URUGUAY

Approaching Uruguay came with a bit of a headache.

While Deb and Pat were in Argentina's last town along the way they decided to spend the remainder of their pesos on groceries to avoid loosing a couple of bucks in a cash currency exchange.  They only came to this decision after asking a local butcher if their were any more tolls on the way to the border.  He shook his head "no" in a very certain manner.  Well, by now they should have known not to put too much faith into the word of a local, but they chose to anyway.  They drove the remaining 30 kilometers to the border, and after crossing a large bridge over the huge Rio Uruguay came to a hault at the gate of a toll booth with no cash.  They begged and pleaded, even offering to sell the man in the window a used cellphone for the price of the toll.  After exhausting all possible options, they reluctantly drove back to town and payed an ATM fee and the standard 3% to withdraw about US $5.00 in pesos.  They were very bitter over the situation and the waste of time and gas but returned to toll booth with cash in hand.  

The border itself was reasonably smooth except for being the first where they were denied passage with the full 5 gallon container of gasoline that they often carry in the back of their car when entering a country where the price of fuel is higher than the last.  But with the border official's permission, they somehow managed to squeeze almost all of it into the tank which was nearly full already.  And then it was "Hello Uruguay!" Their first night was spent in Nueva Palmira not too far from the border on the shore of the same massive river near its mouth.  In the morning they visited the towns of Carmelo and Colonia Del Sacramento, and by the afternoon they had made their way to Uruguay's capital Montevideo where they began the process of acquiring a visa for Pat to enter Brazil.  

They found the brazilian consulate downtown quickly and were prepared with all the necessary documents.  Ironically the consulate says all visas are free but there is a paper processing fee that varies in price depending on what nation the applicant is from.  Pat would have to pay the high price of about $160.00 being from the U.S.  They were eventually called to the window, and the lady working behind it collected all of Pat's documents, but after looking at his passport she insisted that he would need to have pages added to it in order for the consulate to insert a visa.  This frustrated them because Pat had deliberately saved the last page in his passport for this purpose and there were still a few additional spots left for stamps.  They asked the consulate worker "why?" and showed her the space, but she insisted with a raised voice that it wasn't sufficient.  They tried hard to persuade her but she became very angry, started yelling, and eventually stormed off out of sight into the office behind the window.  Soon after showing Pat's passport to some coworkers she returned pointing to some text written on the last page of the passport stating that this page was in fact reserved for purposes other than visas.  So they left disappointed and frustrated that they would indeed have to jump through more bureaucratic hoops and pay more money to red tape government agencies.  Not too far away they found the U.S. embassy where Pat could have pages added to his passport.  They entered the highly secured building and a man working inside explained that it was indeed the place to do what they needed to do, but they could only make an appointment by internet and not in person.  Frustrated once again, they left the building borderline anarchists.  Some free WiFi was encountered nearby, and to Deb and Pats' satisfaction their was an appointment slot available first thing in the morning.  

They celebrated with a curbside meal of bacon pasta next to a park near the beach.  Across the street they admired some window washers dangling from the top of a tall building.  When they reached the ground Pat struck up conversation and was interested to discover they were climbers like him.  Soon he and Debora were invited to a nearby climbing spot that afternoon where Mauricio and Nicolas (the two window washers/ climbers) were going to train some future employees.  They chose to join and enjoyed the experience.  Nicolas, was extremely kind in offering assistance and friendly company during Deb and Pat's stay in Uruguay, so they exchanged contact info.

The next morning pages were added to Pat's passport at the cost of about $80.00, and soon it was accepted by the brazilian consulate for a visa which would take 2 days plus the weekend to complete.  By noon Deb and Pat were on their way out of Montevideo driving east along the coast towards Punta Del Este.  They stopped at numerous towns and beaches along the way admiring beautiful scenery and diverse architecture.  A night was spent in Punta Del Este, and then they continued along the coast visiting more towns and beaches before eventually leaving the car parked for a night (without them inside it for a change) while they walked several miles to a unique town called Cabo Polonio.  Personal vehicles are prohibited in this small touristy colony, so it can only be reached by foot, or by riding in the large 4 wheel drive trucks that shuttle people to and from it for the cost of a few bucks.  Deb and Pat slept on the beach under a blanket after having some food and wine under a full moon.  After touring the colony and its attractions in the morning they returned to their car this time by shuttle.  

