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Published: January 2nd 2009
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When a south american official say no he means no. You can argue and argue, he will end up by saying no. The argentinian bureaucracy and the system is also totally different from ours. When I was at the
Correo in San Martin on the 22nd. of December to send a parcel home, the official first said he got no boxes left (you have to use a box bought from the post office). I needed size no 3, he got only box no 2, which was too small, he said.
Then I said I could use no 2 to get rid of some stuff. Then he said it was impossible, because he was unable to register the parcel on the computer because of Christmas. But I could come back on Monday the 29th of December, seven days later. Am I able to deliver and pay today, and you can register and dispatch on the 29th. ? I asked. Sorry, we got rules, he said. It was about 4,5 kilos, and that´s much while travelling by backpack.
When I was to leave, I saw an argentine woman standing besides filling in the papers on a box which had no 3.
The box are to be sent to Italy, she said ....... I did not go back to the official asking, I knew I had lost. I had to carry the things to Mendoza and later on to Santiago.
I took the night bus Christmas Eve and arrived in Mendoza on the 25th. of December before noon. I did not get any sleep at the bus, there were children screaming and crying all night. I went directly into the hotel district 3-6 blocks north of
Plaza Independencia. After inquiring a bit I found a cheap room at about 6 dollars a night. The room seemed to be ok, but it was impossible to sleep because of the heat. I told the owners, and they fixed another room for me the other day. So, then I had two days without any sleep.
The first I noticed was the temperature. It was extremely hot compared to Patagonia. I was thinking about having a trip on bicycle to different
bodegas (wineyards). Mendoza is the main wine district in Argentina. The bodegas are many and small, and they are located just outside the town. But because of the hot and humid weather and
the lack of sleep I dropped that project.
When I found that an organized trip with a travelling agency cost USD 150 - 170 I also decided to drop that trip. It is better to spend that money in Rio later on. Instead I visited a couple of wine cellars on Avenida Chile near Plaza Independencia. I could get as many wines I wanted at 8 pesos a glass, premium food and good service. I have been to bodegas in Germany before. What is the difference?
There are almost no tourists in Mendoza at the moment, and at my hostel there were only 2 more guests. For me this is boring. The hostel was a family run hostel with two brothers and two sisters, their father and the grandchildren. I like those hotels best, because it is nice with a chat and a beer together with the owners. They are always telling a lot about history, the country, politics in South America and about themselves.
The streets were totally empty on the 25. of December, and everything was closed. Maybe there were more guests in the three- or four stars hotels, but I do not stay such
places. Many of the turists there are retired or retarded.
Everybody in Argentina are recommending Mendoza. I do not understand that. I am wondering about all the dirt and shit in the streets. Bad maintenance of buildings. Warnings about where to go and not. To me it seems that only a few parts of the city is clean.
I had a trip outside the town, and it was flat and green. You must drive a couple of hours until you reach a forest or a mountain. What is Mendoza when you have been 6 - 7 weeks in Patagonia? I dont know ...
What more can you do in Mendoza? The city is big enough to stroll the streets and relax with a beer, but you can´t do that all day. You can do climbing and trekking some hours outside the city. You can also do rafting and horseriding, at prices at the same level as a wine tour.
So I decided to leave. Now I am sitting at the bus station waiting for the bus bound for Santiago in Chile. With a parcel of four kilos of stuff besides me. From Santiago I will probably
go to Valparaiso. There is a an exiting fireworks there during New Years Eve. And a lot of partying. I enclose some boring pictures from the city of Mendoza when I reach Santiago, Chile.
See you.
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