After Santiago it was a hop across the mighty Andes and Chile-Argentina border to Mendoza. Crossing the Andes via this route is spectacular and full of impressive views of peaks, canyons, and just nature in general. It passes by the highest peak in the southern hemisphere, Aconcagua, towering an impressive 20,886 ft up above the sea. I just found out Brittany's dad Craig just climbed it (for those that know the family), and I may have even passed him on my bus ride while he was desperately trying to find oxygen high above me. =) Congrats by the way on that Craig, no small feat.
(Top - Wicked switchbacks; Mid - Widest street ever; Bot - Main Square in Mendoza)
I was in Mendoza a very short time...about 30 hours maybe, and basically just walked around the town on a liesurely Sunday. On Sundays in Latin America, all the people disappear from the world, and leave there cities basically as ghost towns for a few foreigners to stroll around in. So while I could see the cities buildings, super extremely wide sidewalks, and plazas, I didn't really get a good feel for Mendoza's atmosphere. I also missed the vast wine country surrounding the city, basically the Napa Valley of Argentina. I did buy a bottle though, a Malbec, Argentina's speciality, and enjoyed it at my hostel. It was then on to Salta, 18 hours closer to the border with Bolivia.
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