Mendoza, Argentina!

This weekend was a lot of fun; we went to Argentina to renew our visas and have some fun in the sun! We drove about 6 hours to Argentina in a car owned by Nico, Chilean boyfriend of our very own Meghan, another volunteer (this plays a part in the story later me thinks). The first night we hit the town for some Argentinean steaks, which were AWESOME. So much better than Chilean food; there was actually some flavor, sauces, etc...Nico said the Argentinean steaks are better because the cows are more idle on the flat Argentinean plains, rather than the Chilean moo moos which have to walk around a lot. Either way it was good. The exchange rate was also really good, with a nice steak dinner costing around $10.

Jen AnD I oN oUr SwEEt RiDe!!!!!!

The next day we rented bikes and biked around the countryside on the outskirts of Mendoza. It was really nice and peaceful. Here are some pictures of a vineyard we stopped at, where we recieved a tour and got to taste some of their wines. I believe it was called the Di Tommaso vineyard, you can get it in the U.S. if you really try, she said they export it to Miami and then it goes elsewhere. Outside of Argentina, you can only get it in Brazil and the U.S. Try it its really good!

Artsy pic/bottles being stored

Our friendly tasting leader

Oak barrels for storage

Grapes (Apparently Malbec is the type of wine thats really popular from Mendoza, I've never heard of it but it was really good)

Di Tommaso Vineyard

At Ze Bier Garten

After the vineyard we rode to lunch and then onto a smaller farm-ish place where they make chocolate, oils, and most importantly liquor. Of the latter, the whiskey and the absinthe were the most impressive. The tasting was a lot of fun, everyone got a little saucy and then we finished up the day at an outdoor beer garden.






The next day we drove about 30 min to some natural hot springs where we spent the day relaxing in pools of different temperature. It was really nice and the scenery was incredible. The pools were set in this valley surrounded by all these beautiful mountains. Also at the hot springs were tons of BBQ grills; people brought their whole family's and cooked/swam all day. It was really cool. Side note: BBQ-ing (asados in espanol) is a way of life for the Argentineans; it seems like they do it every meal.

Finally, after a great weekend, we head home only to be pulled to the side by the Argentinean traffic police. At 6pm, in daylight, Nico almost got a ticket for not having his lights on (even though they are automatic and go on when its dark). Instead, we had to pay the cop the equivalent of $50 USD to continue on our way. It was some bullshit, but apparently its pretty common in Argentina. The cop tried to make it sound like Nico committed a serious violation and he was doing him a favor, but in reality it was just because he was a crook and Nico was Chilean.

Either way, I have no regrets and Argentina and its people were very nice. Sorry I haven't posted in awhile, I've got  more pics and updates coming soon!

Until next time,

Dom