Santiago to Mendoza

Today we make the ride over the mountains into Mendoza,  also known a Malbec Mecca!
The journey is expected be about 8 hours depending on the border crossing.  Get ready to be turned into a pretzel sitting on a bus for that long. 
Wait... this ride is cometely pimped out.  The bus has lounge chairs that rival the most comfy Lazy boy.  Nice and puffy,  leg rest,  almost full recline.  This is bus livin'. 
After we leave the Santiago city limits, we are quickly heading up into the ragged slopes of the Andes. Snow capped peaks,  winding switchbacks,  breath taking views of  burnt out wreckage of identical buses and eighteen wheelers.  Yikes,  these slopes are steep.
We get to the border crossing around noon,  there a several buses ahead of us.  We are told to stretch our legs for about 15 mins while the other buses pass through the check point.  This suggests that the crossing is pretty standard and not too complicated.  Oh,  my was I wrong.  We get out to walk around a bit.  Holy mole,  is it cold.  I guess I didn't translate the snow capped view into a  minus temperature with a wind chill factor.  Brisk! We get back on the bus only to drive 50 feet into the border crossing building, and get out of the bus again.  This is where it turns into a Disneyland ride queue, without Mickey to entertain us.  Every time you think you have made it to the actual entrance,  you turn the corner to find another queue.  We are lined up according to our seat number in one line to go through the 'exit Chile' booth.  As we shuffle through that piece,  we are then lined up to another booth,  which allows us to enter Argentina.  All this time,  standing in a wind tunnel of mountain fresh air.  One of my tour mates begins to self diagnose himself with altitude sickness.  He is checking his heart rate and pulse.  After the paperwork,  we are back on the bus to drive another 50 feet to baggage control.  Off the bus again.  This time with all belongings and the luggage is coming off for x ray.  We are directed to open our hand luggage so they can take a look.  It was very cursory,  but my clementines sadly didn't make the cut.  Our other bags make it through x ray,  and we board the bus again; only two hours gone!
A few more hours switch backing down the mountains and we arrive in Mendoza.  Our tour guide recommends we use a parallel market to exchange money into Argentinian pesos.  This means you walk around the main streets looking for a big dude who is offering "change" . We give it a try,  and make some of the best financial exchanges any of us have ever had.  Whoo hoo for the parallel market.  We have a nice meal and head back to a nice hotel where I get a king size bed.  I am the only solo female,  so get to have a room to myself.  Sweet. 
Tomorrow we start our exploration of the wine country.  I'm a happy chappie!