MENDOZA & TUCUMAN, ARGENTINA

Unable to travel north through the deserts of Chile because of sold out buses, we risked being "stranded" in La Serena for several days. The only available transportation option we found was a bus to Mendoza which meant we were going to Argentina, again! (CATA International) January and February are the two busiest months for travel in Chile, so if you're on a tight schedule its better to book transportation and lodging a few days ahead.

Never ending luggage inspections and disorganised immigration procedures at the Argentinian border gave us a whole 4 hours to wait for and view the sun to rise from high up in the Andes, where the impressive border crossing sits. Sleep deprived and confused, we finally arrived in Mendoza to find a beautiful, modern city, with wide tree covered streets and very European feel.

We did the popular tourist thing and rented bikes to visit the surrounding vineyards in the Maipú Valley (Mr. Hugo Bikes). A short bus ride from the city center is all it takes to have the opportinuty to indulge in some of the best boutique wines the country has to offer. We particularly liked the French onwed Bodega Carinae and also Bodega Mevi for their excellent wines and well organised, thorough tastings.

With heavier backpacks, which now included a few bottles of wine, and a slight headache we quicky headed north to Tucuman. It was only meant to breakup the long journey north to Calafate and we regret not having stayed longer. Tropical and lively with a exotic looking population, Tucuman seems to appear out of nowhere in the Argentinian landscape. The city is often overlooked by travelers but we strongly recommend anyone heading that way to spend a few extra nights here.