OUR LAST FEW DAYS, IN THE WINE CELLAR OF ARGENTINA, WERE A BLAST! MOSTLY BECAUSE OF THE GREAT YOUNG PEOPLE WE MET AT THE HOSTEL LAO. DAY ONE WE WALKED THE CITIES FIVE SQUARES.
PLAZA ITALIA AND PLAZA CHILE
PLAZA INDEPENDENCIA
PLAZA SAN MARTIN PLAZA ESPANA
WE ARRANGED FOR A CAR FOR THE NEXT DAY, ARRIVING BACK AT THE HOSTEL, WITH NO DINNER PLANS, WE WERE GREETED BY HERMAN, OUR EVER-HELPFUL HOST, WITH A BOTTLE OF FREE LOCAL MALBEC.
A YOUNG TRAVELER FROM HOLLAND HAD GONE OUT TO BUY HIS DINNER. LOST SOMETHING IN THE TRANSLATION, SO ENDED UP WITH A DOZEN PIPING, HOT MEAT FILLED EMPANADAS! WE BOUGHT SIX FROM HIM...WINE AND EMPANADAS FOR DINNER AT A COST OF $1.50 US. ENDED UP CHATTING AND TELLING JOKES, UNTIL THE EARLY HOURS OF THE MORNING, WITH TWO TRAVELERS FROM IRELAND, IFEE AND MICHAEL WHO BOTH SWAM THE ENGLOSH CHANNEL...TWO ATTORNEYS, RACHEL FROM NZ, AND LEILANI FROM AUSTRALIA...EMMA FROM HOLLAND, JUST FINISHED HER MASTERS DEGREEE...AND TWO DOCTORS FROM SOUTH AFRICA - MELINDA AND DIMITRIOUS .. WE HAVE AN INVITATION FOR A HOUSE RIGHT OUTSIDE KRUGER PARK FOR 2012! BIG ENOUGH FOR OUR WHOLE FAMILY .. START SAVING GUYS!!
NONE THE WORSE FOR WEAR, WE DROVE THROUGH THE LUSH VINEYARDS OF THE CUYO REGION, VENTURING INTO THE TOWERING ANDES IN THE WEST. MELTWATER FROM THE SNOWCAPPED ANDEAN PRAKS FLOWS INTO THE CANALS VIA THE RESERVOIR TO IRRIGATE THE MULTITUDE OF VINEYARDS OUTSIDE MENDOZA.
MENDOZA ALONE CONTRIBUTES 70% OF ARGENTINA´S WINE PRODUCTION¨...THE WORLD-CLASS MALBEC IS THE REGION´S SPECIALITY.
MUCHO MALBEC AND AN ARGENTINE BBQ GREETED US UPON OUR RETURN TO THE HOSTEL... MUCH GOOD NATURED RIVALRY ABOUT THE WORLD CUP BECAUSE HALF THE TABLE WAS FILLED WITH BRAZILIANS!
THURSDAY WE HEADED OUT AROUND 10 AM FOR OUR VITICULTURAL EDUCATION TOURING THE BODEGAS WITH LEILANI AND EMMA. STARTED WINE TASTING AT
HALF PAST TEN, TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WINE OPERATIONS, ONE LARGE, VISTABELA,
AND ONE SMALL, ACHAVAL FERRER,
AT THE THIRD, MALIPAL, WE INDULGED IN A SIX COURSE LUNCH PAIRED WITH DIFFERENT WINES - GOT BACK AT 6 PM ... JUST IN TIME FOR A NAP .. NO DINNER AS WE WERE REPLETE.
ALL IN ALL A WONDERFUL THREE WEEKS IN ARGENTINA ..WE COULD EASILY COME BACK AND EXPLORE THE VAST PARTS OF THE COUNTRY WE MISSED.
