Mendoza

Right now mom and I are waiting for our return flight to Buenos Aires at the Mendoza airport. The airport has 4 gates and security checks aren’t exactly the same as they are in the states. I’m pretty sure they would allow me to bring a weapon on the flight as long as I was polite about it and smiled. Instead of a weapon, however, we are boarding the flight with wine as our carry on. I don’t know if that would be permitted in the states, but people have been looking at me funny when I ask if bringing wine as a carry on is permitted. They have this look as if saying “well duh, why wouldn’t it be”.
Our trip to Mendoza ended just as well as it began. Yesterday we rented a cab driver for the entire day and drove through different parts of the Andes. We also found time to stop at a local bodega (vineyard). It was a real treat to drive through the different sections of the Andes and see the different terrain. Parts were covered with snow while other parts had grass. It was also neat because we stopped in a city that had some interesting history. This particular city was where General San Martin, who is also known here as “el libertador” or the liberator, set up a refuge camp and planned his route through the mountains. He took his army of thousands (including horses, cannons, and camp necessities) through the mountain terrain to meet and fight the Spaniards. Spain had a tyrant rule over Argentina at that time, but General San Martin took his troops through the Andes, defeated them, and earned his countrymen independence. I posted some pictures of the refuge camp, still kept in tact after all this time. General San Martin is one of the biggest heroes in all of Argentina, there are about 4 or 5 monuments/statues of him in the city, and anything even associated with him is considered a landmark. It was interesting to think that he planned his attack from the very spot we were at, but it was also interesting to think that he took thousands of troops through the mountains. Each year about 6 or 7 experienced climbers die trying to climb the Andes. I don’t know how he was able to lead thousands of soldiers through the human cemetery.
After driving through the Andes we stopped at a bodega named Landelia. This particular vineyard is owned by a Swiss millionaire who also owns wineries in Napa Valley and Australia. His winery in Mendoza is very new, 3 years old I think, but because of his past winery experience he was able to create a new one which is built for success. It is far from a typical mom and pop run operation. It had equipment that was said to be top of the line, experts working there from all over the world, and barrels that are only allowed to be used 2-3 times before selling them (who could possibly fathom drinking wine from a barrel that had been used more than 3 times?). Mom and I took a tour through the factory and were quite impressed, but not nearly as impressed as we were after trying the wine. I am far from a wine expert (my preference is the cheapest beer available), but I felt like I knew a thing or two after taking the tour. It’s too bad though, when I return home I won’t be able to live like a king anymore, its back to Miller Lite. Anyways, the wine tour/tasting combination was definitely a good experience and the day was very fun.
On a side note, the hotel that we stayed in while in Mendoza was nothing shy of perfect. The staff were all extremely friendly and helpful, the food they prepared was delicious, the other guests that spoke English were very fun to talk to, and all in all, the place really made us feel at home. For one hundred dollars a night it seemed like quite the steal. I would consider going back to Mendoza just to stay at the hotel again.
Today mom and I rented bicycles for the day and got a better look at surrounding area. All of the bodegas were closed so we didn’t have a chance to do any more wine tasting, but it was fun to just be outside and enjoy the scenery. It’s not everyday that I can look up and see the Andes. Today we also got to try some traditional Argentine cuisine. The chef, Juan, cooks a traditional Argentine meal every Sunday and even though we had already eaten lunch, he still let us try some of his masterpiece. The main meat was goat, something I had never eaten before, but it actually was quite tasty. I also enjoyed a fresh grilled garlic clove. People probably kept their space from me after eating the time bomb, but I had to try all of Juan’s traditional cuisine. We also bought a bottle of wine from the vineyard we had visited the previous day, so it was a perfect time to enjoy that. All in all, it was a quiet, peaceful, relaxing day.
If anyone has a week to travel someplace new, I would definitely suggest Mendoza. It truly has something for everyone. If you are looking for an active vacation you can go fly fishing, climbing, rafting and skiing. If you are looking for a relaxing vacation you can go wine tasting, tour the Andes, stroll through the charming towns and enjoy fabulous food. If you are looking for a vacation somewhere in the middle, well, you can do a few things from column A and a few things from column B. Mom and I really had a nice time in Mendoza. Hopefully I will be able to return sometime in the future when my Spanish is a bit better.
Oh, P.S. If you have lost the link to my picture website its http://picasaweb.google.com/ford0198 Enjoy!
Buenas Noches