How would one describe the Mendoza wine region?  It is huge for one thing and they produce a ton of wine- over 1000 wineries.  And of course virtually all produce Malbec.  But it kind of looks a little like Napa Valley meets Mexico, though that is not entirely fair.  By that I mean there are these beautiful modern, gleaming wineries and huge pretty vinyards, back dropped against the Andes, but often adjacent to run down places.  And often guards at the entrances.

Anyway, after touring the wineries for 2 days in my high powered rental car, I miraculously woke up in my hotel room the next day.  Early in the a.m.,  I jumped back in my 3 cylinder BMW wannabe (but definitely was not) and headed for Mt. Aconcagua, about 3 hours distant, high in the Andes and near the Chilean border.  Mt. Aconcagua (a mouthful) is, at over 22,000 ft, the highest mountain in the Americas and said to be the highest outside of the Himalaya.  Of course, i was not intending to hike it- a 10-14 day expedition- but wanted to hike to the first base camp at a little over 11,000.  A 3+ hour hike in.

The weather in Mendoza all 3 days I was there was cool and overcast and the Andes little seen.  This was very unusual for Mendoza which, I was told, was usually very hot and sunny this time of year.  So, when I left early that morning, the valley was covered by a fog and I could see nothing.  I was accordingly a little depressed as I and my rented car doggedly motored on (shockingly passing even slower moving trucks), but then I came over small ridge and...

Partly because I just emerged suddenly from the mist and it was such a surprise, it was one of the most breath taking scenes I had ever witnessed.

I did eventually get to the park and hiked to the Confluenza base camp.  The Andes look huge as you hike in.  I could see Aconcagua as I drove up, but the peak became obscured in clouds as I hiked.  Such has been my fate much of the time here, where I seem to carry clouds wherever I go.  Still for those would like an obscured view of this massive mountain-

A little more with a couple of better pictures later (have to go to dinner).