Next, following the advice of their new uruguayan friend Nicolas, they headed inland on both paved and dirt roads towards a little town called Arequita to check out its surrounding attractions.  There were nice creeks, cliffs, a river to swim in, and a very nice place to camp in their car amongst a grove of large trees for the night.  After leaving the area they completed their loop back to Montevideo.  After arriving they got in touch with their friend and spent the evening with him and his girlfriend drinking Grapamiel and some homemade wines of Nicolas's.  They slept in the car as usual and picked up Pat's visa the next day. 

Before heading out, they stopped by Nicolas's apartment to thank him for his generosity and were both surprised and pleased to accept his goodbye gift: a bottle of Grapamiel.  And off they went towards their final border crossing into Brazil.

ARGENTINA PART 2

Pouco depois de passar pela cidade fronteiriça Los Antiguos, Debora e Pat alcançaram Perito Moreno. De la começariam uma longa viagem em direçao ao sul por centenas de quilometros por terra pampa em estradas desoladas, com e sem pavimento. Mas antes, encheram os tanques de gasolina e, finalmente, trataram de lavar um monte de roupa suja que precisava ser lavada urgentemente. Na verdade, essa era somente a quarta vez que lavavam roupa em toda a viagem de 118 dias. A ultima vez tinha sidoi em Caracas, Venezuela, quase 7 semanas antes. Fizeram jantar na rua e como sempre subiram na traseira da pick-up para dormir.

Passaram o dia seguinte dirigindo por longas estradas planas, algumas com obstaculos, outras bem suaves, com pouca paisagem impressionante para contar, alem das guanacos passeando por pampa e um grande lago turquesa ao oeste. De repente, na distancia, comecou a emerger o lugar responsavel pela adiçao de toda essa distancia a jornada. "Essas sao as montanhas mais impressionantes que eu ja vi", testifica Pat, e olha que ele ja viu muitas. Fitz Roy, Cerro Torre e os outros picos de granito apareciam juntos a sua frente. Debora e Pat chegaram a El Chalten, localizada bem perto da base destes fantasticos picos, e ficaram empolgados por estarem em um lugar tao bonito. Surpreendentemente, o acesso por carro e caminhadas no parque nao custou nada. Havia abundante numero de areas de acampamentos "nao oficiais" na cidade, e, nas montanhas, acampamento era frequentemente gratuito. Isso realmente era a cereja no bolo de sua jornada.

Guanaquitos

Lago Cardiel, a little something in the middle of the pampa

Ficaram 4 noites em El Chalten, fazendo caminhadas todos os dias por natureza facilmente acessivel que cercava as enormes pontas de granito. Nessa epoca do ano os dias eram bem longos tendo luz ate depois das 22:00h. Durante sua estadia, os dois caminharam quase 45 quilometros observando rios, cachoeiras, lagos, glaciares e, logicamente, montanhas. Pat tambem levantou ao nascer do sol e caminhou para ter belas vistas iluminadas de Fitz Roy. Como nao tinham exercitado muito suas pernas nos ultimos meses, elas sofreram as consequencias, e mais de uma vez retornaram ao carro mancando. No ultimo dia, antes de irem dormir, tomaram banho nos chuveiros de uma hospedaria que entraram de mansinho.

 Fitz Roy mountain range

Cerro Torre

Lago Torre and Glaciar Torre

Melting fast

Lake and Fitz Roy

Tres Lagos

9 p.m.

