We arrived in Santiago at 8am after twelve hours in a bus only to hurry off to a second bus, direction Argentina.

The Chilean/Argentine border crossing is perched in the Andes at 3,200m (10,500ft) and looked like a huge hangar, perfect for taking shelter from the strong sun, though in winter it surely provides shelter from snowfall. 

We’re in Argentina!

Mendoza, Argentina

March 24, 2016 marked the forty-year anniversary of the right-wing coup that overthrew the president and put a military junta in power, the beginning of the seven-year Dirty War that left 30,000 Argentinians killed or disappeared.

Madres de Plaza de Mayo, mothers of the disappeared who march every Thursday on the Plaza de Mayo, demanding answers to the whereabouts of their children that were disappeared during the Dirty War. To this day they march weekly in Buenos Aires on the Plaza de Mayo in front of the Casa Rosada, the president’s office. 

This is how we work

Mendoza has beautiful tree-lined streets, trees that create a perfect canopy over the sidewalks below.

Erin is back! Enjoying a rainbow of beers at Hangar 52.

A walk through Mendoza’s old center.

Believed to be an abandoned house, the graffiti group Panama Club created this mural, proudly signing their work. It was quite the surprise for the owner when he came back to find the new facade, but the story has it that it quickly grew on him.

Erin suggested we do a horseback-riding trip in Luján de Cuyo, one of the main wine areas near Mendoza. As the unabashed novice horseback rider of our group of ten, I believe I was given the best horse. His name is Padrillo, which means Stallion, and here we were exchanging jokes.

Both Padrillo and I are natural leaders, and the guide had us leading the group most of the way. This meant Padrillo knew the trail, and I had no qualms making him trot a bit faster to keep our group moving along.

I had a lot of fun waving my wand-stick around.

We made it to the top! This is where we learned about the fauna in the area including foxes, mountain lions, snakes, and even spiders, specifically one called Araña Pollito, “chick-spider,” so named because its body has the size and fuzziness of a chick. Fortunately we only saw a cute Gray Fox and a brilliant sunset.

Lunch at Maria Antonieta

Relaxing in St Martin Park, a park in Mendoza that extends nearly 1000 acres (400 hectares). It was curious to have the Andes to the west after having them always indicate East in Chile.