Posts from — November 2008

One thing stands between Mendoza, Argentina and Santiago, Chile:  The Andes, the highest mountain range outside Asia.  They cover 4,400 miles, are three hundred miles wide and average 13,000 feet high.

Aconcagua, at 22, 841 feet the highest mountain in the western hemisphere, lies in the Andes between the two cities.

Our plan was to take a bus – but when the kids saw Dani and me reading “Miracle in the Andes,” and “Death in the Andes,” they wondered what we had signed them up for.  As it turned out, it was one of the most spectacular journeys we’ve ever made.

Leaving Mendoza, the Andes form a formidable wall – and you have to wonder: How will a bus ever get over them?

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We mentioned to Mariana, the sommelier at the B&B where we were staying, that we were looking for a relaxing way to spend our last day in Argentina.

She suggested an outing to Termas Cacheuta, a set of thermal pools less than an hour outside Mendoza.

A van picked us up at 9 am.   We joined a dozen locals heading out of town for a relaxing day in the country.

The facility had 21 pools that spilled over the mountainside, each a different size and temperature.  We visited on a Monday, so the park was uncrowded – the perfect place to relax. The day slipped by quickly.

At 5 pm, we boarded the van for the trip back to Mendoza.  An Argentine woman – she must have been nearly 90 – sat in front of us.

She heard us speaking English, turned around and said: “Is this your first visit to Argentina?  Are you enjoying it?”

We told her we had a wonderful time, loved the country, loved the people.

She asked how we were making out with the language.  We explained that Caroline and Conor spoke Spanish, and they had been our interpreters.  This seemed to please her very much.

“My parents were Scots-Irish,” she said.  “I was born in Mendoza and have lived here all my life.  I have been to the United States, and every summer my grandchildren go to Colorado to ski.”

We continued chatting.  We told her that we hoped to return to Argentina one day, to spend more time here and to visit Patagonia.

Then, in a gesture that was both touching and optimistic (considering her age), she said: “Here is my card.  When you return to Argentina you must come back to Mendoza.  I’d love to have you stay with me at my house.”