Back to Argentina

heading for the first time over the Chilean-Argentinian border near Santiago de Chile. here the road fully parked with trucks which we would have to take to reach Argentina. will we ever make it?

Last Tuesday the border pass between Santiago (Chile) and Mendoza (Argentina) was finally reopened after 5 days closing due to snow falls. We started hitchhiking around 10:30am, hoping to get in one of the 3000 trucks waiting on the Chilean side to pass to Argentina. All truck drivers passing us would just rise their shoulders, shake their head, or tip with their right hand on top of their left shoulder, which meant police checkpoints ahead. We finally got about 25 km before the border, but at that point there were no trucks left. The road was empty, but we were lucky. Two military officers brought us right to the border, showing us “el caracol” (the snail) – a road with 32 curves leading up to the border packed with all the trucks we had missed. With a Pax form, which we got at the police department, we were let to hitchhike, and surprisingly fast we found two Argentinians who brought us right in front of our friend’s door in Mendoza. At 6:30 pm we arrived, and an hour later entered Bernardo’s and Sol’s house, who are brother and sister of our friend Cristobal from Santiago. We feel great here, and are currently looking for a place to stay a bit longer. We need a rest, time to work, and a plan of how to arrange our work and private life during traveling. A new big challenge.