We are up early so as to be driven into the bus station in downtown Mendoza for the bus over the Andes to Santiago. Spent the night in a losing battle with a mosquito, so didn't sleep well.
Cloudy morning, quite cool.
The bus travels back over Ruta 40 heading south for a short time towards the wine areas we've been to in the past two days. We then head west towards the Andes: wonderful colours of greys, reds & browns, landforms a mix of clumpy peaks, smooth hills & mountains, sedimentary layers uplifted into sinuous patterns. Vegetation a mix of greys, greens & pale yellows: all stumpy, mostly shrub & grasses.
 |
 |
 |
This is a shrine to Gaucho Gil, protector of the truckies apparently. He was actually an outlaw in the 1800s - like a Robin Hood figure, and the story (a long one) goes that he was eventually killed by the police but the policeman that shot him, his son became ill so the policeman prayed for him to get better which he did & legend has it that Gauchito Gil saved the policeman's son.
The road criss-crosses over a defunct railway line: old tunnels, bridges fallen into disrepair. Such infrastructure gone to waste! (But then, we know all about that in Australia, don't we? It's just worse here: so rundown). Would have been an incredible journey at one time.
Over the first range of mountains, through about 15 tunnels, the landscape opens up into wide valley with a river flowing through & mist-shrouded mountains soaring up, shards of sun piercing through in spots to reveal mountain peaks and brilliant blue sky. So dramatic.
 |
 |
 |
More sun. The scenery is incredible!
 |
 |
The clouds disappear & the sun miraculously comes fully out bathing the landscape in brightness. About 110 kms from Mendoza we see our first close up views of Mt Aconcagua - at 6960 m, the highest mountain in the western & southern hemispheres.
We pass the Los Penitentes ski field.
And reached the border near San Cristobal.
It took 2 hours to get through the border. The usual shambles. Traffic was lined up into groups of cars (autos), buses & trucks (camiones). The buses of course take ages as lines of passengers are processed through immigracion control: visas & passports for all different nationalitites. First we line up in paso (queue) 1 & then another lot of paperwork is processed in paso 2. Then the bags all come off the bus & are scanned. My bag was one randomly chosen for checking but there was no problem. Then all hand luggage is scanned. Then all back on the bus.
So goodbye Argentina & hello again to Chile.
Snow everywhere greets us as we emerge into the bright sun from the control station.
With 174 kms to go to Santiago, we reach the first of the 27 curves - or switchbacks - to descend down the Chile side from the border. Take a gander at this!
Glad I took my travel sickness medication!!
After the curves, the bus descended quickly into hot, dry, dusty country featuring tall cacti & a narrow, fast-flowing river tearing down the gully beside the road; dogs tried their luck with the traffic; I saw a gaucho walking into town in the hot sun. It is by now about 2:00 p.m.
With about 90 kms to go, we joined a freeway for the last run into Santiago. The road snakes up & down through hilly country, past Los Libertadores. I fall asleep briefly in the heat, with the sound of Elvis singing "You were always on my mind" on the Spanish video playing on the bus. Makes me think of home & that we have only 3 more nights to go here (in Santiago) - & how many in the plane?
We arrive into Santiago, the capital of Chile, about 3 p.m. Miraculously we find the Metro, buy a ticket & we are on our way to the area called Providencia. The hotel's instructions on how to get there are perfect & I had to restrain My Friend from pulling out his bloody GPS.
It's a lovely hotel, recommended by Syd & Sue. Only about half a dozen rooms, in a nice area & close to the Metro, cafes, restaurants, parks, etc.
We checked in & then spent the remainder of the afternoon walking around our neighborhood; found a modern-art exhibition which we visited; had an early (!) dinner of pizza & walked some more through a nearby park (Parque Uruquay) that extends for a number of kms into adjoining parks (Forestal, Balmaceda) along a fast-flowing Mapocho River which is channelled into a canal here. The sun was warm when you were in it; cool when not. The park was very attractive, especially with the jacarandah trees in blossom (just as in Buenos Aires). Lots of people out walking, cycling, jogging, exercising on park equipment, playing with the kids & their dogs.
Lovely wide streets. Nice buildings.
Yummy helados (icecream)!
Looking for an earlier night tonight!
No comments:
Post a Comment