When you travel by car from Chile to Argentina or reverse, you have to climb up on the pass. There you will feel the strong winds that always blow from Chile (west) to Argentina (east). And be prepared. It is always very cold there on that altitude of 4000 m (13120 ft) above sea level. You may have 30°C (86°C) in Mendoza, but on the pass it can below 0°C (32°F). But the wow comes on the Pass, the mountains look so beautiful that is it worth the effort to spent a time to make pictures, videos and listen to Fernando, who works there from January to April in the little hostel.

If you are coming from Chile or coming from Argentina you have to pass the tunnel and you must turn right (from Argentine left) some 500 m before the tunnel on Chilean territory and you have to leave the National Road 7 to pass below the old destroyed railway bridge and go ahead on that dirt road to climb up to the mountain pass Cristo Redentor. The valley has an altitude of 3200 m (11500 ft).

The pass is opened from beginnings of January until midst of April. Later the snow and strong winds makes it impassable.

Arriving on the pass we felt the coldness, but we saw the small hostel where we entered and ask for a hot drink. Fernando and Jorge offered us a cup of tea. As we asked Fernando, if he can explain us the beautiful panorama view on the mountains, Fernando went out with us and explained all:

Fernando explains us:

“Hello. My name is Fernando and I am from here, from Cristo Redentor.

I work here.

Well, now explain you what we can see here.

What you see here is the mountain Tolosa, also kwon as man with the short leg. You can see the glacier that looks like a man with a long and a short leg (5432 m / 17822 ft).

Here were we are standing is the pass.

That there is the Mountain Sta. Elena. This is the way that General San Martin came in 1817.

What you see there is the mountain Juncal in Chile (5865 m / 19243 ft). It has a glacier and is the highest mountain of Chile.

Well this is the pass Cristo Redentor.

That statue there is from Buenos Aires. In the year 1902 it was transported by train until Uspallata. From there 100 men were bringing it to this place Cristo Redentor.

We are here since year 2008. Here has been until 1965 the meteorological service.

Now we are here with a hostel and coffeehouse.

Here you can come for horseback rides, alpinism and mountain biking. Well, you can do all here.

Thank you, have a good trip and we hope to see you here again.”

Later we talked with Jorge. He presented himself as the owner of this hostel and he told us that he is a snow board champion and teaches snowboarding in winter during July, August and September. He also is a mountain guide that can guide you on the Aconcagua. Due to bad experiences made with some mountaineers, especially from Europe that thought that they know it better than the mountain guide, he only guides very special friends on the Aconcagua. One of the most important reasons for the accidents at the Aconcagua is that many mountaineers underestimate it.

On my question "Is it possible for me, I am 51 years old, that you guide me on the Aconcagua?" He answered: "Of course. You must be able to run a marathon and have to obey to me! Nothing more! When you are accustomed to the altitude of 3000 m (9843 ft) we need three days to climb up on the Aconcagua 6952 m (22841 ft). So if you are fit, call me and we go!"

Jorge made me thinking on that and not I was hungry to see the Aconcagua, this highest mountain of the Americas, that you cannot see from the pass, because it is behind the mountain "Man with the short leg."

Jorge told me: "Go to the Park Aconcagua, there you can see it".

I thank Fernando and Jorge and hope to see them again soon.

Maybe climbing on the Aconcagua.

Many of the people that we have met in Buenos Aires asked this question answered: Oh, it is because of the good airs (Spanish: buenos aires) that we have, isn’t it?

Actually it’s not because of the good air we have. We will find the truth in the history of this city.

In 1516 the Spanish seaman Juan Díaz de Solís discovered the Río de la Plata. In 1535 Pedro de Mendoza sailed on the Río de la Plata and landed on February 2, 1536 at the banks of the Río de la Plata in a district of Buenos Aires that today is called San Telmo. It is located near the Casa Rosada (Arg. President Palace) in Buenos Aires downtown. Here they were attacked by the natives and later they left. In 1541 they give up the settlement. Some sailed on the river and settled in Asunción, the capital of Paraguay, others including Mendoza sailed back to Spain, where he never arrived, because he died earlier.

On the journey in 1536 they had very fair winds and sailed very fast crossing the Atlantic Ocean. That motivated the catholic Mendoza to call the place, where they landed, Ciudad de Nuestra Señora Santa María del Buen Ayre (literally "City of Our Lady Saint Mary of the Fair Winds") to thank God for the good conditions they had during sailing. In 1580 arrived Juan de Garay from Asunción to settle the place a second time. He named the settlement “Santisima Trinidad" and gave the port de name "Puerto de Santa Maria de los Buenos Aires." (literally "Port of Our Lady Saint Mary of the Fair Winds").

Today’s official name of this city is: Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (literally “Autonomous City of Buenos Aires”).

Today we like to discover the enormous extensions of Argentina travelling from East to West by car. East to West means in this case from Argentina’s capital Buenos Aires on the banks of Río de la Plata to the capital of the province of Mendoza, the city Mendoza, just below the mountains of the Andes or Cordillera.

And the landscapes you can experience are varying from the skyline of a megacity, pampas and steppes and vineries  to mountains.

