Merry Christmas - or just another ordinary day in Argentina?

Between a language course and New Year's Eve, I have two weeks to bridge and decide to take a trip to Mendoza, Argentina. It's hard for me to say goodbye to my two boys who have housed me in Santiago. Nico, who is visiting his family in Los Andes, comes by the bus station where my bus stops to give me another hug and say goodbye again. I am amazed by the warmth shown.

The road through the Andes is simply breathtakingly beautiful. While I am still positive about the modern bus and the display board that reveals which of the two drivers is currently at the wheel with what operating time, the bus winds its way up the 27 curves up the mountain and towards the Argentine border. The few towns on the other side are small, but seem to have a little more visitors in winter. Then the landscape becomes a little flatter again and the first vineyards appear. A wonderful sight: high, snow-covered mountains in the background, blue sky and green vineyards in the foreground.

With more than 1,200 wineries, Mendoza is the largest wine region in Argentina, mainly cultivating Malbec, of which a large part is exported. During a wine tour, we are well supplied with wine. The group gets along well and the wine tasting later turns into a craft beer happy hour, a shared dinner, and philosophical chats with the core group until 4 am. So it was a successful day all around.

Mendoza has a lot to offer as a city. Above all, there are many opportunities for excursions. But the gastronomic part should not be underestimated either. However, the rhythm of life here takes some getting used to. The shops are generally closed from 1 pm to 5 pm, it's siesta time. For dinner, you meet around 9 pm, even during the week. It's quite common to have a half-hour delay. They don't take time seriously here. Sometimes you realize that you are very German when you appear punctually.

The city is heavily influenced by Italian culture. There were a lot of immigrants in earlier times who brought with them the favorite dish pizza and ice cream. Generally, people share the pizza, as well as the beer, which is mostly served in liter bottles.

In addition to the main attraction 'wine' in various forms, there are also 'horseback riding', 'thermal baths', or for the more athletic ones 'rafting' (if there is water available), 'paragliding', or 'bungee jumping'. The beautiful nature always plays a special role in these activities.

On the way back to Chile, I stop in Uspallata to go hiking in the Aconcagua National Park for a day. I really want to see the highest mountain outside the Himalayas up close.

When I arrive in the small town, I first hear in the news that there was a severe bus accident the night before with three fatalities (two children and one woman). 10 km away, on the road that I will drive four times in the end. It was the same bus company that Nico recommended to me, emphasizing the highest safety standards. The bus driver lost control, according to the news. When I pass the accident site the next day, I think the remaining passengers were very lucky. In my opinion, the spot was one of the flatter ones, there could have been steeper slopes. However, the feeling in the double-decker bus on the top front seat is a bit uneasy. But the view is impressive again.

The guided hike to the summit of Aconcagua, with its nearly 7,000 m, takes a total of 2-3 weeks including acclimatization and costs a few thousand euros, according to a French woman I met at the thermal baths. Unfortunately, her dream did not come true as the trip had to be canceled halfway due to too much snow.

By comparison, I had little in mind. However, the 16 km to the first camp were quite demanding at times. But the view was really worth it. The air got a little thinner above 3,000 m, but the sun gave even more heat. I overtook completely wrapped hiking groups where not even a millimeter of skin was visible. As always, I found shade with my umbrella. It may look silly, but personally, I don't mind. Since the bus (only twice a day) left early again, I had to hurry a lot in the last kilometers. I guess I spent too much time taking photos.

Well, and Christmas? Christmas somehow didn't happen for me this year. That sounds worse than it actually is. Since it's always over 30 degrees, there's practically no Christmas decoration, music, mulled wine, or anything that could remind you of the contemplative time, you don't even get in the mood and therefore don't miss it either. It's just an ordinary summer day. Here in Uspallata, the shops are open as usual on December 24th. In the evening around 9-10 pm, the party with dinner slowly begins. The occasionally brightly flashing houses play loud techno music until late at night. On December 25th, it's family day, which, like ours, involves a lot of food (here it's called Asado, which means firing up the grill) and takes place outside (river, lake, garden). I had trouble finding an open restaurant on Christmas Eve but was satisfied with fast food and beer.

Next, I'm heading to Valparaiso for the big New Year's Eve party, so back to Chile.