Mendoza, Argentina

We came to Mendoza with the promise of, 'with every breakfast...a cuddle.´ (After a long and tiring internet search for accomodation in Mendoza, Jen had found a hotel which charmingly extended us this special, if not slightly mysterious, offer.) Believe it or not, the 13 hour bus ride between Buenos Aires and Mendoza was great ( Andesmar $US 40) and included plush leather seats that folded all the way down into beds, a host named Martin who played Bingo with us, and fine cuisine (purchased from someone's trunk off the side of the road before we hit the highway no less). But when we arrived in Mendoza, Argentina's wine capital, the cuddling hotel was nowhere to be found. Instead we ended up at the comfortable and centrally located Hostal Confluencia ($US 16 /nt). It's a decent place with the real benefit being its super friendly and helpful owners. (For their mug shots, click on the link).

Mendoza is located near Argentina's eastern border on the other side of the Andes from Santiago, Chile. The city is small, but bustling, and the streets are lined with old, stone aquaducts once used in an irrigation system developed by the area's indigenous people. Diesel cars and teenagers compete for space in Mendoza's tree-canopied streets and plazas, while Argentina's omnipresent cadre of old, distinguished gentleman in fine gauge wool sweaters conspire in corner cafes. Each one looks like a retired professor working on a Gabriel Garcia Marquez-esque novel.

We took a tour of two local wineries - the bodegas Lopez and Guadron. Lopez was the larger and more commercial of the two - probably run by J.Lo herself. The wine we tasted there was so bad we were instantly struck with headaches. Family run and more intimate, Ande liked Guadron much better. Especially when the guide instructed our group during the tasting, 'OK, everyone nose in the wine.' The tour even included a special moment of politically-incorrect awkwardness when our guide enthusiastically (in her broken English) asked the group, 'So, who picks the grapes in your countries?' Silence. 'Come on now, you two from South Africa, who picks your grapes? And the California girls?' Uh. 'Well, here in Mendoza, we have the people from Bolivia pick the grapes. Yes, they are very hard working people.' Without missing a beat, the guide then turned her attention to the next topic. Some kind of tree.

We were invited to a BBQ tonight. It starts at 11:30pm. It's still pretty cold so we will be wearing the fleece. In a few days, we're moving north to Salta and Jujuy in the Andean northwest, and then on to the warm climes of Falls de Iguazu in the east and Brazil. Countdown to fleece burning: 7 days.