Sunday morning saw me lying in bed whatsapping (texting) Alison telling her I had about 20mins before I had to be ready to leave, with 7 mins to go we were still chatting until I suddenly realised I was in bed and my bus was leaving in 57 mins so I had better get a move on! Thank god our host Fede was so sweet and had offered us a lift so I literally pulled my clothes on and threw my backpack into his KA! (All the best people have driven KA's at some point in their life, I know Samantha will agree with me).
At 9am when our bus pulled away I was grateful as the crossing between Argentina and Chile had been shut for the past few months due to snow so at least we were on our way. The drive to the crossing through the Andes was lovely.
When we arrived at the border there was snow everywhere and my choice of footwear was seeming like a mistake....my usual flipflops! So I pulled on my hoodie and braced myself to be told to exit the bus....10 minutes went by and it appeared that nothing was happening, we were not moving neither were we being instructed to get off the bus!
30 minutes went by and the heating must have been cranked up as I needed to now take off my hoddie and the older lady behind me was coughing her guts up even more so than on the 3 hour drive to the border. At this moment I thought of my brother Peter and if he had been here right now he would not be impressed with how many germs this lady was spreading around the hot bus.
1 hour passed and still no movement but I have been served a 5 day out of date piece of think, dry bread with ham and something that is meant to be cheese but is tasteless in it, which I proceed to eat as travellers cannot be picky when given free food.
90 minutes and I am still sitting there on a bus full of people speaking Spanish until now when 3 America students on their semester abroad stand up and have a really loud conversation in the aisle, which is excellent as it allows me to eavesdrop and be entertained for the next 30 minutes!
Around the 2 hour mark we are instructed to get off the bus and line up next to it, by this point although I was standing in the snow in flip flops I was just happy to be off the bus and it surprisingly wasn't cold.
After several lines and more waiting I finally got my passport stamped! Or so I thought....when I looked down yes it had been stamped but only for my exit out of Argentina, I was now being instructed to get into another line to get my stamp into Chile! More waiting!
We were instructed to get back on the bus, which then proceeded to drive 25m (honestly no more than the length of a swimming pool) where we were again waiting before being told to get off with our hand luggage. We all lined up inside a room with our bags open on a table. Then our suitcase and big bags were all being taken off the bus and put through the scanners in front of us!
Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse....yes you've guessed it....my bag goes through he scanner and the woman starts signalling for it to be taken to one side! I have to then wait for the whole bus' bags to be scanned and reloaded onto the bus while mine and about 5 others are on a separate table. We are called over and told to open our bags! What a nightmare I have 10 months of clothes for 3 different continents I am expected to unpack! Luckily it wasn't too bad!Finally back on the coach after 4 hours at the border, in what only can be described as the most inefficient and badly organised crossing of any border i have ever encountered, and we are on our way into Chile.
We start with an absolutely insane drive down the mountain with several hairpin turns and I was extremely grateful I had taken my travel sickness pills.
Once at the bottom we continue to drive through the Andes and I was blown away by the difference from the rocky side in Argentina to the lush, green mountains on the Chilean side. There were cactus, wild chickens, llamas and the greenest grass I have ever seen! I felt pretty excited to be spending the next 6 weeks exploring this country.