Waterfall from snow melt

El Chorillo waterfall

Sunrise

De El Chalten foram ainda mais ao sul para uma cidade turistica chamada El Calafate, com uma parada no caminho para visitar um bosque petrificado. As coordenadas para o local so estavam disponiveis para quem faz um passeio guiado, entao decidiram procurar a pe por onde achavam que a atracao estaria. Eles desistiram depois de caminhar algumas horas sem encontrar o local especifico do bosque petrificado, mas nao de maos vazias. Pat acredita ter achado um osso pre-historico petrificado que poderia ate ter sido de um dinossauro. Depois disso veio El Calafate, onde uma multidao de turistas caminhava pelas ruas visitando lojas e restaurantes elegantes. A principal atracao perto dali era o enorme glaciar Perito Moreno que termina num lago gigante onde se baseia a cidade. Para poder ve-lo paga-se a entrada do parque que custa US $ 25,00 por pessoa. Tambem pode-se pagar mais para visitar o mesmo de barco e tambem ir aos glaciares vizinhos dali. Mas Debora e Pat foram maos-fechadas e nao fizeram nem um nem outro, saindo da cidade pela manha. Mais tarde descobriram que poderiam ter entrado de graca no parque se tivessem ido a noite, mas, as vezes se ganha e, as vezes, perde.

Ja que a bomba da direcao hidraulica ainda estava fazendo barulho e ja tinham furado o pneu duas vezes em estradas sem pavimento, prefiriram continuar dirigindo por estradas asfaltadas para retornar ao norte. Para isso, tiveram que dirigir cerca de 200 quilometros extras ao sudeste passando por uma cidade costaneira chamada Rio Gallegos. Esse foi o marco sul de sua rota e a sexta vez que cruzaram da costa do oceano Pacifico ate a do Atlantico. 

Depois de um dia e meio começaram a dirigir para o norte e depois noroeste onde teriam seu ultimo encontro com as montanhas andinas por tempo indeterminado. As vilas nas areas de esqui de Esquel, El Bolson, Bariloche e seus lagos vizinhos os mantiveram ocupados por uns dias antes de comecarem a sair do pais, dirigindo ao lado do Rio Negro. Muito dessa viagem foi cruzando terra pampa, seguida de deserto, seguido por areas de plantacoes, e, depois de dois dias, viram-se na fronteira da Argentina com o Uruguai, perto da confluencia de dois rios gigantes no norte de Buenos Aires.

Lakes by Bariloche

Rio Negro and Dedo de Dios (God's Finger)

Salt flats

DICAS

- Tente entrar de bicao em atracoes com mais voracidade.

TROUBLES

- O i-phone da Debora desapareceu do nada por razoes desconhecidas.

ARGENTINA PART 2

Not long after passing through border town Los Antiguos, they arrived in Perito Moreno from where they would head south for hundreds of kilometers through the pampa (plaines) on desolate paved and unpaved roads.  But first they fueled up, spare tank and all, and finally tended to a dirty heap of laundry desperately waiting to be washed.  In fact this was only the fourth time they had done laundry during the entire 118 day trip thus far.  The last occasion was in Caracas Venezuela almost 7 weeks prior.  They cooked a curbside dinner as usual and jumped in back of the truck for the night.  

The following day was spent on long flat roads, some bumpy and some smooth, with little exciting scenery to speak of other than some guanacos grazing in the roadside pampa and one large turquoise lake off to their right.  Then in the distance began to emerge the destination for which they chose to add these many extra miles to their drive.  Pat will testify, "they are the most impressive mountains I have ever seen," and he's seen quite a few.  Fitz Roy, Cerro Torre, and the other giant blades of granite towered straight ahead.  Debora and Pat rolled into the town of El Chalten, which sits close at the foot of the awesome peaks, and they were very excited to be in such a great place.  Amazingly there were no entry fees to drive or hike in the park.  In town free stealth car camping was abundant, and in the backcountry tent camping was often free.  This really felt like the cherry on the cake of their journey.

They stayed in El Chalten for 4 nights, hiking every day through easily accessible wilderness surrounding the enormous granite spires.  The days were long this time of year staying light past 10 p.m.  During their stay the two of them walked about 30 miles viewing creeks, waterfalls, lakes, glaciers, and of course the mountains.  Pat also awoke early twice to hike for sunrise views of Fitz Roy.  Having not been used much during the recent months, their weak legs suffered, and more than once they returned to the car limping.  On the last evening before going to bed, they poached a hot shower at one of the hostels in town.

From El Chalten they headed even further south towards touristy El Calafate, with one stop along the way to check out a petrified forest.  Directions to the geological site were unavailable without paying for a guided tour, so they chose to search by foot in the general area they knew it must be.  After walking for a few hours without locating the main spot they gave up, but they didn't leave empty handed.  Pat believes to have found a prehistoric petrified bone that could very well be from a dinosaur.  Next came El Calafate where hoards of tourists walked the streets visiting fancy stores and restaurants. The main attraction near El Calafate is viewing the huge glacier called Perito Moreno which spills into the giant lake by which the town resides.  To see it costs about $25.00 U.S. per person.  People can also pay more than this to view it by boat as well as other neighboring glaciers.  But Debora and Pat were much too cheap for either of these options, so they left in the morning.  Later they found out they could have snuck in at night to avoid paying the entry fee, but you win some you lose some.

Since the power steering pump was still wining and they had already gotten a couple flat tires on dirt roads in the past, they chose to stick to the pavement for their return to the north.  In order to do so, they had to drive a couple hundred extra kilometers southeastwardly towards the Atlantic coastal town called Rio Gallegos.  This marked the southernmost point along their route and their 6th crossing from the Pacific to Atlantic coast.  Over the next day and a half they made their way north and eventually westward once more for a final rendezvous with the Andes Mountains before they would say goodbye for who knows how long.  The ski towns Esquel, El Bolson, Bariloche and their surrounding lakes occupied them for a few days before they left driving away along the Rio Negro.  Long stretches were spent crossing pampa followed by desert followed by farmlands, and two days later they found themselves at Argentina's border with Uruguay near the confluence of two giant rivers north of Buenos Aires.  

TRICKS

- Try to poach harder.

TROUBLES

- Debora's i-phone has suddenly vanished by unknown reasons.

CHILE

Out the other end of the tunnel they drove, and now they were in Chile.  They took care of the necessary border paperwork at the aduana checkpoint next to Portillo ski resort and soon headed down the other side of the Andes towards Santiago.  On the way they bathed in a cold creek before dropping too low in elevation.  Santiago was enormous but had toll roads and underground tunnels which enabled them to rapidly navigate the city avoiding chaotic downtown traffic.  These roads were pricy to use but avoided a lot of headache.  Gas was also expensive, as were hotels and food, but one bonus here in Chile was the complete absence of police checkpoints.

Coming down into Chile

Quick dip 

Pat and Debora continued sleeping in the car and cooking their own meals to save money as they made their way south from Santiago.  The nights were comfortable and getting cooler day by day.  Easy to find, safe sleeping spots were available in almost any town.   The toll road which runs the length of Chile's northern region was fast and well maintained, though quite expensive, and along the way there were rest stops with free hot showers!  Yes, living out of their car in Chile was proving to be very nice.  Along their route they visited the surf town Pichilemu, drove by numerous wine vineyards, and saw lots of snowcapped mountains and volcanoes to the east as they neared the beautiful town of Puerto Varas.  One major regret along the way however, was passing by an easily accessible waterfall off the roadside called Saltos De Lajas.

Punta Lobos, Pichilemu

Puerto Varas

They spent a night in Puerto Varas, and even put a few bucks into some slot machines at the casino in hopes of increasing their dwindling budget.  In the morning they made their way to nearby Puerto Montt where they began searching for options to navigate Chile's southern half.  From this point on, dirt roads and ferries were the only available options for navigating the region by car, and there are numerous ways to combine these modes of transportation.  Debora and Pat decided to take a cheap and quick ferry from Pargua to Chacao on the Isla Grande De Chiloe, drive the length of the island visiting fishing villages and points of interest along the way, and then load their car onto a small ship headed from Quellon to Puerto Chacabuco.  From Puerto Chacabuco they would drive along La Carretera Austral for the remainder of their time in Chile before crossing back into Argentina.  And so they did.

The first ferry was cheap and fast

The second ferry not so much

Once the car was loaded onto the ship in Quellon, it left the dreary port at dusk and began its 30 hour journey through the maze of islands and canals.  Deb and Pat slept a few hours in their seats and on the floor of the passenger area during the night, and in the morning they awoke surrounded by lush costal mountains lined with cascades pouring into the ocean.  The ship spent all day winding its way through island channels past small villages and distant mountaintop glaciers in the clouds.  Just after dark they docked at Puerto Chacabuco and unloaded.  

