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Published: June 15th 2006
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Arrived in Mendoza at about 8pm. shattered and no collection of hostel touts to meet me. Decided to get a cab to a hostel in the book and checked in. Was given a "bigger" room but still smallest room I´ve ever been in. My bag wouldn´t even fit without being carried over the bunk beds! A Pizza night had been arranged at a sister hostel (there are 3 campo bases), so we were all taken there. Much nicer hostel with pool, but all the pizza was cold. Everyone from my hostel was shattered so we all walked home at 12.30.
Terrible night´s sleep due to claustrophobicness, some yank girl screaming and shouting with the light on at 4am and the girl below me crying. Didn´t get up till 11 so had missed breakfast. After a freezing shower I walked around town for food. On my way back met Frazer (who I met in Púcon) coming out of my hostel so he showed me a nicer place and I agreed to pay last check out to move that night! It´s a very hostel swapping town as many had moved from my new one into the grotty one. Wandering around town we saw
4 people we knew, the travelling world is tiny! Met James and Sally for dinner but there were an hour late as they had forgotten to change their watches from Chile.
Great night´s sleep in the new hostel so glad I had moved. Hung out with the girl in my room while waiting for the bodega tour. Frazer was late so we looked for him at my old hostel, eventually found him though. The rest of the tour group was all the guys from pizza night so it was as if I had never left the old hostel. We visited a wine musuem which makes millions of bottles of wine per year. The guide spoke English but no-one could understand a word he said. We just wanted the tasting but it wasn´t great wine. Next onto a small winery, could understand the guide much better and the wine tasted better so bought a 99 Cab. Next onto a liquer factory, tried all the flavours they were great. Finally a chocolate factory with more tastings, overall a great day. Straight out for a steak and wine dinner followed by hours of table football in my old hostel. The hostel receptionist was
the best player I had ever seen and luckily kicked my partner off the table so I won all night.
Struggled to get up for the full day of activities, picked up at 8 from my old hostel. Drove about 30mins out of town and started an average complexity trek up a mountain. About an hour later we reached the top but had a tougher walk down to the cliff edges. First abseil was 15m high, quite scary as I´ve not abseiled for a few years. Then small 7m cliff followed by a 46m cliff, most scary! But excellent fun. We were all exhausted at the bottom so luckily had ended next to the empenada cafe and thermal baths. The rest of the afternoon was spent lazing in the hot water, the outdoor one was too hot for me so I had a nap in the indoor jacuzzi. Back to the hostel about 6 and straight to bed for a few hours. Then back to our favourite restaurant (and luckily opposite my new hostel) for more steak and wine. We were such good customers they gave us champagne every night for free and they knew my name so I got
My Dinner
What is better than steak and red wine in Argentina!!! hellos every time I walked out of my hostel. The old hostel was arranging a pub night so we went to Che bar for some cocktails. A couple of reggae acts played all night so it was a bit mellow but ther drinks were crazily strong so a fun night. Stayed out so late got hungry again so two super panchos on the way home.
Next day hungover and needing rest so lazed about town, Mendoza is a great town so not a problem. Then met the gang in the old hostel for a smaller meal of pizza and empenadas and a few bars. We tried to go to a recommended club but it was shut and all others the taxi driver took us to were shut too, ended up paying 40pesos to be brought back to the hostel!
Last day spent around town, said goodbye to all my local friends, the waiters, the car cleaner, the hostel receptionists in many hostels. Very friendly town. Then caught the 8pm bus to Salta.
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