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Published: January 26th 2007
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Being ´One´ with the Statue
Fooling around in the Park in Mendoza My last entry was from Mendoza, after our day of ´white´ water rafting and night of dancin´under the stars. Needless to say we had to take a break on sunday to recouperate and get ready for some more serious traveling.
Monday Lauren and I took a Bodega tour (winery) through the infamous vinyards of Mendoza. We drank some fabulous wines and learned a whole lot about the process of picking, transporting, fermenting, aging, storing and bottling.
The first winery we visited wasa smallish family holding where we were actually able to walk out around the vines, stealing samples of the REALLY tart grapes (doesnt take a professional to determine that they weren´t quite ready for harvest yet!), and then we went into the actually processing plant to check out their multiple thousand litre storage tanks! Eeeek, that´s a whole lotta wine! After a sampling session we headed on to the next stop...
This one, BCW, was huuuuge! It isone of the biggest producers in the area and a huge exporter to the US and Europe. They had an entire basemet/cellar full of hundreds of oak barrels with all sorts of types of wine - I could have stayed down there and
Riding a Bush
Another poor molested object drooled for hours!
After the wineries we took a chocolate factory tour. Unfortunately they are just horrible teases and put us in front of large VATS of chocolate heating and spinning and taunting us with its delicious odors - and then they gave us a little tiny sample and herded us into the gift shop. Dirty buggers!!! We had a big bus ride coming up so we HAD to buy some goodies for the trip... we really had no choice!
Speaking of big bus rides - we survived an epic journey of 36 hours on a bus, WITHOUT stopping! Well, that´s a lie, when the bus blew the tire and came to a screeching halt we stopped, but I dont really think that counts! Luckily we spent the extra $18 for the ´highroller´ seats - super duper leather stuffed seats with airconditioning and a steward who served us meals and hot tea. Did I mention that we were on a double decker bus with a flat screen TV and pillows and blankets provided? It sure as heck beats the buses in Venezuela, lemme tell ya (although I never did pay for the luxury bus...that may have been my problem!)...
We arrived in Puerto Iguazú bright and early on Wednesday morning - 2 nights and a full day after leaving Mendoza (before you ask, YES there are lots of things to see in between...but we have to head BACK to NorthWestern Argentina, so on our way back we´ll take our time and see the different sights and such then). Thankfully our hostel has a pool, as I have NEVER been as hot as I am here - it´s not just the heat, it´s the incredible humidity (we are in the jungle, I guess I should have expected it!). We walk down the street and in less than a block we are both just dripping in sweat. It´s actually a little gross, but there´s nothing we can do about it - so we´ve accepted the fact that we´re disgusting and now we´ve moved on.
Yesterday we visited the Cataratas (waterfalls) de Iguazú. Regardless of the THOUSANDS of tourists there, they really are the most beautiful waterfalls I´ve EVER seen (and are supposed to be some of the most beautiful falls in all of the world - I sure wouldn´t contest that!). They have built walkways all above the falls so the visitors can walk RIGHT up to the edge and look over as the water smashes into the rocks below, and then other pathways skirt up to the bottom of the cataratas and we were able to stand there and get soaked by the spray from the numerous falls.
Someone said that just being their made them believe that there was actually a God! It was THAT powerful.
Unfortunately we have really bad luck with water colour, and instead of the beautiful blues that are in all the postcards, our pictures are full of silty, muddy, chocolate coloured water - hurray for the rainy season!
Tonight we head south on a bus towards Buenos Aires, and tomorrrow morning at 6am will start the border crossing into Uruguay where we plan to stay a week or so before returning to Argentina, and specifically to BA. Another week or so there, and then up to Bolivia for 2 weeks - give or take - and then... MIKE!!!! He arrives exactly 5 weeks from today in Cusco, Perú, and Im almost to the point where Im counting the hours until I get to see him. I didnt know it was this possible to miss someone so incredibly much! Such excitment!
Anyway, have to put up some pictures - my camera isn´t happy with the water I got on it yesterday (YOU try and keep a camera dry when there are 50 waterfalls all around you!), so I can´t get my pictures up... luckily Lauren and I are sharing photos, so I´ll use hers...
Im off!!! Take care all!
Love, Callie
ok - after trying for almost an hour, NO LUCK with the pictures. I´ll put some more up as soon as I find a better connection. Peace!
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Lindsey
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Love-Hate
I really have a love-hate relationship with your blog. I absolutely love reading your entries and seeing all the pics! At the same time, it makes me hate the fact that I am in Vancouver...well, not really...but I wish I was travelling with you! Next time, please, bring me :)