Uspallata

Uspallata is a village, and an administrative district, in Argentina in a scenic location on the road which crosses the Andes between Mendoza and Santiago in Chile. It is located 100 km (62 mi) west of Mendoza and was once served by the now disused Transandine Railway which passed through the town on its way from Mendoza to Los Andes in Chile. There are several items of interest in and around the village including "las bovedas", somewhat strangely egg-shaped kilns dating from the early 17th century which were used to extract gold, silver, zinc, copper and other metals from minerals mined nearby. Worth a brief visit as they are only approx 1 1/2 km from town, complete with a small museum, notes include the fact that some of the refractory bricks can still be seen with "Rufford Stourbridge" from the English West Midlands stamped on them; a brief reminder of Britain´s industrial heritage. The road to the Chilean border incorporates some of the most dramatic scenery in the region, the Andean mountains in this part being part of the backdrop of the highest peak out of the ANDES, Aconcagua at almost 7,000 metres above sea level. There is a brief glimpse of the stunning mountain from the road some distance from another point of interest, an ochre coloured bridge spanning the Rio Mendoza 72 km from Uspallata that seems to have been made from sulphur-bearing hot springs.