07&8.07 - Day 18&19 - La Paz, BOL to Santiago, CHL to Mendoza, ARG

La Paz, Bolivia to Santiago, Chile

Wednesday 7th Jul 2010

A relative lie in to 8am and then it’s up travelling again, taxiing to the airport and flying from La Paz via Iquique (for the shortest stop over ever) to Santiago. Looking back on the last 10/12 days its been very frantic, involved a lot, a lot of time journeying but definitely worth it all. We’ve done and seen everything I’d hoped for in Peru and Bolivia. The standouts being Machu Picchu and the Salt Flays but with a very strong supporting cast.

Re-entering Santiago we agree we feel 100% more confident with the airport, customs and locals. As we stroll past the taxi hawkers we glimpse Carles Puyol’s header that takes Spain to the World Cup Final (Spain vs Germany, Semi-Final, 1-0). We bus and Metro back to our old haunt Andes Hostel. I appreciate this time around the things I took for granted the first time – powerful hot showers, nice breakfasts, heating, spacious dorm and comfortable bed.

We plan to catch the bus from Santiago to Mendoza in Argentina the next day; a journey over the Andes. As the road was closed today the worry of buses being full tomorrow means we, after inhaling a pollo empanada, pop to the bus station to reserve our tickets. We’re moving at haste as we know Happy Hour has started at our favourite Café Utopia and we don’t want to miss out. We work our way through the cocktails – Pisco Sour, Electric Limonade, Amaretto Sour, Mojito. This for the grand total of 14,000 Pesos for all eight (£18). Feeling the effects of these South American strengthened concoctions, sleep comes easily.

Santiago, Chile to Mendoza, Argentina

Thursday 8th July 2010

Our Turbus leaves a mere half hour late at 9:15 and soon wends it way up into the Andes. We overtake all the lorries parked up on the mountain roads – the tourist must come first, or so thinks our driver.  At the peak, surrounded by either ski lifts or pistes we disembark in a Soviet-esque hanger to get our passports stamped; leaving Chile and entering Argentina. 

As we descend into the valley – an Australian Outback dusty red – I cheer Krish with a story of how Dean & Susie got robbed at Mendoza station, albeit they arrived at night and had nowhere booked to stay. In contrast we’d arrive in daylight with our hostel address known.

Although officially Argentina is poorer than Chile, Mendoza is a far more Westernised city; the infrastructure far more modern. 

At the station we enquire about tickets to our next destination Buenos Aires. As we do four youths enter the ticket office – at this point our sales assistant breaks off in mid sentence which we think a bit rude to speak to them. The other sales clerk, a white haired elderly gentleman then ushers the youths out. Using hand signals due to their lack of English (not to mention our lack of in depth Spanish) they gesticulate that the youths were about to slit open our prone ruck sacks and run off with the contents. In-house security guards are quickly on the scene. 

A little shaken we make a quick getaway and with furtive glances over our shoulders make haste for the hostel. On reflection – when you arrive somewhere new, get in a cab, get to your hostel and leave behind your bags that make you a target for would-be thieves.

Our street is lined with upmarket looking bars and restaurants without the accompanying price tags – we settle on Sansons and reward ourselves for the day (including no lunch to speak of) with a hearty meal. 

The hostel itself is presentable but the dorm is overly small for six people. Even that, the lumpy pillow and thin mattress fail to prevent anything but a full nights sleep.