International Overnighter

So the morning after my first night back in the house we woke to a flat light day. Nobody wanted to ride and one of the Spaniards Chapa had been here for almost 90 days and needed to cross to Argentina for a new stamp and thus, 90 more days in Chile. A good friend and transient individual Gabriel was staying at the house on holiday and had a rental car. So 5 of us, 3 Spanards, 1 Catalan(They think its another country but it's really Spain), and myself hopped in a little VW and headed north to Los Andes and west to Portillo which is just short of the border to ARG.

It was a Saturday and we got stuck up here because the Pacos(policia) wouldn't let us go down as there were still people coming up the road. So we found a place to buy some amazing empanadas(meat pies) and bummed around for a bit until we could head down. As we were waiting for the last of the weekend warriors to come up the road, the clouds were breaking and I snapped some good shots of the mountains to the south.




So the caravan commenced and so did the good times. We got into the city and started hassleing any passerby or nearby motorist for directions to get out of the concrete jungle. Listening to Spaniards speak to Chileans is really funny, I feel that they speak more correctly and the faces of the Chileans were priceless.

As we entered Los Andes we had some hunger and the noses were functioning strong. We passed a bread shop and stopped for some grub.

It was close to closing time and we had to pull teeth to get someone to come to the front of the house. In the mean time we were entertained by an orange tree bearing some good fruit.


We passed the towering mountains of Portillo and reached the boarder just in time to return the same night from Argentina...so we thought. As it turned out, we needed to stay a night in order to get the new stamp in the passport. There was a suggestion of going to Mendoza Argentina for the night but it sounded crazy. So we got back into the little car and headed back down the switchbacks...but not for long. The car stopped and the conversation was had about really going to Mendoza, some 170 kilometers. The car made a big U and over the boarder we went....Mendoza bound into the night.




And so extended our international adventure. We passed some of the crazyest terrain in the world through the dark and arrived in Mendoza around 10:30pm with a time change not in our favor. And so continued to questioning of innocent Argentinians for the best cheapest place to stay.

We found “Hostel Su Casa” which was so so cheap. Like 6 dollars each for a clean room with a bathroom and 5 beds. So we got settled in and headed out for a much needed meal of assorted meats, salad, beer, and wine. All for about 8 dollars each, and our waiter went to get us a bottle of whiskey.

With our stomachs full we headed back to the suite to have some drinks, and head out for an Argentinian night. That we did. To the fullest of staying out until 7am. Which is totally normal. It was fun even though the music was 100% Reggeton garbage. If you've never heard it. Go on your favorite online music source and sample some. So we made it back to the room and got a solid 3.5 hours of sleep before it was noon and was time to get out of Argentina.

We hit up a bread shop for some hangover food and headed out, the same way we got there. Asking any and everyone how to get back to Chile... Really funny stuff. As we got to the base of the mountains, there was a CRAZY backup of traffic....all semis. There was some kind of problem with the boarder for trucks and they had been waiting there for as much as 8 days! We stopped and did some investigating...not really sure why...but it was fun all the same.

We reached the snow and got to see all the scenery we missed on the way in the night. Really incredible stuff. Upon arriving to the top, we discovered a string of ski areas. One “real” one Los Penitentes and some really small beginner slops just right off the road. We had to stop and be “weekend warriors” for a day.





As we reached the boarder once again we encountered a very disorganized boarder system with very strong forces of the drug dog. It smelled the Argentinian honey I was trying get into Chile and maybe some crumbs in the coats of our peeps. Luckily we passed hours later with no fines and our dignity.


The way down from Portillo was long, backed up and left us incredibility hungry. So we stopped in Los Andes in search of something perfect....and that was Chorriana. Fries, onions, eggs, meat, sausage piled high. It was like a Herald and Kumar quest. We asked and walked the center of town aimlessly like zombies with hunger for blood.


Finally when hunger almost split friendship in half, we found a place that was open and had our prize meal. We ordered 3 plates that normally feed 6 and demolished them without a problem.

Our last leg back to Fare was dark with the back of my eyelids, what a crazy day and a half. Now I can stay in Chile for another 90 days. A nice loophole around paying 100 bucks for a stupid tourist card extension.

Tomorrow I'm going to head to Vina del Mar, or maybe Chillan...not quite sure yet. Back to the beach for some longboarding and a nice break from the snow until the MSI crew gets here for the South American Freeskiing Championships in La Parva.