancy restaurant which included steak, salad, gourmet empanada appetizer, glass of wine, and dessert, all for about $8. Of course, I had to go on a vineyard tour. My tour group was comprised of Argentinians, Colombians, and Peruvians, and me, El Neoyorquino.

Pictures of Mendoza:

Its backwards, it says "Ciudad de Mendoza:"

There is a huge park in the city, at least equal Central Park size, which my guidebook said it was not safe to go to. As I watched the old ladies walking through and children eating ice-cream, I figured I would brave it and took a long hike to an outlook point on a small  mountain which afforded some great views of the city and surroundings. This is the park: 

Views from Cerro de la Gloria:

Next I would cross the Andes, and the Chilean border, to head to Santiago, Chile.

Cordoba, Argentina

Cordoba, Argentina's second largest city, is great. A college town simmering with energy and culture, the pace is hectic and the city is full of surprises. With the great metropolitan and cultural climate also comes one of those environmental climates which causes your eyes and nose to burn. The city is primarily on a grid setup, with a few cross-cutting streets, and a huge area in the center composed purely of pedestrian walkways and streets. I was chatting with my seat neighbor Lucas on the bus, shortly after we arrived his brother's girlfriend made us a delicious chicken and pasta dinner:

At night I went to a local bar which had some folkloric bands playing, I saw three bands. The crowd was relatively sparse at the beginning of the evening, but in Argentina it is most common for the big crowds to arrive at bars etc. around 2am, and by that time the place was packed. The headlining band was composed solely of a guitar/singer frontman, a classicly scraggly drummer hitting a freestanding bass drum with mallets, and a singing midget who switched between playing the mandolin, flute, and pan flute. The music was very good, and local Cordobans were dancing folkloric dances in front of the stage. Appearing to be a combination of indigenous tradition with heavy Spanish influence, it was amazing how they all knew how to do these fairly complicated dances, often appearing similar to a flamenco, with arms raised above the head and intricate stomping moves. Sometimes they would include "props" like scarves in their dances. Some of the dancers were very good, and I felt as if they were putting on a touristy show for the benefit of tourists, to showcase their culture. The thing is, I was blatantly the only foreigner present in the establishment, and they were not putting on a show for anyone apart from themselves. It was one of those cultural things which we lack in America, where everyone knows this cultural tradition which is hundreds of years old and shares it together in a celebratory manner. It is obvious that the youth is not leaving this cultural tradition behind. 

Pictures of Cordoba:

Argentinian fast food in a mall. Looks pretty fancy to me!

They have these!

Museum honoring organized workers and labor unions:

Museum of Fine Art: