Central Argentina (Ruta 40) Wrap-up

The Great : Talampaya National Park. The Talampaya canyon walls rise up 143 meters high and contain some amazing rock formations (the Gothic Cathedral). It was definitely the highlight of our trip in Central Argentina (Ruta 40).

The Hidden : The walk at the base of Aconcagua. Ania and I were happy to discover that there is a nice trail open all year long near the mountain of Aconcagua. The trail is well worth it and it also provides the best opportunity to take pictures of Aconcagua.

The Overrated : The city of Mendoza. Ania and I saw a presentation on Argentina at the Grands explorateurs two years ago that made us salivate. Mendoza in particular was portrayed as an incredible city with beautiful gardens and great wine culture. Ahh the power of images and words. Our disappointment couldn’t have been greater. Mendoza suffered a terrible earthquake in 1861 which leveled most of the city, so that explains that most buildings are new. However, the rebuilt city looks so bland and uninspiring. Moreover, much to our dismay, Mendoza is plagued by a very high level of insecurity with robberies being the most banal thing in town. Mendoza ended up disappointing us - a lot.

The Ugly : Insecurity in Mendoza. We discovered that insecurity extends to pretty much all cities in Argentina. Our friend Mariana had her car broken in almost as many times as she had birthdays in her life. Entire city blocks need to be avoided between sunset and sunrise. Every Mendozean we spoke with told us that taxis are the only way to move around town and are essential to avoid meeting the wrong crowd. We were supposed to rest in Mendoza but I found myself restless at the thought that every outing with our new camera might be our last one. Argentina is much more pleasant outside of cities. How unfortunate.