Post 98: Maipu & Mendoza days

Fellow adventurers,

The weather in Mendoza was hot and dry.  The smell of trimmed grass lingered in the air around the lodge.  Gabby and I spent much time in the back yard among the fruit trees and the little pool, feeling the grass beneath our feet and the vast, open sky above us.  The property reminded us of the summers at the farm we grew up on.  The evening we arrived, we rode bicycles we rented to the nearby market, and picked up some pasta and Chorizo to make for dinner, along with wine and beer of course.

After breakfast of fruit breads, eggs, coffee, juice and toast, we ventured out on our bikes to the surrounding wineries, famous for their Malbecs.  Tastings in this region are not like you'd expect at home.  A tasting in Mendoza is more like a full serving.  Knowing that, we chose to limit ourselves to particular wineries, considering the heat and riding that lie ahead.  The first winery we visited, La Rural, contained a museum explaining and displaying the wine production methods of old.  Afterwords, we enjoyed a glass of Malbec, sitting among giant oak barrels.  We then moved on to the next bodega, Vina Maria, where we had 2 more glasses of red wines under shaded trees next to a 1920's era plantation house.

By this time, the boys were beginning to feel hungry, and Gabby and I thought it'd be a good idea to consume some food before drinking anymore.  We saw signs for a local beer garden whom produced their own microbrews, and headed there.  The beer garden was in a plum orchard, in which we helped ourselves to some of the ripe plums which had fallen on the ground.  It was not like the long tabled, beer gardens we have visited while on a previous trip to Germany.   Instead, there was various kinds of comfortable furniture, which we lied about on and enjoyed the pleasant shade, pizza and empanadas, and beer.  The boys were not interested in visiting anymore wineries, so we sent them on their way to the market to pick up meat for our 'asado' meal that evening, while Gabby and I ventured on.

At Tempus Alba vineyards we were able to read about their production methods, and walk about their vineyards.  However, Gabby and I were rather hot and exhausted after riding there, so we welcomed the air conditioning inside.  We shared a 3 glasses; a Malbec, Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah until it was time to leave.  An officer on a motorcycle followed behind us and others bike riders while we rode along the main road towards our lodge.  Considering it was the closing time of all the wineries, I assumed it was to make sure their were no drunk riders.

That evening Francisco started a fire, and grilled for us some ribs, steaks and chorizo for a true asado.  It was accompanied with wine, beer, bread, and Chimichurri sauce.  The meat was some of the best BBQ we've ever enjoyed.  Francisco invited 2 friends of his, and we enjoyed their company as all broke bread together.  After we cleaned up, Gabby, Jon, Gavin and I gathered a blanket which we took out into the yard.  There we lied, staring up at the stars of the Southern Hemisphere and the moon while chatting.

The following day we took a cab to a winery a further distance away, Zuccardi Familia, for a tour of a large wine production plant and lunch.  Our tour was with a large group of business students from the University of Virginia.  It was interesting to learn of how different wines are made on a large scale, from vine to bottle, and the exportation process.  Our guide also explained to us how to taste the malbec, sauvignon blanc, and dessert wines we tried.

Lunch was in a restaurant, among the vineyards on lovely property.  It was an 8 course meal with wine pairings.  The meal was excellent in itself, but perfectly paired with the many glasses of wine and champagne.  It was a great value as well, at least comparatively to the states.  From the various reds and whites, to the sparkly pink champagnes, we left full and happy to explore some of the lush, green property.  After we arrived back at Tikay Killa, Gavin and I took a siesta, while Gabby and Jon chilled out in the pool.

We were sad to leave Soki, the playful labrador, and Tikay Killa, where we really enjoyed the country side and the company of Francisco whom treated us like guests in his own home.  The city of Mendoza however was nicer than we expected. A small and walkable city, the streets are lined with shady, elm trees, and many nice shops and restaurants abound. We arrived at Hostel Lao, a consistently high rated hostel in all of South America. The hostel had a tropical feel, with a pool, palm trees, lime tree, and hibiscus flowers in the backyard.  With malbec vanilla gelato in hand, we walked along a lake located in large park, comparable to Central Park in NYC.  In the evening we cooked pasta, and watched a long lasting, fierce storm that brought with it cooler temperatures for the following days.

Gabby and Jon awoke early the following morning, and set out into the Andes to do some hiking and rappelling. The hike was about an hour and half time length total along a river towards a waterfall that the guide would instruct on how to rappel down. Gabby was the first to repel down the 18 meter cliffside. It seemed much higher than when looking at it from the ground. It was nerve wracking getting started, as you literally had to lean backwards off the cliff and begin to slacken your rope. She was concentrated, so she would not have any chance to look down.  The second time down was to better enjoy the experience. While trekking back, a storm quickly developed over the mountains, and luckily they made it back before the rain quickly swept in and temperatures dropped.

Gavin and I spent yesterday searching for a tent and sleeping bags in which we purchased, to camp the few weeks in Patagonia and Torres Del Paine National Park, which will also hopefully save us money.  Last night being our last together, we ordered pizza and sat around together.  Today we're doing the same, before Gabby and Jon depart to return to Florida.  Gavin and I depart this evening for a 17 hour bus ride to Bariloche.  Updates will become more sparse within the month, so please be patient.  They will likely be coming from internet cafes, or random wifi signals.

June y Gabby y Gavin y John