The distance is about 1080 km (675 mi) and starting not later than 8:00 am you can do this trip in one day  to feel the enormous extension and observe the landscapes cruising through Argentina. Cruising by car in Argentina is always a big thing. It is inexpressible, you must experience this.

Well, for the trip Argentina offers two different alternatives:

1. Ruta 8 – Leaving Buenos Aires by following the Pan-American Highway for a short way and then heading west passing several villages and small cities of Pilar, Arrecifes, Pergamino, Venado Tuerto and Rio Cuarto and to Villa Mercedes in the Province of San Luis.

2. Ruta 7 – Leaving Buenos Aires by following the Highway “Acceso Oesto” passing the villages and cities of Lujan, Junin, Rufino, Laboulaye, Vicuña Mackenna to Villa Mercedes.

View Discover Argentina Buenos Aires – Mendoza in a larger map

Both routes join in Villa Mercedes and form the Ruta 8 passing the capital of the Province of San Luis, the city San Luis, to Mendoza

Both roads are in good conditions. I personally prefer the second alternative (Ruta 7). It is faster because you never enter into the cities/villages and it is less used.

The Start

A classic start of such a trip has to begin in Buenos Aires down town driving a round around the 57 m (187 feet) high Obelisk at the junction of Av. 9 de Julio and Av. Corrientes. For me it is a must to feel one more time the pulse of this vibrant megacity before cruising through the wide land. The traffic, the people, the sound of the cars, busses, motorcycles, all this gives Buenos Aires its unique charm.

Photo: Toyota Hilux with Obelisk:

Heading south on the worlds broadest Avenue, the Av. 9 de Julio, we enter into the Autopista 25 de Mayo that leads us west out of Buenos Aires. A last view on downtown and we drive on the Autopista through the city. Later we turn right on Acceso Oeste and pass the toll station. Now the buildings are lower and on the right side we see the Soccer Stadium of Velez Sarsfield in the district of Liniers. Here we cross the Highway General Paz. This highway forms the limit between Capital Federal and Province of Buenos Aires.

Traffic rules

Keep in mind that new traffic rules have to be respected. This is until today something special in Argentina. Every province has it’s own traffic rules. And Argentina has a federal law for traffic. Maybe, one day they will change this.

Province of Buenos Aires

In the province of Buenos Aires the buildings are just lower as in Capital Federal but initially the traffic is the same and the highway has more lanes than in Capital Federal. After some kilometers/miles we pass another toll station and now the traffic becomes less. You will see more and more trucks. Trucks are the only transport system in Argentina that works and you can see modern and old trucks, for example the old Mercedes 1114 (Built from 1959 to end of the 1990) that is still running on the roads of Argentina.

After passing a second toll station we note a change of the landscape. The buildings disappear and the real Argentina, the Pampa, begins.

Then, after one hour the signs of Lujan are coming up. Lujan is the first city and we take the opportunity to visit the biggest Cathedral from Argentina. It is only 5 minutes away from the highway.

Photo: Cathedral Lujan, Argentina:

After coming back on the highway it changed into a road and cruising through the enormous extension to the west of Argentina begins. Until the limit of the Provinces Buenos Aires and Santa Fe we see flat land and fields with different grains and cattle or cattle and grains (It depends of what you want to see first).

Argentina is an important exporter of soy beans, wheat and vegetable oil products, as well as meat. The steaks are marvelous. A tip: Eat a lomo al punto (medium cooked) with fries and a simple mixed salad and if you are not the driver, with a good red wine from Mendoza. That would one of the best meals you ever eat.

Driving, sorry cruising, you’ll note that the land is very, very flat and the road goes straight, straight ahead for kilometers/miles. We will tell you a small secret. We entered into a region were the creeks and rivers have no access to the ocean. That means, the precipitations only can evaporate or trickle away into the soil where they built up during many thousands of years a very big reservoir of ground water. It is one of the biggest reservoirs of the world. All the lakes and lagoons you see are a product of the precipitations.

Photo: Laguna de Gomez:

Now the road has no turn and heads straight ahead. It seems that it is going directly to heaven.

Province of Santa Fe

Some kilometers/miles ahead we reach “Laguna La Picasa” on a new road. The old road was destroyed by flooding caused by enormous precipitations in 2002/2003, when the level of the laguna was elevated for some 3 meters/yards. Today we can observe many birds beside the road. Between many other birds we saw a flamboyance of flamingos.

Video Laguna La Picasa:

Province of Cordoba

Photo: Sign at border between the provinces of Santa Fe and Córdoba:

Then we enter into the Province of Cordoba and we just have travelled half of the way from Buenos Aires to Mendoza. Here, at the border we stopped for another coffee break. This time beside the road. This is not too dangerous because on the road is not so much traffic and

the green beside the road is up to 50 m/yards broad.

