Central Argentina - Part 2

Next we headed west, finally arriving to the Andes Range.  After a few HOT days in and around Mendoza, we headed up into the mountains for a few cool nights of camping and a little bit of rock climbing.

Mendoza
Known for its nearby wine country, Mendoza is located directly east of Santiago, Chile on the opposite side of the mountains. Besides exploring the city via the free bike share program, we also got out of town for some wine tasting. With all the wineries in close proximity, renting a bike is the best way to get around and see the beautiful coutnryside.

Manzano Historico/Arenales
Situated at a higher elevation at the base of the mountains, the town of Manzano Historico was a much appreciated reprieve from the heat. After a couple nights with another Couch host we headed up higher to the nearby climbing area of Arenales. With a rope and draws lent to us by our host we finally got some use out of those harnesses we had been lugging around.

Click the play button below for a slideshow which can be viewed in fullscreen. If the slideshow does not show up on your screen, click here for direct link to the photo album.

Here are a couple video clips from the trip:

Central Argentina - Part 1

After passing back through Buenos Aires on our return from Uruguay, we jumped on a long bus ride north to the Central Argentine city of Cordoba. With the first of a number of Couch Surfing stays, this part of the trip is where we really started interacting with locals on a more personal level.

Cordoba and Jesus Marie
Being a college city the atmosphere in Cordoba had a certain lively energy about it. We mainly spent our time wandering the city center, collecting camping supplies we would need for our adventures ahead and hanging out with our hosts who showed us around and shared their artwork and other projects they were passionate about.

One of the highlights of our time here was the festival of folk music held in the nearby town of Jesus Maria. The festivities mainly consisted of alternating sets of live music with sessions of men riding bucking broncos, and lots of BBQed meat.

Alta Gracia
Also a short bus ride away is the town in which Che Guevara grew up. There is a museum inside one of his childhood homes which mainly focuses on his youth and young adulthood years. After a very short visit and stay with another friendly host we were on our way west.

San Luis
From Alta Gracia we began our attempt to hitch across Argentina. While getting to San Luis was relatively easy, getting out of town was a different story. With the unexpected generosity of two couples, we found ourselves staying two unplanned nights here; one camping behind a pizza restaurant near the bus terminal, the other in the home of new friends that offered up their spare bedroom after hours of unsuccessfully standing in the sun hoping for a ride toward Mendoza. Furthermore we were treated to a trip to the nearby reservoir to cool off and a good ol' Argentine BBQ.

Click the play button below for a slideshow which can be viewed in fullscreen. If the slideshow does not show up on your screen, click here for direct link to the photo album.

Here is a video clip from Jesus Marie: