Mission Chile: Impossible

I thought that maybe I could turn all the impossible situations in my life right now into some kind of running column. So I already discussed the impossibility of learning spanish here. Now i want to talk about the impossibility of crossing the border into Chile, and thus renewing our visas. The failure of Mission Chile means only one thing: rapid deportation. Failure is not an option.

As many of you know, it is nearly impossible to obtain a work visa in Argentina. The government is highly opposed to work visas for foreigners because they require a lot more paperwork. At least that is the main reason as far as I can figure. So we are living (and working) here on 3-month tourist visas. In short, this means we must leave Argentina every 90 days in order to continue living here. This necessity certainly informed our decision of where to live. Bs. As. is just a boat ride away from Uruguay; Mendoza just a few miles from Chile. These are by far the easiest exit points for visa renewals. However, when we chose Mendoza/Chile, we stupidly failed to factor in one small detail: our visas were due to expire at the end of July (the absolute dead of winter here), and we had to cross over the highest mountain range in South America. Hmmmm.... a bad move for which we are paying dearly now.

For the last 3 weeks, the pass to Chile has been closed. Sometimes, the reason is listed as heavy snow or ice, but more often the problem is wind. One particular type of wind, usually: the Zonda wind. The Zonda winds are specific to the Andes, although similar weather patterns create the Santa Ana winds in Santa Barbara, for example. The Zonda is a super strong, super heated mass of dry air that is forced up over the Andes by an incoming cold air stormfront. The Zonda is incredibly strong and incredibly dangerous when you happen to be traveling down a narrow, icy mountain road at the bottom of a mountainous valley more than 4000 m above sea level. The Zonda is a mighty foe.

So for the last 3 weekends, we have been making and canceling hostel/hotel reservations in various locales in Chile. Each weekend, we wake up early, check the pass conditions, and reluctantly return to bed in Mendoza. Thwarted again! However, this weekend just so happens to be our last chance. And Mission Chile is once again proving to be: Impossible! The Zonda has thwarted us once more, and I don't know what to do. And as I said, failure is not an option for this mission. So we will try again tomorrow, and then maybe we will be forced to go on the lam in the mountains, or turn to bribery...