Medoza

Once we are out of the mini-bus on Argentinian soil, our Mendoza vacation could finally begin. After about 30 minutes of wandering and asking for directions (while attempting to mask our acquired Chilean accents), we decided to hop in a taxi. 10 minutes and $26 pesos later, we arrived at Hostel Itaka on the main street of Downtown Mendoza. The street washington littered with boutiques, bars, restaurants and well-dressed Argentinians. We settled into our 4 person room and explored our abode. There was a bar/restaurant attached, a pool and patio outside and spacious common areas. After a not-so quick nap and off-brand DayQuil in attempt to cure the fever-cold-chills I was experiencing, we went out and explored the area.

It was still early on the Argentinian timeline of fiestas and being Wednesday, pretty tame. Thursday morning I was feeling much better and we set off to explore Parque San Martín. It was a 4 block walk from our hostel and absolutely breathtaking. One thing that the Argentinans do more of than Chileans  is exercise. We encountered a rowing team in the river, a soccer team doing sprint practices and various joggers with dogs actually on leashes. The views of the mountains as a seemingly artificial curtain at every view continues to take my breath away. After a stroll thru the park, we located Plaza Independcia where a street fair was taking place. Perhaps because we were still pretty early or the lack of business, only a handful of vendors were open. We shopped around for awhile and enjoyed the sun. A piece of cake and tea from Caffé Jack seemed necessary so we sat on the cobblestone road outside and conversed as we were served.

Back at the hostel we met a couple from Canada and all decided to take part in the offered "pasta and vino" dinner. It was nice to talk with other travelers- although it seems that nearly everyone is "just traveling for 2-4-6 weeks/months/years." The six of us went out for a drink at G2 where I indulged in a Caiparinha.

Friday morning we set off with the intentions to locate a bus to take is an hour away to Maipu for the wineries. After numerous suggestions from friends and generally positive Internet reviews- we found Mr. Hugo and patronized his bike/wine tour establishment. $30 pesos for a bike rental for the day and helpful information on which bodegas to visit and we were off. We started the farthest away at Familia Di Tomasso. It was the most informative, oldest, and very beautiful. Next we stopped at the ultra modern Mevi Bodega with breathtaking views and sampled wines in a gorgeous deck overlooking the grapes and Andes. Thirdly, we stopped at a chocolate factory with various liqueurs to sample. Laura and Lindsay decided that was there they wanted to stop but not completely satisfied, Colleen and I stayed in search of one more. We happened across the beer garden and enjoyed a Rubia in the sun. The whole day was gorgeous and I got some much needed sun on my skin. After regrouping back at Mr. Hugo's, a chat with our new friends, and a gift from Mr. Hugo himself, we left.

That night we went out for Mexican at Taco Tabasco and despite confusing what I thought to be shredded beef with a hot dog-like substance chopped in my quesadilla, enjoyed it. Overall, Argentina  exudes a more European energy, generally less expensive, and very clean. We sadly had a 9am bus on Saturday morning but got to take in the views during daylight once again. The border control took about an hour for our 50 passenger bus. Colleen and I watched What to Expect While You're Expecting on the iPad and a quick six hours later we were back in Santiago to kill time before our respective 10pm buses home.