Mendoza + Vino Roja = Mandozing (blissfully)

Alright this will be the last post in the catch up series! By the end of this you should know all the highlights between us heading to Mendoza to us lounging in hammocks in San Pedro de Atacama as we currently find ourselves.


As strongly hinted at in the last post we thought that Mendoza was fantastic.  The weather was pristine blue skies with temps in the mid twenties everyday...that alone was enough to bring massive smiles to our pasty faces.  Our hostel (Legares for anyone thinking of going) was great.  Laidback, helpful and friendly staff, great showers and a 6 bed dorm all to ourselves, result! As part of booking 3 nights at the hostel we were given a free biking tour voucher which we saved until the last day of our trip (more on that later). 

Lake in Mendoza park

We spent a couple of days walking around the city and the parks, taking a look in the shops and markets and generally getting to know the place (good gourmet empanadas and rubbish chocolate shop).  But Mendoza is known for one thing only, vino and lots of it.


So on the recommendation of a few friends from our hostel we booked a bus tour that included visiting 3 wineries and then a late lunch.  The wineries were keen to show us how they made the wine...I think they may have misread their audience though as the tastings only came at the end of each very informative tour.  I mean it was 11.15 before we had our first drink! Outrageous.  Some pics of the tour and the spectacular lunch below:

From the cellar of the biggest winery in the region

Cecchin organic family winery

First tasting (drink) of the day.  I even put a shirt on for the occasion

Our amazing lunch (first course) was worth the price of admission alone

After the bus tour we took a day off to rest up and organise our next journey.  Yas chose that day to cash in her birthday massage voucher and booked an hour and a half of luxurious bliss at the spa in the Hyatt.  I started to count the days to my birthday at this point. 

On our last day in Mendoza, another spectacular sunny day, we took our biking tour round some other vineyards with Mr Hugo.  Again, if you are in the region and want to do a biking tour, Mr Hugo can't be beat.  We arrived at 11am and immediately got to sample Mr Hugo's caraffe red wine while he got our bikes ready and gave us tips and discount vouchers for various places. It soon became apparent that he was quite happy for us to sit drinking his free wine all day if we chose and he was always on hand to top a glass up. 


Thinking that we should probably see something else that day as well, we and our new Aussie friends Sarah and Marcel took off on our sweet rides.  We visited a place that specialised in olives, olive oil, liqueurs, dips and chocolate first just to kick start the day with a shot or two (we ended up purchasing a small bottle of a liqueur called "Lady Passion" which we both thought was delicious but I had to get a whiskey as well to make me seem more manly). 


From there it was off to a vineyard, then a beer garden, another vineyard...then another before finally arriving back at Mr Hugo's and his neverending caraffes. 

Unfortunately (pure bad planning by us) we had to jump on a 20 hour bus to Salta in Northern Argentina at 8.30 that night.  By hour one I was hungover.  By hour 19 I was murderous.


When we arrived in Salta all we wanted was food and sleep so we set off for the main plaza to find something easy to eat.  We had heard that there was a religious festival on in the main plaza but weren't prepared for the reported 500,000 people jamming into the square and waving white hankerchiefs.  Apparently the festival was to commemorate a major earthquake that they believed was stopped by people gathering in the plaza to pray.  I was so out of it I had forgotten to take any sort of camera so you'll just have to take our word for it.


Salta, don't go there.


We tried to get a bus out as soon as possible but had to stay an extra night until a bus was scheduled.


The bus ride from Salta to San Pedro de Atacama took us back over the Andes into Chile again.  Unlike the snow covered journey over, this pass was rocky and barren with salt plains stretching for miles on a large plateau at the top.

Suffering a little from the altitude

What can you say

And that brings us to San Pedro de Atacama, Chile (woohoo current events) where we have been for the past 3 days and which we will leave via jeep for Bolivia tomorrow morning, crossing geyser fields, hot pools and salt plains all at high altitudes for 3 days. In the meantime we have indulged in a few of the local activities as well.

My best crash of the day

Like a pro

It was an unreal landscape.  Guide said it rained for 1 to 2 hours 5x a year.

Sand got everywhere

Sunset over Valle de la Luna

Hello!

Told you I was writing this from a hammock

If you are still reading WELL DONE!

Will check back in with our thoughts on Bolivia in a wee bit.

Love
Mike and Yas