Very remote village

Pat on the bow

Covered peaks

They slept in the car not far from the port, and in the morning headed towards Coihaique, the largest town in the region.  There were dank forests, gushing rivers, and beautiful waterfalls along the way.  After passing through Coihaique, they entered more attractive scenery, and upon rounding one corner, suddenly encountered an especially gnarly looking mountain called Cerro Castillo.  Pat's mouth watered at the sight of jagged spires and steep snow filled chutes with which the central peak was ridden.

Back on land

Cascade 

A different cascade

Cerro Castillo

Just a few kilometers further down the road the asphalt turned to dirt and remained so for several hundred remote kilometers to come.  They drove through forests, past little lakes, and along big glacial rivers, eventually reaching the enormous glacial turquoise lake called Gral. Cabrera (aka: Lago Buenos Aires in Argentina).  They continued for many kilometers following its shore and spent one night in the car about half way along.  By afternoon the next day after passing another amazing lake called Laguna Verde they reached a town called Chile Chico next to the border with Argentina.  They patched a flat tire which had been punctured during the last few miles of the journey, and bought some groceries with their remaining Chilean pesos.  Then crossed into Argentina for the second time.

Glacial river

Countdown to start cooking

Lake Gral. Cabrera 

Very long and beautiful lake Gral. Cabrera 

Stunning Laguna Verde near Chile Chico

TRICKS

- Take advantage of the rest areas.

TROUBLES

- Expensive tolls and the most expensive gas so far.

CHILE

Chegaram do outro lado do tunel e agora estavam no Chile. Fizeram a papelada necessaria para cruzar a fronteira na imigracao e aduana perto da estacao de esqui Portillo e logo continuaram descendo pelo ocidente andino em direcao a Santiago. No caminho banharam-se num riacho frio antes que estivessem em altitude muito baixa. Santiago era enorme, mas tinha estradas ao redor e tuneis que permitiram a passagem rapida pela cidade evitando o trafego de carros do centro. Estas estradas tinham pedagios caros, mas evitaram bastante dor de cabeca. Gasolina tambem estava cara, assim como hoteis e comida, mas uma vantagem no Chile foi a completa ausencia de inspecoes policiais.

Pat e Debora continuaram dormindo no carro e cozinhando suas proprias refeicoes para economizar dinheiro. As noites foram confortaveis pois cada dia o ar ficava mais e mais fresco. Tambem havia lugares seguros para dormir faceis de achar em quase todas as cidades. A rodovia paga na parte norte do Chile era rapida e bem mantida, apesar de cara, e pelo caminho havia pontos de descanso com chuveiro quente de uso gratuito! Sim, viver no carro pelo Chile estava provando ser muito bom. Pelo caminho visitaram a cidade de surfe Pichilemu, dirigiram por inumeros vinhedos e avistaram muitas montanhas e vulcoes cobertos de neve no este conforme aproximaram-se da cidade Puerto Varas. Uma coisa que se arrependeram de nao ter feito foi parar para visitar as cascatas Saltos de Lajas de facil acesso pela estrada que dirigiram.

Passaram a noite em Puerto Varas e ate apostaram alguns dolares no cassino local com esperancas de aumentar sua renda cada vez mais escassa. De manha foram a cidade portuaria Puerto Montt para pesquisar opcoes de como chegar a regiao sul do pais. Dali em diante as unicas opcoes disponiveis eram dirigir por estradas de terra e/ou ir de barco, e ha muitas formas de combinar esses meios de transporte. Debora e Pat decidiram tomar uma balsa rapida e barata de Pargua ate Chacao na Isla Grande De Chiloe, dirigir ate o sul da ilha, visitando vilas de pescadorese e pontos de interesse no caminho, e carregar seu carro num barco indo de Quellon ate Puerto Chacabuco. Do Puerto Chacabuco dirigiriam pela Carretera Austral o resto do caminho antes de cruzar de volta a Argentinha; e isso fizeram.

