Argentina
Argentina is Big! Why didn't somebody tell me? I drove down from San Pedro de Atacama in Chile to Mendoza, Argentina...about 2000 kilometers. There were times when I didn't see another car at all for 10 or 15 minutes on some highways. (On highway 27 in Chile, I went 90 minutes once without seeing an oncoming car). But, the scenery was great!
And, there was still another 3200 kilometers left to drive before hitting the bottom of the country. Unfortunately, during my trip, I got there in July, and the weather was not what I wanted for that drive. So, I stopped in Mendoza.
Every once in a while you have a fun and unexpected adventure while traveling
One of those adventures was during the drive from Mendoza up to Asuncion Paraguay. I couldn't make it in 1 day, so I needed a place to stop and there was not much around. But, I found a place online outside Avia Terai, Argentina. Really affordable. Less than $30 US and it came with dinner and breakfast.
As I neared it, I saw the roads and the accommodation... Interesting!
But, what made it really fun is all the frogs in the toilet...that we just couldn't get out of there. And, the hosts were Brazilian, so I had to look up "There are frogs in the toilet" in Portuguese. Not a phrase many guidebooks will teach you.
The upside, it was really quiet out there in the middle of nowhere!
Buenos Aires
I ended up spending a few weeks in Buenos Aires because this was my departure point for shipping my car at the end of my driving trip down the Americas; so I had to make arrangements here.
Thankfully, it is a very nice city, with plenty to do and keep me busy. And, the people were wonderful.
If there was a downside; is was that ATM withdrawals were limited (this is part of the effort to handle their inflation issue). So, trips to get cash were frequent. Be sure to have a card that doesn't charge for international ATM fees. They will really add up. If you know you are going to spend an extended amount of time here, it may be worth bringing cash with you. Not something I normally recommend, but here it would be helpful.
A fun moment during my time in Buenos Aires was when they had a full solar eclipse. The unfortunate part was that it ended up being very cloudy, so we couldn't see the sun. Just got to experience the dimming during the day.
Palacio Barolo
an interesting building based on Dante's Divine Comedy. There are 22 floors, divided into three "sections". The basement and ground floor represent hell, floors 1 through 14 are purgatory, and 15 through 22 represent heaven. The building is 100 meters (330 feet) tall, one meter for each canto of the Divine Comedy.
Plaza de Mayo and Casa Rosada
Plaza named after the independence revolution of 1810 sitting next to the pink presidential palace.
Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur
865 acre park along the Rio de la Plata great for just getting out for a walk or a run.
Mendoza
With a population of about 1.2 million, this city is built with plenty of parks and wide, leafy boulevards.
The best thing about being in Mendoza is that it is the heart of wine country. There are plenty of vineyards in the area that offer tours and tasting.
Plus, this is Argentina...so for dinner, have a steak and some Malbec wine!
Favorite things in Mendoza is enjoying the many parks of the city,
Parque General San Martín - large park with a statued promontory
Parque Central - with a lake and a museum
Plaza Independencia - landscaped plaza with fountains
O'Higgins Park - with a skate park and bike trails
Driving in Argentina
The space is simply massive. and Beautiful.
The country is over 4000 kilometers north to south, and much of it just purely open space where you can drive for long periods without seeing another car. Plus, driving along the west side of the country keeps the Andes in view adding to the beauty.
Checkpoints in Argentina are more numerous than other South American countries, but not as bad as Central America. I was stopped a few times, but didn't have any issues. Just check papers, then move on.
However, when out on the rural highways, don't let your petrol run low. You may go a long way between stations. And, carry cash. The station may not take credit cards when you do find it.
