Day Three Hundred Sixteen: Three Restaurants in One Night

For our last night in Mendoza, we went looking for a special experience. We had heard about a rooftop restaurant at one of the hotels with amazing views of the city and the Andes in the distance. We arrived around 7:00, only to discover a sign that stated the restaurant didn't open until 8:30. (This is the normal time for restaurants to open for dinner here, but a few open earlier, and we took a chance.) Since it was a hotel where we have "gold" status, we went down to the front desk to ask if we could hang out in the member's lounge until the restaurant opened. That's when we learned that the restaurant was actually not opening at all tonight. We were still able to appreciate the amazing view and snap a few pics, but obviously dinner wasn't going to work out. Ruth remembered seeing what she thought was another rooftop restaurant at another hotel we passed on the way to this one, so we headed over there. When we arrived, the restaurant was open, but only for "Happy Hour." We decided to go ahead and have a drink so we could enjoy the lovely views of Mendoza from the patio. Lacking a Plan C, we just started walking in the direction of our house, knowing there are a million wonderful restaurants in the city and assuming we we would encounter one we wanted to try. Eventually, we came to Estanacia La Florencia, a restaurant we have passed by many times and which has always looked enticing. Third time's a charm, I guess, because they were open and serving dinner, and we were seated immediately. Everything was absolutely delicious, and it was a great way to spend our last night in Mendoza, even if it wasn't our first (or second) choice!

The view from Mirador, Restaurant Number One

The view from El Faro Bistro, Restaurant Number Two

Third Time's a Charm

Day Three Hundred Four: Tour Bus Backing Up a Mountain

We joined a tour group headed to Potrerillos Lake today. There were a couple of stops along the way, one of which was to see a Christ statue on a high hill overlooking the lake. And when I say "hill" I mean one of the foothills of the Andes, so not exactly a small one. When we got to the gravel road leading to the statue, the bus driver started heading up in reverse. The tour guide explained there was no way for the bus to turn around at the top, so this was the only way. The driver obviously knew what he was doing, but it was a little nerve-racking for the passengers, who couldn't see where we were going and only knew there seemed to be a pretty steep drop-off on one side. We made it to the top safe and sound to enjoy the lovely views, but it was definitely a new experience for me.

This picture doesn't really do justice to how steep or long the road was

The whole scene at the top of the hill

Day Two Hundred Eighty-Four: International Bus Trip

We arrived in Santiago, Chile last night and hopped on a bus bound for Mendoza, Argentina this morning. We have rarely traveled by bus and certainly not for long trips and especially not for international trips, but we wanted to have the opportunity to get a good look at the Andes, and we thought this was the best way to do it. The seven-hour ride passed very pleasantly and quickly, and the border stop was not difficult at all. It was quite a nice experience, and the scenery was absolutely breathtaking!

First international bus trip

The road through the Andes

Potrerillos Lake