Assim que puseram o carro dentro do barco em Quellon, deram adeus a chuvosa e escurecida cidade portuaria e comecaram sua jornada de 30 horas por passagens entre ilhas e canais. Dormiram algumas horas deitados em seus assentos e chao do setor de passageiros comum e despertaram rodeados por verdes montanhas costeiras com cachoeiras caindo sobre o oceano. O barco passou o dia todo navegando e fazendo caminho por canais de ilhas, pequenas vilas e glaciares escondidos por nuvens nos topos das montanhas. Assim que a noite caiu chegaram a doca do Puerto Chacabuco onde desembarcaram. Dormiram no carro perto dali e pela manha partiram em direcao a Coihaique, a maior cidade da area. Havia florestas humidas, rios fartos e belas cachoeiras pelo caminho. Depois de passar por Coihaique entraram numa area de belos cenarios, e ao fazer uma curva, depararam-se com uma montanha especialmente radical chamada Cerro Castillo. Pat ficou babando com a visao dos picos afiados, trilhas e descidas imponentes da montanha coberta por neve.

Apenas poucos quilometros depois a estrada asfaltada deu lugar a uma de terra e pedras a centenas de quilometros por vir. Dirigiram por florestas, pequenos lagos e, seguindo grandes rios de agua glacial, finalmente chegaram ao gigante lago de agua glacial turquesa Gral. Cabrera  (chamado Lago Buenos Aires do lado argentino). Continuaram por muitos quilometros mais, seguindo sua costa, e acamparam no carro na metade do lago. Na tarde do dia seguinte, depois de passarem por outro lago lindissimo chamado Laguna Verde, chegaram a Chile Chico perto da fronteira com a Argentina. Remendaram uma perfuracao no mesmo pneu danificado previamente, que ocorreu durantes os ultimos quilometros da jornada e fizeram compras com o que sobrou dos pesos chilenos. Depois, adentraram a Argentina pela segunda vez.

DICAS

- Faca bom proveito das areas de descanco.

DESCABELOS

- Pegagios caros e gasolina mais cara ate o momento.

ARGENTINA 1

Debora e Pat chegaram a fronteira da Bolivia com a Argentina perto da cidade Yacuiba ao meio-dia e tudo estava indo bem ate que foi requerida prova de seguro de carro com cobertura na Argentina. Sendo um pais que obriga o motorista fazer seguro de carro, esse foi o primeiro a nao ter seguradora disponivel nas imediacoes da aduana. Como a permissao de importacao de veiculo na Bolivia ja havia sido cancelado  e seus passaportes estampados, decidiram deixar o carro estacionado na aduana argentina e procurar por seguradoras a pe. Depois de perguntar a oficiais da fronteira e residentes locais, alem da opcao de ir ate a cidade Salta localizada a centenas de quilometros dali, descobriram a possibilidade de haver seguradoras de ambas nacionalidades por perto . Depois de tomar taxis pelas redondezas tanto do lado argentino quanto do lado boliviano em busca de seguradoras, descobriram que nao havia seguro disponivel para veiculos estrangeiros, somente para veiculos argentinos e bolivianos. Assim, parecia que estariam em maus lencois. Tentaram uma vez mais mostrando o seguro que compraram na Colombia, mas nao funcionou. O oficial da aduana que ja os tinha atendido antes estava incredulo da situacao dos viajantes. Depois disso foram a uma casa de internet para procurar um seguro que pudessem comprar online. Encontraram um oferecido pela empresa Clements Insurance que provia seguro de autos para ex-patriotas americanos em muitos paises, incluindo Argentina. Poderiam comprar um plano por US$ 180,00, mas tudo o que queriam naquele momento era uma prova impressa com os dados do carro que pudessem levar a aduana e poder passar com o carro pela fronteira e dirigir ate Salta onde comprariam o seguro "oficial" mais apropriado e barato. Debora preencheu o campo com o numero de seu cartao de credito, mas teria que clicar no botao SUBMETER antes de conseguirem uma pagina para imprimir. "Ops", ela clicou. Imprimiram o atestado  do seguro que nao parecia muito oficializado e minutos depois escreveram para Clements por email para que por favor desconsiderassem seu pedido de seguro explicando o "acidente" e pedindo um reembolso. Eles nao se sentiram bem ao fazer isso, mas apelaram a essas medidas desesperadas porque a unica outra opcao seria dirigir centenas de quilometros de volta a Bolivia. Ao voltarem a aduana, o mesmo funcionario estava la e ao olhar o papel, suas expressoes faciais nao pareciam muito prometedoras. Ele mostrou o documento a outro funcionario para ver o que achava. Pareciam nao saber, e as coisas nao estavam parecendo muito boas. Mas um novo funcionario entrou na sala pronto para comecar seu turno. para a sorte de Debora e Pat. Ele recebeu o papel e ignorou qualquer falta de similaridade com o seguro que provavelmente sempre recebiam ali, aceitando-o e dando aos viajantes a permissao para entrar com o veiculo na Argentina. O proximo passo era passar pela inspecao do carro que foi atraves de uma maquina de raio-X impressionantemente grande e depois disso era so partir para a viagem. Essa definitivamente conta como a fronteira mais longa a ser cruzada por eles (sem incluir os tramites de envio maritimo pelo Darien) durando mais de 7 horas.

