After our first week in Mendoza, it was time to get out and see the mountains that only barely made their presence known in Mendoza. Although nestled against the Andes, we could only catch slight glimpses of the Andes. There is a range of mountains that are much larger than most mountains in the States, but from the city, they hide the snow-capped peaks of the Andes. So, we were very eager to see what lies behind the foothills of the Andes.
After comparing a few options, we decided the best way to go was with a tour group. We chose an agency that offered smaller group sizes (therefore a smaller bus) so that we could also see the infamous Villavicencio and take the windy road to the top (365 curves — so we’re told). We were told to be ready at 8am, but as we now know, they typically show up 30 minutes late. So, when they arrived 40 minutes late, it wasn’t a big deal – we were thankful that they didn’t forget us this time.
There were about 14 of us in a little van. We were the only Americans and by far the youngest. That just meant that they could practice their English and test our Spanish. Everyone was so kind to us. If they knew English, they spoke English to us while we spoke Spanish to them. They spoke slower and more simply, except for this older woman who just talked. Her daughter kept saying (in Spanish), “Mom, you need to talk slower and use simpler words.”
Our tour guide was great, he provided a wealth of information prior to our first stop at Villavicencio and most importantly, he spoke fairly clearly. The road we took into the Andes was originally built to connect Buenos Aires to Santiago, the two capitals. Along this winding road, they built a grand hotel for travelers to stay on their way over. It was, at one time very popular for the wealthy, both Argentines and Chileans that would come to vacation here or as a stopover on their way between the two countries. But the road is quite dangerous and very slow. The hotel is now closed due to a lack of travelers since the new, more direct highway was constructed, but the site is dear to Argentines and is the image behind one of the main bottled water brands. They use the fresh snow melt off the Andes to manufacture and produce bottled water. Villavicencio is not just a place where water is bottled, but it’s this whole National Reserve where they have an Interpretation Center, Hosteria, Hotel, Chapel, and gardens. Through Villavicencio is a major pass over the Andes to Chile with 365 switchbacks on a dirt road that is narrow (room for 1.5 cars) and steep – and that’s the way we went.
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After passing through Villavicencio, we began climbing the mountain. At this point, Jared and I decided to switch seats on the bus. I needed an inside seat, the cliff was just too much for me. In order to safely navigate the pass, the driver must drive as close to the outside as possible, so that he can see any oncoming traffic. Mind you, it is only a dirt road. The view was amazing, but it soon became so amazingly high that I just needed to close my eyes and Jared would tell me when there was something of significance to look at. As we approached the top, the cliffs dropped away and the mountains just opened up into this grand splendor of snowcap mountains that were even higher than the ones we just crossed.
It is impossible to fully capture with photos the magnitude of what we saw, but we tried. It is just one of those things that you can’t stop looking at and we still couldn’t quite grasp the enormity of the mountains until we would see a house or river set beside it. When you see buildings at the foot of the mountains, you could begin to realize how big the mountains were. We climbed to the viewpoint of Mount Aconcagua, the tallest peak outside of the Himalayas rising to 24,000 feet. At this point we were only half way there at 12,000 feet. We were soon beginning to feel mild effects of the altitude. We felt short of breath and out of shape. Every step made us breathe so heavily, but all we were doing was doddling around…and only a slight headache, which all went away once we returned to regular elevation. But, we had more to see…
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After crossing the pass above Villavicencio, we went down into a valley to the town of Upsallata, a cute little mountain town whose main claim to fame is that the movie Seven Years in Tibet was filmed there. Now, many people stay in this town to enjoy the mountains, prepare for a summit of Aconcagua, or stay when skiing in the mountains. We stopped off for a cup of coffee as we passed through to our final destination near the Chilean border.
Our next stop was Puente del Inca, which is perhaps one of the more unique sights on the trip. We were able to take some of the most impressive pictures of the day because it is a very unique natural creation. In 1925, a small hotel and spa were created up in the mountains, at the base of a peak right along the major railroad to Chile. A Chapel and some bath houses were also constructed. It was a retreat to enjoy the natural sulfur springs that made for great hot springs in a magnificent setting and were thought to help cure illnesses. In 1965, an avalanche destroyed the Hotel completely. The Chapel remains standing as well as some reminents of the bath houses. Another very unique characteristic of this place is that there is a naturally formed bridge, which was part of the old road to Chile, past the hotel, formed from the sulphur and minerals in the hot springs. Everything around the springs is vibrant yellow, naturally colored from the sulfurs and hot waters that still pour out.
