Argentine Road Trip, Days 4-6

Surprise! We’re in Mendoza, land of vineyards and majestic mountains. I would say this wasn’t in the plans, but then we didn’t really have any plans, so maybe it is not so surprising. After two days in the province of Cordoba, Cesar started dreaming of Mendoza. I think he had our shared fascination with Aconcagua in mind.

By Thursday morning, when we were getting ready to check out of the delightful Ca’Montana hotel, we had pretty much decided to head for Mendoza. The only thing holding us back was lack of knowledge about the quality of the roads and just how long it would take us to get there. By kismet, Alejandro, co-owner of Ca’Montana is a walking encyclopedia of Argentina and has made this drive at least several times. He invited us into his family’s private home on the grounds of Ca’Montana and got out his many maps. As we sat around their table discussing the route and the sights, I got the feeling he was as excited about our trip as we were. I felt very privileged that he was sharing his information and love of travel with us.

Alejandro was right on the money. We were able to follow his directions easily and admire some incredible scenery along the way. Taking a road through the Sierras Grandes of Cordoba, we climbed and twisted and turned our way through mountains where condors soared. Before that section of the road, we had randomly put in a CD of Beethoven. The grand soaring lines of the second movement of the fifth symphony were a perfect accompaniment to the scenery. With jaw-dropping mountain scenery and exposed two lane roads, it was an exhilarating drive. At one point I had to brake hard for a loose goat that trotted out in front of the car. Did I mention the local specialty? I felt like having some at that moment.

We came into Mendoza at night. Finding your way in a strange city in a foreign country is not easy, but we managed just fine - with some stern words between a tired, irritable pilot and his exhausted, grumpy navigator - and found a hotel for the night. The city of Mendoza, capital of the province of the same name is attractive and welcoming. Unlike other Argentine cities, it has very wide streets - in case evacuation is necessary for a super earthquake.

Mendoza has it all - an attractive city with every convenience and good shopping (including mountaineering gear), the best vineyards on the continent, the highest mountain in the western and southern hemispheres, and good food. I know a certain Irishman who left Mendoza for Uruguay because he was bored here. Now that I have seen this place, I want to grab this man by the ears and shake him hard, and ask “what the heck is wrong with you, brother?”. Oh well, different strokes for different folks.

So, here we are today in Uspallata, a small village about 90 km north of the city of Mendoza. It was another awe-inspiring drive. The mountains looked close enough to reach out and touch. After our time in Patagonia, we know that distances in grand places are seriously misleading. What looked close enough to reach out and grab is probably a three day walk away. After checking in, we drove west along Ruta 7 to ogle more Andean scenery. We ended up at the Aconcagua national park to get a glimpse of the great mountain for ourselves. We saw an interesting thing on the way back to the village. Two fully laden tractor trailers overtook two more fully laden tractor trailers, going downhill, on a two lane road, with another big rig coming the opposite way. We both breathed a sigh of relief when all four trucks going our way were single file again. That could have been very ugly. I expect a trucker or two had to change his shorts after that.

Tomorrow’s plans include a hike in the Parque Provincial Aconcagua, to ogle the giant again, a visit to a natural stone bridge called Puente del Inca and who knows what else. Maybe we’ll end up in Chile. I’ll try to keep you posted. Hasta Luego.

On our hike to the top of La Banderita in La Falda, Cordoba.

Ruta 7 to Uspallata from Aconcagua

Aconcagua