Na manha seguinte, engatinharam para fora de sua cama na traseira do carro que estacionaram em Tartagal, nao muito alem da fronteira, e partiram em direcao a Salta. Houve muitas paradas de fiscalizacao de narcotraficos pelo caminho feito por policiais impertinentes. Em Salta acharam seguro de carro que custou cerca de US $ 150,00 e que cobriria Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguai, Argentina, Chile, Uruguai e Brasil por 4 meses. Eles tambem pesquisaram as opcoes para consertar a direcao hidraulica que comecara a falhar, mas a parte do carro Toyota Tacoma fabricado nos E.U.A. nao estava disponivel. Outras tarefas do dia incluiram compras de supermercado e comprar uma lampada para a luz traseira do carro que estava queimada. Antes de escurecer ja etavam de volta a estrada em direcao as terras de plantacao argentinas. 

Os proximos 2 dias cruzando o norte do pais foram por areas calidas e planas. Dirigiram longas distancias por fazendas de plantacoes e criacao de gado, que tornaram-se em deserto seguido por amplos vinhedos ao se aproximarem de Mendoza. As tres noites seguintes dormiram no carro suando num calor insuportavel, Pat e Debora descobriram que as longas siestas toda tarde permite que argentinos festejem noite a dentro todos os dias da semana, e causa noites barulhentas. Isso fez com que fosse ainda mais dificil de dormir. Alem de tudo isso, Debora ja nao falava com Pat ha mais de um dia por causa de uma briga por causa de navegacao na cidade de San Miguel de Tucuman. Mas ao aproximarem-se de Mendoza as coisas comecaram a melhorar. Entraram nas bases das montanhas andinas na saida da cidade e encontraram um rio popular para relaxar e mergulhar em suas aguas refrescantes.  Ali cozinharam um macarrao delicioso que foi acompanhado por uma garrafa de vinho barato.

Refreshing dip

O ar noturno estava fresco, entao puderam dormir bem. De manha, dirigiram mais alto em direcao ao topo da cordilheira e fronteira com o Chile. Pelo caminho avistaram Aconcagua ( montanha mais alta de toda a America do Sul), e depois de algum quilometros descendo pela estrada, entraram no longo tunel que permitiria a passagem ate o Chile.

Aconcagua 

DICAS

- Certifique-se em fazer seguro de carro em uma cidade grande antes de chegar a fronteira.

- Nao conte com os turnos regulares das 9:00 as 17:00. Lugares geralmente fecham entre 13h e 18h dependendo de quanto tempo precisam para tirar suas siestas.

- Nao desista quando o assunto e conseguir cruzar fronteiras. Funcionarios publicos gostam de dizer NAO mesmo sem ter certeza das coisas, por isso insista ate cança-los.

- Vinho barato na Argentina.

DESCABELOS

- Barrados na fronteira por mais de 7 horas.

- Calor insuportavel para dormir no carro.

- Tudo começou a ficar carissimo incluindo hospedaria, comida e gasolina.

- Nao ter chuveiro disponivel.

