Friday, March 22 – transit from Santiago to Mendoza, Argentina

The flight to Mendoza is a little less than one hour. The cost of the round trip was $180. There is also a bus option for about half the price, and it’s supposed to be a beautiful trip through the Andes, but it takes about seven hours, with possible additional delays at the border. So, due to my short window, I went with the plane. I discovered during my online check-in that LATAM had automatically assigned me to their premium seating section.With all the flights I’ve taken I must have achieved some new frequent flyer status. Bonus! Too bad this round trip is my last booking with them!

Mendoza is known for their wine and food. So, as this is the last stop on my journey, we’ll call this the Wine Down of my adventure! I picked a B&B with great reviews, at a cost of $59/night.

Saturday, March 23 – Mendoza

The day started out with a leisurely morning. I had three visits scheduled for the late morning and afternoon. First was a short taxi ride to an olive oil factory called Laur. Next, I walked across the street to a winery named Carina E. Finally, another short taxi ride to the winery Carmelo Patti, where Carmelo himself was there to supervise the generous tasting menu (which was free – my favorite word!). From there it was a 30 minute walk back to my B&B.

Sunday, March 24 – Mendoza

Today the B&B arranged a couple winery tours for me. Unfortunately, things went rather awry. These wineries were further away and specific taxi service was reserved. However, upon arrival at the first stop, the fare quoted by the driver was three times what I was told it would be by the B&B! On top of that, the start time I was told for the tour was not correct. I was rather annoyed by this combination of events, so I just blew off the tours and went back to the B&B. I must say though, that as far as I can recall, this is the first screwed up day of my 11 week trip. So, I really can’t complain too much. And I partly blame myself for this too, as I could have done more work to organize the day, rather than relying solely on the B&B’s input.

Each night the B&B serves a totally baked from scratch dinner (including the bread) for the guests who request it (cost: $22). I had reserved a dinner for tonight, and now hoped it would help salvage the day. The dinner ended up being for me and a lovely couple from Buenos Aires. It was a delicious meal with good conversation. What started out as a bad day turned into a nice ending.

Monday, March 25 – transit from Mendoza to Santiago

The one-way transit cost to and from the airport in Mendoza was $17. The flight today is international, but there wasn’t a need to get to the Mendoza airport very early, as it’s a pretty small place.

In Santiago, I’m staying at the same airport hotel as last week. The cost is $75/night (incl breakfast and airport transfers) for two nights, but I had earned a free night from Hotels.com, so I used it here.

Tuesday, March 26 – Santiago Airport Hotel

and now, the end is near…

Today is a day of relaxation before I head back to the States tomorrow.

Random Thoughts…

Favorite Part of the Trip: I would say meeting so many friendly and interesting people has been the best part of this journey. That includes fellow travelers, locals, and those that are part of the tourism industry. Of course, seeing all of the amazing places of this continent was also a joy!

Least Favorite Part of the Trip: Early morning wake ups! Whether is was to catch a flight, take an excursion, or view the sunrise, it was painful! That being said, each alarm resulted in a worthy conclusion! Runner-up: Taxi drivers!

Step Count Update: As of yesterday, my total step count for the trip stood at 1,094,990. The average per day is 14,408. The maximum day was 28,062 in Iguazu Falls. The minimum was 1,986 on a lazy day in La Paz.

I pretty much used everything that I packed, which makes me feel good! And I only lost one thing – a sock!

When I was originally thinking about this trip I figured a budget of $200/day, all-in. With the only bookings remaining being a night’s hotel in Chicago and a bus ride to Madison, it looks like I’ll come in comfortably below that. And when you take into account the money I saved by being away from home (canceled internet/cable, reduced gas/electric, no groceries, no fuel, suspended health club membership, etc.), I’ll be well under the budget. Nice! And as I’m sure you’ve noted, probably 1/3 of the cost of this journey was two trips – Galapagos and Easter Island.

I have now had the privilege to visit 66 countries*. I feel fortunate to have had the means and opportunity to experience the great diversity of people and cultures that exist on this beautiful planet. It’s also humbling to know that but for the incredible luck of being born in the United States, I never would have had this opportunity. How many more countries will I visit? Hard to say, but I know I’m going to keep it up as long as I have the funds and health to do so. And there’s so much more to see (as you’ll note in the list below)!

*Country count based on those recognized by the United Nations. So, I’ve been to England, Scotland, and Wales, but that is only one country – the United Kingdom. Same goes for Martinique (not a country, part of France), St. Croix (U.S.), and Easter Island (Chile). On the other hand, I’ve been to Vatican City, which is considered a country. I only count countries in which I’ve spent significant time. For example, when I visited the Golden Triangle, I spent a few hours in Laos, but I didn’t count that. And I absolutely do NOT count airport layovers!

Percentage of Countries on Each Continent Visited

• Europe: 54%
• South America: 50%
• Asia: 44%
• North America: 39%
• Oceania: 14%
• Africa: 6%
• Antarctica: 0%

Tomorrow I fly to Chicago, and then take the bus to Madison on Thursday. So, this will likely be the last Journal Entry for my trip. I’ve had a blast doing it, hopefully you’ve enjoyed following along. Thank you so much to all of you who have provided comments, or sent me emails and texts. As a solo traveler, it was especially meaningful to hear from you!

Until my next journey…