We decided to take the bus through the Andes Mountains from Santiago, Chile to Mendoza, Argentina. We heard that the views along the route were amazing and we were definitely not disappointed!
The trip is scheduled for about seven or eight hours, but can be longer depending on your experience crossing the border. We had heard of stories about how it could be quite some time there, and we were advised to bring drinks and snacks because you just never know.
We left early in the morning and were blessed with another clear day. I only had my ipad to take pics from through the window, but I think they turned out fairly well.
Mountains come into view
We begin our climb through the mountains. Constant switchbacks as we climb up.
A view of the curvy road further up. Lots of curves. Each one is labeled.
I believe there were over 30 turns...here at curva 28.
Leaving Chile
Look in the center for a huge tunnel that we are about to pass through.
Even though we had passed the sign that said we were leaving Chile, we had to drive a bit further to passport control. I'm happy to say that we only spent about 90 minutes there. Our bus had to wait in line and then enter a sort of huge garage-like facility. We then exited the bus and all of our luggage was emptied off and put through security x-rays. The passengers lined up to immigration officers and had to show passports and prove we had paid our entrance fee for Argentina. For U.S. citizens, this is $160 for unlimited entries. This is because the U.S. charges Argentinians for visiting the states. That is a serious travel fee. For Canadians, it is $75 for a single entry. They could pay $150 for unlimited entry. Fortunately, MIchael, Maeve and Liam have Canadian passports, so the three of them saved us $297.
After we cleared immigration, we all had to line up. A man came around with a cup and collected tips for their services. It was very strange. I watched a young kid about 19 with a knock-off Chicago Bulls cap handle our luggage. He slammed Liam's backpack on the ground and threw other luggage on top. I certainly didn't want to tip anyone, but it didn't look like we had much choice, so I just gave them the change I had from Chile which didn't amount to much and wasn't going to do me any good either.
We got back on the bus and continued on to Mendoza. Previously, our Pachamama guide had told us about the difference in the mountains from the Chilean side to the Argentinian side. The other side was much drier and brown. It didn't even seem like the same mountain range.
I believe there were some mining towns here in the past.
Exiting the mountain range into flatter land.
We arrived in Mendoza ahead of schedule-a rare experience for the Collins family. We were ready to find our apartment for the week and to enjoy wine country!