Province of San Luis

Back on the road we head to the Province of San Luis. This province is a province of Argentina, but its Governor called it “another country”. The road changed and is now a highway. During the night it is illuminated with 17 lights every kilometer. In the city of Mercedes you see a lot of industry. This is the product of a different style of politics. The governors are all from the family Rodriguez Saa and they said, transform this province into a tax paradise and the industry will come. That happened many years ago and today the industry is there and the people have jobs. This province right now offers Wi-Fi for free in all cities and villages to all people that like to use is.

A tip: Don’t forget refueling in Mercedes. On the long way to Mendoza Mercedes is the last city with a petrol station beside the highway. If you don’t do that, you have to leave the highway in the city of San Luis or if you are sure about the fuel you have, you can go ahead until the village La Paz in Mendoza, some 120 km (72 miles) from the city of San Luis.

On the way to the city of San Luis you can see the wonderful thunderstorms of the Argentine Pampas. They were not very big, but they had deep black clouds and formed a lot of rainbows.

Photo: Thunderstorm with rainbow in the pampas of San Luis:

After the first thunderstorm once again we headed west, passing the Sierras of San Luis and the Capital of the Province of San Luis, the City San Luis.

Photo: Las Sierras of San Luis:

Province of Mendoza

At the border to the Province of Mendoza the highway changed back into a road and a border control awaits you.

A tip: Eat all the fruit that you transport. The limit between the provinces of San Luis and Mendoza is a fito sanitary barrier and it is not allowed to pass fresh fruits, etc. to Mendoza. They control all: Every suitcase, bag, cooling box. Everything! The reason is, that the Province of Mendoza is declared as free of the fruit fly and the Government protects its province. After some 22 kilometers (14 miles) we pass the village of La Paz. Here we find a petrol station to refuel, if you didn’t in Villa Mercedes or the city of San Luis. Right now the road changes back into a highway that leads us until the city of Mendoza.

As the night was coming up we arrived in Mendoza, were we stood in the Hotel “Cervantes” in Mendoza downtown.

It is very easy to find. Straight ahead from the end of the highway four blocks, a right turn into Avenida San Martin, three more blocks and another right turn into Amigorena Street and you see the Hotel “Cervantes” on the right hand beside the big YPF-Petrol station. The hotel has an own parking area and it is very comfortable, silent and offers a very good restaurant. And it is one stone’s throw away from “Paseo Sarmiento” (Pedestrian area), where you can go to shopping and you’ll encounter many restaurants with different cuisine to enjoy the city of Mendoza.

With its 2.780.403 km² (1,068,300 sq mi) Argentina is the 8 biggest country on the world. A state like Texas enters 4 times and a country like Germany enters 7.8 times into Argentina. In this big country live some 40 million habitants. Some 14 million of them are living in the region of Gran Buenos Aires and form a vibrant megacity at the shores of the Rio de la Plata.

Outside of Buenos Aires you feel the enormous dimensions of this country. Travelling is possible by air, by bus and car and in some cases by train.

Discover Argentina means you need time

If you really want to feel the dimensions of Argentina you have to discover this great nation by car, not in a hurry like in the Megacities of the world. No, take your time, soon you will learn cruising and enjoy the landscapes, the Pampa with the cows or the grain fields. In the western part before reaching the Andes the landscape changes into steppes and sometimes into desserts. In the north eastern part you will find the province of Misiones with its famous Falls of Iguacu and hundreds of other small waterfalls. In the south, in Patagonia, are the steppes. You drive kilometers and kilometers (miles and miles) and meet nobody. But it is beautiful to feel this cruising on the roads of Argentina.

As we know nearly all parts of this fantastic country of Tango, Soccer and Steaks, we started to prepare a series of articles to present you Argentina and the Patagonia.

Argentina – Its enormous extensions

View Extensions of Argentina in a larger map

The extensions of Argentina are enormous. From north to south 4300 km (2700 mi) and from east to west 1300 km (800 mi).

To travel from north to south, from La Quiaca at the border to Bolivia to the most southern city of the World, Ushuaia, Argentina offers three alternatives:

From east to west the distance from Buenos Aires to Mendoza is some 1080 km (674 mi), then you have to drive some 160 km (100 mi) more to the Chilean border. For this trip Argentina offers two alternatives:

1. Ruta 8 from Buenos Aires following the Pan-American Highway for a short way and then heading west passing several villages and cities as Pilar, Arrecifes, Pergamino, Venado Tuerto and Rio Cuarto and then passing Villa Mercedes, San Luis on Ruta 7/8 to Mendoza

2. Ruta 7 from Buenos Aires passing for Lujan, Junin, Rufino, Laboulaye, Vicuña Mackenna and then passing Villa Mercedes, San Luis on Ruta 7/8 to Mendoza

Travelling from Buenos Aires to the Falls of Iguacu means leaving Buenos Aires and heading north east. There are no alternatives:

• You only follow the “Ruta del Mercosur” some 1287 km (804 mi) on Ruta 9 to Zarate turning right on Ruta 12 and later on Ruta 14 passing the cities of Gualeguaychú, Concordia, Paso de los Libres and Posadas. Here you follow once more Ruta 12 to Port of Iguacu.

In the next article we will lead you first from Buenos Aires to Mendoza and then we head south into the northern part of Patagonia to show you some beautiful places.