Luján de Cuyo, Argentina

Pick up for my trip is at 7.30am and after a few more pickups the minibus is full and heads into the mountains. The sun is shining with clear blue sky, and it’s not as cold as I expected. We stop for a quick coffee in Upsallata which has long lines of autumn yellow coloured Popular trees that look stunning against the blue sky. These trees are used to protect crops from winds and Andes weather. We keep driving into the Pre Andes range. This area is one of the few points where you can drive through 3 lines of mountains as part of the Andes. 1. Pre Andes 2. Main range 3. Dividing range We drive through stopping for beautiful scenery and taking pictures. We see Tupungato the 2nd highest mountain and then catch a glimpse of Aconcagua. The highest peak at 6,961 metres outside of Asia. Our final stop is near the dividing range where you meet the Chilean border. We have a hearty beef stew and grilled chicken lunch here before taking the long drive back. I enjoy the mountains but it’s a lot of driving and after Patagonia I would have liked to have hiked a little to see more. I manage to get dropped at the bus station to get my ticket for tomorrow and then catch a taxi back to the house. Two girls have moved in and are heading for the hot springs tomorrow then wine tasting which sounds like fun, but time to move on!