East to West over The Andes

Leaving is always sad and exciting at the same time - part of the travelling experience kiddo.

It's all about balance.

Ah, the Gran Reserva!!

So leaving Buenos Aires was a little sad, as I had grown to really like the city. Before moving to Chile, I had looked at placing my home base in this city and only didn't because job prospects seemed better on the West coast. Sometimes I think how my life would have been different if I'd been in Argentina and not Chile. Sometimes it's nice to think about, dream about living in a cool city, but you do what you do and can't change the past. Enjoy what you have lived and be thankful. Look at it this way - if the French had been on time rather than 3 days late, Australia would have been a French colony instead of a British one. Better or worse? Neither really, as you have no idea, but you can always dream (or dread!). I got to the terminal and waited for my bus to Mendoza - the terminal was far more organised than anything in Chile, as you could buy a ticket from a machine rather than wait, and there was also an electronic screen showing bus arrivals and departures. Wow. My bus happened to be an hour late, and on the way broke down with a flat tyre in the middle of the night, and so there was 10 minutes of panic as I tried to work out what was going on and what I should do (my Spanish at 3am isn't great), and eventually changed buses and got to Mendoza with no (more) problems.

The main reason people visit Mendoza - and a decent one too.

Wine Capitals of the World.

We know what we love!

If I thought Buenos Aires was hot at 32c, then Mendoza was roasting - 42c and nothing but sun! This is what you need at this time of year for good grapes though, and I'm not one to complain about sun and warmth either, or an excess of good wine for that matter! I'd booked a hostel that turned out to be quite a find - they made pancakes for breakfast and served free (cheap) wine from 7 - 9 in the evening. My first day was a relaxing one to be honest, as tomorrow I was off on a wine tour. I have been on one before, in the Hunter Valley just north of Sydney, and that was great fun - driven around in a bus, drinking, eating, drinking... a great time! This time was slightly different - I met up with 2 Canadian girls, who I'd met just before Christmas and the Torres, and I was the driver this time. Why you ask? Well, as much as I love them, neither of them could drive stick (manual). I didn't mind too much - I enjoyed the drive and the company, and I even got to taste a little. We visited about 3 of the 'posher' ones on this trip through the "Valle de Uco," which are slightly more up-market than the Maipu region. The main wine done here is Malbec, and one winery, the "O. Fournier" had the biggest cellar in South America - more than 5,000 barrels of wine. The barrels used are 70% French Oak and 30% American Oak - The French ones cost €30,000 and last for 20 years compared to $1000 and 5 yrs for the Yanks. The barrels are sold for furniture once they have done their duty here. It was fun - we tasted, drank and bought some for later. Our hostel for the night was a converted house with a lovely living room and even better backyard - equipped with a slow-burn wooden BBQ, which we slowly barbecued our fresh Argentina steak over - YUM!

The biggest cellar in South America - 5000 barrels.

The 28 turns into Chile.

The pass through the Andes.

I spent a few days longer in Mendoza though, but that was because of the rain. There has been a lot of rain here lately, which has partly spoilt the wines, but it also caused chaos with the road running through the Andes from Argentina back into Chile. An avalanche on the Saturday blocked the road till Tuesday, so my Monday bus got pushed back a day. It didn't bother me that much, as I liked the feel of Mendoza and was happy to relax another day before going back to Santiago. When I finally got on the bus, the drive was pretty cool. We passed the highest mountain in South America, The Anconcagua (6962m), and just before getting into Chile again the bus had to navigate 28 hair-pin turns to get down to the border. This view from the window (when my bus was facing the right way down the cliff) was amazing - cars, trucks and buses all making their way down slowly - and when the bus faced the other way, looking up was incredible too! You would think there's an easier way of doing this, like one long straight road down, but then again, do you really want a 40t truck behind you when it's breaks fail? My ears popped several times, and it was good to get back to level ground, and then cruise into Santiago. Getting back to this city is always happy - I love Santiago! This time was a little different - people weren't on holidays, and the city was busier than ever due to Summer, and with my huge backpack, the Metro wasn't fun either! I still love it!

