We drive from Mendoza south where the land is dry, flay, and not very interesting. You can see the Andes in the distance though and a few peaks that rose above the clouds. Tupungatu is the second highest peak on the continent, just 200 feet or so lower than Aconcagua and the glacier on top glowed above the clouds. Beautiful!
Fruit check and protesters - shortly after driving south from Mendoza we were stuck in a long line of cars barely moving. After crawling along for about 30 minutes we got to the problem. Inspectors from the Dept. of Agriculture were checking cars one by one for fruit or plants that could bring unwanted pests to southern Argentina. I bet some cars behind us waited for hours, very inefficient.
Some protesters used the opportunity to beat drums, chant, and hand out a flyer about the issue of agricultural problems. I guess Argentines are big on protests in the roads. It was a little scary wondering why everyone was being stopped but turned out to only be inconvenient.
We stopped in a tiny pueblo for lunch called 25 de May, just outside of San Rafael. Lunch was cooked by a sweet old mama and was delicious! Pork chops, salad, and french fries with real ketchup! Ive seen a few bicycle tourers which looks difficult here because towns are very far apart and it is hot or freezing and the wind can be brutal up high.
On the drive to Malargue (tourist town with lots of fly fishing) we spotted a salar, a salt lake. we saw piles of salt, some old machinery, and the guy working there. When it rains, the lake fills, the salt rises to the top. Then after it dries, they scrape a layer of salt off the lake with a machine, send it one wheelbarrow at a time thru a type of sieve to clean it, and send to the Diamante Salt plant for packaging for sale. Really interesting.
Other cool sightings...gauchos driving horses and then cattle across an old wooden bridge to graze (picture below). There were natural hot springs on the other side but the cowboy said we couldn't get to them now because the river was too high to cross. bummer. Beautiful there!
Lastly, hot springs resort (very simple) next to a beautiful blue-green river. Did not go, just looked. the picture shows the bridge over the river.
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