Mendoza, Argentina

This past weekend my friends and I (and yes, this time another male came along) went to Mendoza, Argentina, a city south of BA. Since we went south, the weather was a little cooler but it was nice: about 60s or so each day. We arrived on Thursday morning at 9:30. The bus ride was about 11 hours and wasn't too bad. We didn't decide to spring for the VIP Suite this time...we got a semi-cama (the seat reclined a little further than an airplane seat so that wasn't too bad but the food wasn't nearly as good as it was in the VIP suite. But nevertheless, we made it safe and sound to Mendoza.

On Thursday, the first day we were there, we rented bikes from Mr. Hugo. Before we got to Mr. Hugo's, we found a Subway! It was my first Subway sandwich in a VERY long time and let me tell you, it was very yummy. I got a six inch veggie, a chocolate chip cookie (which wasn't as good as the cookies in the States) and a soda. The drinks were fountain drinks which was very refreshing because it is very difficult to find fountaint drinks in Argentina; pretty much everything is bottled. From there, we bikes to two different bodegas (aka wineries.) In each bodega, we were shown around the winery (how they make the wine, where they store it, which grapes make which types of wine, etc) and then at the end we got to sample different types of wine. I must say, I wasn't a huge fan of any of them. I think I would have liked them better if I had some packets of Splenda to add haha...they were too dry for my liking. After the bodegas, we went to a chocolate and liquor factory. There we were able to sample different chocolate liquor. I don't know if any of you have ever had chocolate liquor but for my sample, I would have loved more chocolate and less liquor. I tried the chocolate con cafe and chocolate con banana. They were both decent but not as good as I would have hoped. No worries....it was only $5 pesos.

After biking around the wineries, we went back to our hostel and cooked dinner. We (I should really say I since I did most of the cooking) made tortellini and veggies...it was pretty good! We made some friends at the hostel and they ate with us: one was from Germany and the other from a different part in Argentina. After dinner, we called it a night and rested up for a full day tomorrow.

On Friday, we went horseback riding next to the Andes Mountains; it was a very, very cool experience. We took off around 9 and didn't get back until about 6. We rode until noon, took a break for lunch, and then rode back to the stable. We had two guides, one who cooked lunch and the other who played the guitar. Lunch was a traditional Argentine asada: steak over an open flame, bread, and no forks. They cut the steak into strips which we then put on our bread and made mini sandwiches. It was delicious (even though the steak was from Walmart haha.) After our lunch, some people took a siesta and others decided not to sleep since we're only in Mendoza once (me being one of those people.) We rode back to the stable and over all had a great time. I got to "run" with my horse; I've never been on a horse that went as fast as my horse and I did in Mendoza. We were going as fast as the horse could go and I was holding on tight...it was amazing. Friday night for dinner, we made a fruit salad for dinner and ordered in empanadas.

On Saturday, we slept in (until 10) and then the group split: some of us went to visit more bodegas while others went to explore the town (I was in the latter group.) Wesaw different plazas, shops, and sites. Mendoza is a very neat town with a lot to offer tourists. I would love to visit again. I am very thankful for the opportunities I'm having here in Argentina.