Welcome to the tallest mountain in South America - Aconcagua (6962m).

Messages for Victor Jara.

Allende's monument and resting place.

A week in Santiago was good - catching up with friends and also seeing things that I'd missed. One thing that was on the list was the Cemeterio General, which was founded in 1821 after Chile's independance from Spain by Bernardo O'Higgins. Home to 2 million souls, one of the biggest on the Continent and it has to be the biggest cemetery I've ever been to. At the entrance was a map and a list of the famous people that are interred there - these people include the Chilean Ex-President Allende (1970-73) and Victor Jara, a poet and folk singer who was murdered during the Coup of '73. You have to understand that cemeteries in South American countries are far different to ones in Australia. Back home, they are space-saving and functional - here they are huge, sometimes over-the-top with design and statues and sometimes creepy, but I prefer it this way. Do tourists visit cemeteries in the States, Australia or the UK? No, but in places like Buenos Aires and Santiago, they are tourists attractions and places that people visit - much like a museum. I wandered around, enjoyed the mausoleums and the peace and quiet - with 2 million people here, it's the size of a city, but the quietest city in the world. After all that walking, I found a nice little 'completo' stand and stood and really enjoyed my first one since being back in Chile - sometimes you only miss something if you can't get it!

Colours from Valpo.

the 'sea theme' at Isla Negra.

I'm watching you...

When in Santiago, it's hard to fight the temptation to visit the town of Valparaiso (which I have twice before), so I decided to go with the flow. Yup, Valpo a third time! This time was even better than the last two times - third time lucky perhaps? Maybe it has something to do with the company too - I was by myself the first two times. This time I was able to spend the weekend with a fun and interesting person I'd met in Mendoza the week before - things are always better when you have someone to share them with, like good food, beer, wine, music, conversation (not that fun by yourself) and of course a cool city! Every time you visit Valpo, you find something new, and this time I thought it was time to visit Pablo Neruda's second house, "La Sebastiana." Hiking up right to the top of the Valparaiso hills, and accidentally walking through some of the rougher and more dangerous areas, I finally made it although slightly out of breath - one of the funiculars was also out of action to make things worse! 5,000 clp ($10) to get in, which I didn't feel too bad about, but I was unable to take pictures of anything but the outside, which being a photographer slightly annoys me. On the other hand, I would have only got photos of hoards of tourists running though the house, so no real loss - I did enjoy his house in Santiago better as there were much less people, and I was able to take a few sneaky photos. I also visited the 3rd Neruda house at Isla Negra, which isn't actually an island at all. This one was heavily focused around his love of the sea, and many of the rooms were filled with things from the sea, such as shells and stones, but the living room was filled with figureheads from ships. Again, no photos, but I found this place a little too over-decorated and touristy as well, but it was special as both Pablo and Matilde are buried here in their back garden overlooking the sea. I feel a little more complete now, having done the 3 houses - tick, tick and tick!

Pablo and Matilde at rest together at Isla Negra.

Just chilling on the street.

Well it was time to move again and head north into the desert of Chile. This means saying goodbye to old friends and new friends alike. It's always hard, but that is the life of travelling - everyone is doing their thing, whether it be doing their 9 to 5, 3 countries in 2 weeks or just bumming around somewhere in South America. Relationships, like love, come in many different forms, none of which are any less important than the others. You find what you need in your life for the time in your life. The people you meet along your journey are all part of that journey, and if you listen carefully enough and pay attention, every one of these meetings have a meaning. You can't always stay in contact with everyone, but it isn't always meant to be that way. So, thank you to everyone I have met along the way these past 3 months - some of you I will probably never see again (but I will always hope!), some I won't see for some time (but it will be like no time has passed when that first beer is poured!), and for the people that I will be seeing soon, I can't wait to sit and catch up, swap stories, and just enjoy your company, again.

Welcome back to Chile.