Mendoza, Argentina

This weekend 3 of my ISA friends and I took a weekend trip to Mendoza! We took an overnight bus on Friday (15 hours! Dramamine may be the best invention ever-I slept for 10 of them.) and arrived on Saturday morning.

First thing we did was sign up for a wine tour on bicycles! Despite the complications of wearing a dress while riding a bicycle and it being over 90 degrees outside, it was sooo much fun! The landscape was unbelievably picturesque. Tree canopy lined streets, flat miles of vineyards with purple and green grapes, and the Andes mountain range as the backdrop. We visited a chocolate and liquor factory first. It was actually just a cute little house with a shed, BUT everything was delicious! We tried 4 liquors (they had over 40 to choose from): chocolate and dulce de leche, chocolate and cafe, coconut and rum, and a spicy green liquor. They were so good! Along with those, we got to sample coconut, spicy, almond, and berry chocolates. Then we headed to two other wineries where we got tours of their vineyards and got to sample 3 or 4 of their wines. The wine was incredibly tasty and incredibly cheap! Even at restaurants you could order a moderate glass for about US$1.50.

After spending the entire day under the hot sun, pedaling and drinking, we were exhausted (but very content ;) ) so we went to Mendoza´s main plaza, Plaza Independencia. It was full of people and there were tons of vendors and musicians. We found a grassy spot in front of a big fountain and laid down for an hour. It was a great people watching experience, and I wish this tradition of spending Saturday afternoon in the plaza was something that happened in the United States. The leisurely attitude that most Argentines seem live by is definitely a stark contrast to the fast paced life I´m accustomed to. Also, I´ve heard so much about the Italian influence in Argentina, and I could really see it in Mendoza.

We headed to Avenida Colon to have dinner at around 1030 pm. We ate at a typical Argentine restaurant that was chicly decorated with rustic wood tables. The dinner was incredible and it was so fun to just sit there for 3 hours and talk to each other. Correy bought the 3 of us a bottle of wine for Valentine´s day, and we finished it before our food even came! The wine was out of this world in Mendoza! The street was lined with restaurants and bars, all with outdoor seating. When we left the restaurant (at around 2 am) it was completely full, every restaurant on the street was full, and some people were just being seated to have dinner! I seriously will never get used to this. I dont understand how the Argentines do it. At 2 am there were still parents with infants walking around in the plaza!!!! It´s craziness, but I love it!

On Sunday, we went venturing for some breakfast, and it took us 45 minutes to even find something that was open! It was an Italian cafe, packed with people, and obviously the only place open in this area on Sunday mornings. After some cafe con leche, medialunas, and fruit we headed to El Parque San Martin. This may have been the largest recreational park I´ve ever been to! It took us an hour just to get to the other side. We climbed to the top of a hill and got a panoramic view of the Andes mountain range. I was speechless. All I could do was snap tons of pictures with my jaw dropped. In Buenos Aires and even in Mendoza´s town I haven´t really felt like I am in South America, but some American or European city where they only speak Spanish. Thinking about my location on a globe, and how far it is from home, is just strange. Seeing the Andes really made me think "Wow. I´m in South America for the next 4 months. I can´t believe how lucky I am to be able see all of this."

Here are some more photos from the weekend...click here