Rundown: Andean exploration with my padres!
Packed into my trusty Peugeot and took off for a vuelta of Middle Chile and Argentina! First stop, 3 hours south in Pichilemu! Spent an afternoon out on Punta de Lobos. I went body surfing; Mom and Denny chose not to be pounded by the Pacific and watched from the bluff. Stayed on the coast for the night before heading out.
Spent a day in the vineyards of Santa Cruz, wine tasting and touring the viñas!
Put our oenophile faces on and checked out several vineyards in the sunny valley. Tasted a good share of wines. Pretty great day.
Hit my colleague Janine's restaurant Vino Bello. Fabulous food, great wine, an fantastic ambiance!
Hiked to a 1000 year old Coigue tree in the valley that had escaped logging. Pretty amazing that the thing was a sapping when the Crusades were going on. You could almost feel it breathing...
And then we were off to the river! Siete Tazas, or Seven Cups, comes from the various pools that the weaving river forms. The whole river was deep, clear, cold, and tranquil.
The steep river walls cut throughout the ages by the relentless river made for fantastic bouldering! I'm planning to go back with wetsuits and climbing shoes!
Lots of fabulous exploring to be had. In some places you could jump in and swim through the narrow, winding system from one pool to another.
The next morning after our night in a cabin in the valley drove east into Argentina!
Avoiding horses and falling rocks we navigated over the 8,000 foot Paso Pehuenche. Didn't encounter as many switchbacks as the Mendoza pass, so the drive was fine for the most part. Did I mention those falling rocks though? Disconcerting.
At one point we ran into a herd of cows coming our way on a narrow bridge. Had to slowly push through them with the car! This is the main road between two of the biggest countries in South America! Made it into Malargue, a nondescript desert town on the Argentine plains with the mountains in the background to the west.
Really reminded me of the wild west, complete with cowboys (gauchos) on horseback, tumbleweeds, and even armadillos!
Explored a great slot canyon system out of town! The walls almost appear to flow like the water they've been cut with. Really beautiful curves and shapes come to life in the twisting faces.
The refuge from the hot sun was welcome. Amazing how cool it stays in the depths of the canyon.
Malargue had their annual Festivo del Chivo while we were in town! Who doesn't love a good Goat Festival? Of course we went! There were dancing gauchos (in laughable gaucho pants!) hundreds of skewered goats roasting over open coals, and loads of people enjoying themselves. We may have been the only gringos in the place. I have to say, I really liked grilled goat!
And then it was six or seven hours north to Mendoza where we ate at Ocho Sepas, one of my favorite fancy places. Fabulous grilled meats and wine. How can you go wrong?
After enjoying Mendoza for a few days, we took the Mendoza pass west towards Chile! Drove right past Aconcagua, the tallest mountain outside of the Himalayas. Sat in the customs line for several hours. Put a damper on the end of the trip, but we survived and so did our spirits! Ciao Argentina!
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