Chile

After that ´terrific´last night in Bariloche, we got on a 18hr bus ride to Mendoza. First 6 hours to Neuquen where we had to change to a night bus to Mendoza. We paid for the ´cama´seats, which are the most comfortable ones (wider and go back more), but somehow no service came with it (ie: food or a blanket), strange. Good we came prepared with food...but we were freezing in the early hours of the morning. Another pleasant night. Í think we´re trying to set a record here. Poor Charlotte thought she would relax on her vacation...good she has a few days to recoup when she gets home.

Long story short, we get to Mendoza, the capital of the wine region. The town is actually really cute...very much influenced by European architecture from Spanish-looking plazas to French-looking facades. The town is also an interesting mix of the past & its wine culture with the younger style-conscious and techhy generation. Unfortunately, there´s also a big contrast between the newer rich and the struggling class. The first day, we toured the town & park. Not quite like Central Park!! very big, but full of roads and somehow people don´t see anything wrong with setting up their card tables or blankets right next to the road or parked cars, overlooking an intersection....instead of walking into the park more and enjoying the green fields. Bizarre. We stayed there late to catch a free salsa show (for the vendimia, harvest, the town organizes a lot of shows and activities) but couldn´t stay up at past midnight. Unfortunately another sleepless night awaited. We were in a mixed dorm of 6 and one of the guys was snoring all night. At around 5 am, Charlotte got up and slapped the guy on the shoulder telling him to roll over (in english, no less!). I was laughing so hard. I´ve never seen her lost her cool. We got probably another 2hrs of sleep, but not the best.

So if you´ve followed the last few entries and all my details about the short nights we´ve been having...you will understand the next paragraph:

Off to a hotel in the country side!! Charlotte and I decided we couldn´t survive any longer without a good night sleep, so we splurged for 2 nights in a countryside hotel, in the middle of the vines, in Chacras de Coria, a ritzy neighborhood (unbeknownst to us). We just googled around for estancias in the country side...not easy to find...now here´s a good business plan!... and eventually found this hotel 15km outside of town. We jumped on it. Turns out, it´s in the middle of the wineyards which makes it convenient to tour the bodegas and most importantly to RELAX.

What a treat: comfortable beds with a soft duvet!! a big towel! a clean shower for you and only you! luxury!!! Both days we didn´t leave the room until 1pm!!! went down for breakfast and then back to bed...just to tell you what a treat it was. Also fun to watch TV a little, it´s been so long!

The first day, we joined a tour of 2 bodegas (vineyards) and an oil factory. We get tastings of course in all 3. The wines though were pretty young and not that amazing. However the tours were fun and interesting...love walking around the caves. The first night we were there was a Monday...everything was closed. So the hotel suggested this Palmares mall for dinner. The cab driver though said we´d be better off at this other mall, El Shopping. We figured the hotel might send us in some expensive area, so we listened to the cab driver instead. BAD IDEA. He took us back to Mendoza to this huge modern shopping complex...what a nightmare...I hate malls...and to think we left our little paradize in the vineyards to end up surrounded by McDonald and La Brioche Doree, I was going to lose it. We jumped in a cab again this time to Palmares...although we might as well have eaten in town at this point....but we perseveered. Turns out this mall had a few restaurants, excellent ones actually. We ordered wine right away and a yummy Chateaubriand steak. Phew.

The second day, we walked around Chacras de Coria and had lunch on the main square...very cute...got to talk to a group of Venezualan women having lunch next to us (3 generation of women, aunts and cousins). We then walked to the Alta Vista Bodega: a fantastic vineyard. The building is a mix of modern and tradional architecture with arch and stone details and yet modern lighting on the bottle displays. The tasting was delicious. We discovered Torrentes white wine from the north and a delicous cabernet sauvignon. That night, we walked to restaurant near the hotel (Chacras claims to be the gastronomy center of the area, and rightly so...just not on Mondays!). Great trattoria.

Finally, one last morning to sleep in....followed by a horse ride in the vineyards. We found this little estancia specialized in Crillion horses where Cesar, the gaucho, took us for a ride through the vineyards and up a cerro for a view of the Maipu region. Great fun.

Those last 3 days were just heaven... from the bed, the pool, the food, the wine, the bodegas, the horseride, the little plaza... could´ve stayed a whole week!

Headed back to Mendoza though for Charlotte´s last night...and splurged for this cured meat and cheese plate at this cute little restaurant we had noticed our first day in town. I´ll have to post pics when I get them from Charlotte...so funny. And for the finish, a chocolate molten cake. Yes, a grandiose ending for the 3 weeks of traveling together (not to mention the delicious ice cream that afternoon...Argentinians make the best ice cream....feels like being in Italy...or even better...the flavors are exotic...and innovative...some even with wine hints to them... how will I resist the next few days...??).

Oh wait, i do have to add a few lines about Charlotte´s last night. After dinner, we headed back to the hostal where they were celebrating Valentine´s day early.... huge party going...noooooooooo. Until 2am music was blasting. Finally the music stopped but the people moved to the patio next to our room. Once again Charlotte got up and was ready to yell at them but I think the light scared them off. So that was about 3hrs for that night (C had to get up at 6 to catch her bus). I wonder if she made it back to France or fell asleep in the bus and continued on to Patagonia!!

As for me, I´m now in a new hostal....got to sleep 12hrs last night!!!...also bumped into some french people staying at the hostal...we´re going to picnic in the park tonight to watch a free tango show. Should be fun.

All in all, great times... super fun to have Charlotte to travel with... and go out to dinner with... a good change from ham and cheese and soup!! hehe.

PS: i posted a picture of a mate...it´s like an herbal tea (from coke leaves) that you sip through the pipe. Argentinians and Chileans love it...they are addicted. They carry thermos bottles everywhere so they can drink their mate. You only take a few sips and then pass it around. Some put sugar in it too...so you can imagine all the stuff you need to carry around with you. The bus stations are even equipped with huge hot water tanks so people can refill their thermos. Interesting....