ARGENTINA 1

Debora and Pat arrived at Bolivia's border with Argentina near the town of Yacuiba mid-day, and all went well until they were asked to present proof of car insurance covering the vehicle in Argentina.  For a country that required insurance to drive, this was the first that didn't offer it right there at the border.  With the Bolivian vehicle import permit already canceled and passports stamped, they decided to leave the car parked at the gate and search by foot for insurance.  After asking border officials and locals, without traveling hundreds of kilometers to Salta in Argentina, they found out about some offices in the border towns on both sides that would possibly provide the coverage.  After some taxi rides around town in both countries, they discovered that there were no insurance plans available to foreign vehicles, only those from either Argentina or Bolivia.  So they were apparently screwed.  They made another attempt by showing an insurance card they had purchased in Colombia, but it wasn't accepted.  The familiar aduana official was becoming very skeptical of their situation.  Next they walked to an internet store and searched for an insurance plan they could buy online.  They found one offered by a company called Clements in the U.S. that offered such coverage to ex-pats in many countries including Argentina.  They could get a plan for the cost of $180, but all they wanted at the moment was a printable statement that would get them through the border and across the relatively short distance to Salta where they could find a more suitable plan at a better price.  Debora's credit card number was entered into the system, but she would have to press submit before they would have something to print.  "Whoops" she pressed it.  They printed out a marginally official looking statement of their insurance plan, and minutes later they wrote to Clements by email explaining their "accident" and the need to cancel the policy immediately for a refund.  They didn't feel good about it, but they resorted to these desperate measures because the only other option was to drive hundreds of miles back into Bolivia.  When they returned to the aduana window the same official was there, and as he looked at the paper, the expressions on his face weren't promising.  He passed the document to some coworkers to see what they thought.  Heads were shaking.  It didn't look good.  But then, to Debora and Pat's luck,  up walked a new official ready to start his shift.  The paper was passed to him, and after shrugging his shoulders at remarks from his predecessor, he issued the vehicle import permit for Argentina.  Next came the car inspection by an impressively large x-ray machine, and then they were ready to drive onward.  It was officially their longest border crossing (aside from the Darien Gap) lasting more than 7 hours.

The next morning they climbed out from their bed in the back of the car, which was parked on the streets of Tartagal not far from the border, and they headed for Salta.  There were a number of narcotics check points along the way with nuisance policemen.  In Salta they found an insurance plan costing about $150 that would cover the car for 4 months in the countries of Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Brazil.  They also investigated the possibility of replacing their power steering pump which had begun to fail, but such a part for their U.S. made Toyota Tacoma was not available.  Other errands included grocery shopping and buying a new light bulb for their broken tail light.  Before dark they were back on the road heading south through the farmlands of Argentina. 

The following 2 days spent crossing the northern region of the country were hot and flat.  They drove long distances through farmlands and cattle grazing country, which turned into dry desert, followed by expansive wine vineyards as they approached Mendoza.  All three nights in the car were miserably hot and sweaty, and Pat and Debora learned that long siestas away from work every afternoon enabled Argentineans to party into the wee hours of the night every day of the week, which made for loud and noisy streets.  This further hindered their ability to sleep.  On top of all this, Debora had stopped talking to Pat for more than a day after a fight over navigation in the city of San Miguel De Tucuman.  But as they rolled into Mendoza things began to change.  They headed into the foothills of the Andes outside of town and found a popular riverbank hangout where they took a dip in the refreshing water and cooked a delicious pasta meal accompanied by cheap wine.  

The nighttime air was cool and fresh, so they slept well.  In the morning they drove higher towards the crest of the range and the border with Chile.  Along the way they viewed Aconcagua (the tallest mountain in Earth's southern hemisphere), and a few kilometers down the road they entered the long tunnel granting passage into Chile. 

TRICKS

- There is no car insurance provided on the borders for international cars so make sure to get it at a big city before hand.

- Don't count on having the regular shifts 9-5 you find in most places. Here places were usually closed from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. depending on how long they needed their siestas for.

- Don't give up when it comes to making it across the borders. Staff like to say "no" even if they aren't sure about something, so insist until you win them over.

- Cheap wine in Argentina.

TROUBLES

- Stuck at the border for over 7 hours.

- Too hot at night to sleep well in the car.

- Everything started getting very expensive including hostels, food and gas.

- Not being able to shower.