Last weekend I found my way to Mendoza, Argentina. Naturally Ali and Abby came with me, as well as a few new European friends we've been spending a lot of time with.
The bus left on Thursday night, and being South America, was an hour and half late. We drove for seven hours through the Andes, stopping about three hours in for customs. Customs at the Argentinian/Chilean border was a less than desirable experience. We stood outside in the cold (at 3 am) for almost two hours while we were shuffled from one side of the cargo area to the other as we waited to have our passports stamped. Once our bags were scanned and we were cleared to get back on the bus we curled up into our seats and did our best to sleep through the windy voyage over the mountain.
The view at the top of the Andes was absolutely breathtaking. In the middle of the night with no lights we could see almost every constellation. Never in my life have I see so many stars.
When we arrived in Mendoza we went on a tour of the city (complete with chocolate factory). The city was more metropolitan than I had imagined it would be, yet reminded me a lot of Boulder. There were lots of cute boutiques and restaurants and a beautiful view of the mountains. There were also vineyards.
We did a wine tour on our last full day and were able to see why everyone is so obsessed with Argentinean wine. The wine tastings took place in two small vineyards, one family owned, the other not. We learned the art of wine making: everything from how long grapes need to cultivate, when they need to be picked, to what type of barrels need to be used in order for the wine to acquire the right flavors. Quite a complicated process. Compared to my (lack of) knowledge and experience with wine, Argentinean wine tasted pretty good.
The next day we headed home and back to reality. The views from the bus made the 7 hour ride totally worth it.
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