Thanksgiving started with a 5:15 alarm to make the trip to Mt Aconcagua for some trekking. It’s the highest peak in the world outside of the Himalayas at close to 7000m. We met our guide for the day, Mario, and caught a quick cab to the bus station.
The bus was surprisingly nice. We were on the top floor of a double decker. The seats were plush and reclined way further than any coach airline seat. There were bathrooms on the bus (though we didn’t make use of them), and even a kitchen. We slept for most of the 4-hour ride.
We checked in with the park rangers and set off for Confluence Station. We started around 2900m and climbed for ~3 hours to 3400m. The altitude kicked our butts! Leena had some nausea and I had a killer headache, both early (and mild) signs of altitude sickness. We later learned that you should stay 2 days in the base town to acclimate before you start climbing. No time for that!
Mules cross a river by the trail:
We had a 4:30 bus to catch home, so we started down about 2p after lunch. We got back to the ranger station at 4:20 and learned that the return bus no longer stopped there, but stopped in town. We started down the highway on foot. It was all downhill, but after 20 minutes we weren’t even half way.
What if we miss the bus? Is there another today? Do we have to try and find a place in town? Mario started looking back every time a vehicle came down the highway. We all did. I didn’t know if we were looking for the bus (to try and convince it to stop?) or trying to hitch a ride. A police car comes into view, and Mario puts out a thumb. He stops. So here we are, hitching a ride on a main highway with the local police. Of course! He was super nice and dropped us at the bus stop. Even though we were 10 minutes late, the bus hadn’t arrived. It rolled in half an hour late – Argentina time!
As we get off the bus, Mario continues chatting with the girl he sat next to. They start exchanging info — I say to Leena, I think he got her number! Sure enough, he comes over with a big smile. He says her parents are Nepalese, but raised her in France. He has her number.