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Published: January 25th 2007
We left Bariloche in a whirlwind. Leon got up and booked a bus. We ran down to the choco shops in a whirlwind effort to stock up on enough chocolate to last us the week.
The bus ride was comfortable until the night time. For some reason the air conditioning broke and we were stuck in a sauna. 20 hours later we arrived highly unimpressed and exhausted in Mendoza.
We spent some time chilling out in the hostel and walking around the city. We found it difficult to adapt to the timing of the city. Shops close between 1-5 for a siesta, before re opening in the cooler hours of the afternoon. Accustomed to sleeping from 3am to 12pm - this proved to be difficult for us.
It was refreshing to get away from the cramped conditions of Bariloche and the army of Isrealis.
However, I commented to Leon that it I had not meet a Kiwi since Bolivia.
Not more than half an hour later, I bumped in to Jake Olsen and Brendon Wright - two class mates from Grammar. So we ended up going out for an icecream (which happened to
Walk in the park
Strolling around Menzoza central park be breakfast at 3pm for us) and yarned like we had just bumped in to each other in Newmarket.
Surreal.
Brendon later met up with Leon and I for a great all you can eat buffet and several bottles of Mendoza wine. All for the great price of 15 kiwi bucks each. The highlight was the fire pit in which they cooked the meat - photo attached.
Brendon peeled off to prepare for a bus ride to Buenos Aires the following day.
Leon and I continued on to La Reserva. As much as i am open for ideas, my Chilean amiga from NZ, Frankie, mentioned that there is a unmissable show in Mendoza.
At 1am we turned up a little skeptical... the bar was a little off the beaten track and definately not full of tourists.
The crazy night continued with a great mix of 80´s hits. Followed by a Drag Queen show in which us Kiwis were singled out and ridiculed in Spanish by a 6foot guy in a blonde wig with Double D fake norks.
No point in heckling we thought. Probably the right choice.
After the show, the dance floor opened
Grammar boy?
Jake Olsen and I upon our chance encounter in the bus terminal. up. I was taken under the wing of 4 30-35 year old Argentinean wives who were out celebrating... not sure what but one can only imagine what 4 housewives would celebrate at 3am in a cross dressers bar. My Spanish was not good enough to figure that out. I am about 80% sure they were girls.
I was their play thing and found myself being passed around between them. Leon disappeared back to the hostel but i was having too much fun with my new friends, so stayed out until 6 shaking my Gringo bootie like i just did not care.
So all in all pretty normal day - randomly met some mates from home, ate all i could eat, saw some weird people and danced with 4 possessive housewives.
I woke the following day with my tongue stuck to the pillow and felt enthused to hop on a bike and head around some wineries. However, the pain soon subsided as i sat in the cool surroundings of the first winery...
We started at the closest winery and worked away from the town... making the return peddle home exhausting yet envigorating. The roads were suprisingly
Dinner time
Brendon Wright, Andrew (random kiwi, Leon and I at dinner. Suddenley all the kiwis appear after not seeing one since Bolivia. narrow and the trucks were suprisingly big and scary as they flew past. Perception was not the best as we dragged ourselves along in the dizzying 30degree heat.
We arrived back starving - not eating all day - and ordered a Bife de Chorizo steak - the name of the juiciest Argentine steak. For the record they definately live up to expectation.
We got out of Mendoza the following day with the intention of laying off the red wine for at least 1 day. Heading back to Santiago to visit our friends from New Years...
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Frankie
non-member comment
LAS TINAJAS
Hey bubs, the all you can eat joint in Mendoza is called Las Tinajas! and I recommended it biatch! you should give me credit for it!, cause you only credited me on the drag queen show and thats just embarassing mate! Didn't I told u it was good? biggest buffet I've even been to, and I've been in Vegas biatch! Smooches, Frankenstein PS: Went to your folks for dinner last night, had a gratuitus laugh on you (Bolivian "cavity search") he he he