On a trip to Argentina once we spend 1 week in Las Leñas, a ski resort in Argentina, located in the Mendoza Province, on the eastern side of the Andes Mountains.
After a two hour flight from Buenos Aires we arrived in Mendoza, a beautiful cosmopolitan city known for its sunny climate, tree-lined streets, wine and world-class restaurants. We made our way down to San Rafael, about 240 kilometers south from Mendoza where we spend the night and had one of the most memorable Asado dinners of our lives.
The next day we arrived in Las Leñas where we had a week of activities that this Ski resort offer in “Summertime”. On the second last day of our stay, we realized South Africa passport holders need a visa for Bolivia, our next destination (which were already booked and paid), so we called the Bolivian Consulate in Mendoza and we had to be there on the Friday before 2’clock in the afternoon.
On the Friday after breakfast, we packed our little red Suzuki fun and off we went. I as the navigator suggested to Pieter we take a shortcut to Mendoza as we were pressed for time and we have been and seen San Rafael. He reluctantly agreed and about a 100km before San Rafael we took a very nice dirt road north. A big tour bus went pass, heading for San Rafael. Initially all looked well, we saw some houses and a few people, until after about thirty kilometers when the road got narrower and we saw fewer houses and almost no more people. Pieter was quiet. I started to worry. After another thirty kilometers or so the road was now a mere two-track road, we saw no houses and there was not a soul in sight. It was very quiet in the car. It was now too late to turn back and the only way to the Bolivian Consulate in Mendoza was forward. At some point, soon after this, we found ourselves in a tunnel and then on a narrow but nice tarred road. Within seconds we realized we were on a dam wall, it was The Agua del Toro Dam on the Diamante River about sixty-three kilometers west of San Rafael. On the one side a sea of dark blue water and on the other a cliff of one hundred and twenty meters. Did I mention I have a fear of heights and water?
When Pieter stopped at the end of the bridge we realized we were on a road that was probably constructed for the dam builders. I navigated us to a dead end and we will now miss our appointment and our flight and trip to Bolivia. All gone because of a short cut. Luckily Pieter got us onto a narrow sort of road that looked like it could lead us out. I saw a picture in my mind of both of us dead at the bottom of the dam, where we will never be found. We will be missing forever. After all, who would look for us there, on this Shortcut road of mine in the middle of Argentina?
Well, we got out, left the dam behind, found the road, saw more people and houses and soon our spirits lifted and there were all of a sudden hope again for a holiday in Bolivia, a flight home and a life that didn’t end that day. After a while, we could see the main road from San Rafael and as luck will have it before we could turn on to the road, the tour bus from earlier full speed ahead to Mendoza. Probably with a stop-over in San Rafael for lunch. We did not gain anything with our short cut. I was not as clever as what I thought I was.
We did eventually made it for our appointment where the Head of mission himself (Mr Kruger) waited for us. We got our visas and flew to Santa Cruz via Buenos Aires the next day where a few “surprises” awaited us for the next seven days. Look out for more of my storytelling, where I will share more about it as well as other travel experiences we had.