The Mendozan Andes

I'm back from my winter vacation in Argentina, and I have a lot to talk about!

My first destination was Mendoza, a city with a population of a little over 100,000 which is about a 13 hour bus ride to the west and slightly south of Buenos Aires, pretty close to the border of Chile. It is also conveniently located about a half hour's drive from the Andes mountains, although it is most famous for its wine and is basically the Napa Valley of Argentina. I was there for a total of about 3 and a half days, during which I went on a bus tour to the Andes and a bike tour to two bodegas (wineries), and had some free time to explore the city as well.

Our first full day in Mendoza was spent on a bus (and off of it) in the Andes mountains. On the right is my first close up view, as the sun was rising. It was probably the coldest weather I have experienced in Argentina, and the coldest I will experience unless I travel far south sometime soon (which I won't). But, on the Bozemanite scale it really wasn't that bad. And as you can see, there was snow in the mountains, but only a light dusting.

Our next stop was at a mountainous operation complete with a ski lift, but I am still not entirely sure why. There were places to rent skis, but they were all closed because there wasn't enough snow, and everbody riding the lift was not skiing. The main attraction, as you can see in the picture, was sledding. Little kids were having a blast sliding down this little hill on a mixture of ice and dirt. It was all rather comical to me; I guess I was a spoiled child when it came to snow. I asked our tour guide when the ideal skiing time was, and he laughed and said there really wasn't one...that was about as good as it gets. But, it was a beautiful location nonetheless.

The "ski" lift.

At our last stop, another sledding hill, I was able to hike up a little ways to get a nice view. Unfortunately, it was my most active opportunity of the day, but we only had about 30 minutes. But, considering that I didn't have a car or very much money, the tour was overall worth it.

Stay tuned for Mendoza Part 2: The City and Bodegas!