Moving on

South America » Argentina » Mendoza
February 26th 2007

Published: February 26th 2007

We became very comfortable in Buenos Aires, it is a really lovely city. Could have stayed out our time there easily. We decided to move on to Mendoza because it would be cooler closer to the mountains. What a mistake!

Our first experience with long bus trips. We managed to buy tickets at a bus stop with 224 different offices selling tickets to all over the place. Then we managed to pack everything into the pack and get to the station on time in rush hour traffic and find the right bus out of 75 different bus bays. This was bigger than anything we've seen and much larger than Auckland Airport. We had been told the buses could get very cold and the food was poor. We prepared ourselves by having a Parrilla - a mixed grill with potato fries, lamb chops, kidneys, blood sausage, spicy sausage and other strange things like tubes - we think it was intestines. The bus trip was 14 hours, leaving at 8 pm and arriving the next morning. The bus trip was brilliant, had a seat that layed right flat and had the seat right at the top in the front. They had a waiter who served a lovely meal with wine and champagne. We certainly didn't need a large meal before the trip or any warm gear. We tried to play bingo, and then watched a film.

Arriving in Mendoza there was a huge que for a taxi so we did our first long walk with the packs on. It was hot and took about an hour to get to the hostel which is a really nice place. We were surprised with the big drains everywhere and thought the rainfall must be huge, but it turned out we are in the middle of a desert and they only get 12 inches of rain a year. We wondered why the houses did not have spouting. All the drains are actually canals and they have trees growing in them. They flood irrigate all the parks and every street has trees growing in the canals. This town really appreciates its trees, if it looks like a tree is leaning over they brace them up. Anything not irrigated would die here.

We were really tired after our bus trip and spent the day lazying around. That night we decided to go to the supermarket which is across the road from the hostel and We got scammed by cunning cretins. One man asked me for the time while one tried to get into Pauls´ pocket. He had a bit of money in his back pocket and it was velcroed closed. Paul felt him try for the money and turned and chased him. Paul thought he had got the money and gave chase, telling him his pedigree and being rude about his mother. Paul was almost on him when he threw down a handful of money. Paul stopped to pick it up and found it was cut up paper the same size as money. This slowed him down and he never caught up with him again. We have made a pact that I will pick up anything thrown down and Paul will catch the criminal if we are so unlucky another time. This sort of put us off Mendoza for a day or two. A young boy from the hostel had his bag nabbed at the bus station that had his passport in it. We didn't expect anything like this to happen here because it appears a prosperous city, and there seem to be less poor people here than BA.

The next day we walked to the park and thought we would go to the Mendoza zoo which was just at the back of the park. We walked and walked around this lovely park with an artificial lake, rose gardens and then tried to find the zoo. The park turns out to be 350 hectares and we walked up this road and could see something on a hill. Just our luck the zoo was up on the hill - the first hill we had seen since leaving BA - including the bus trip. Another 40,000+ steps. Quite a nice zoo. Caught a taxi home.

22nd We went on a bus tour of the city, this was when we learned about the canals and that the city is built in the middle of a desert. We also learned that the city was destroyed by an earthquake in 1860 and killed half the population. the town was rebuilt next to the old city and was planned around a big plaza and 4 smaller ones that were designed as evacuation centres if there was ever another earthquake. I thought this was very good Civil Defence planning.

23rd We found the central market, which is really interesting to see how food it prepared and sold. Sides of beef, lamb and their entrails, liver and lights, anything you want, rabbits fish, suckling pig, pickles, grains, fruits and vege. In my quest to try every fruit we bought pomegranates. The food is really cheap here and we have been buying steak to cook for tea every night - 3 big steaks 6 pesos - about $2.50. Paul is very pleased he is not a farmer here and also that he is not a fencer. The ground is very stony and where no stones it is rock. The only place that can grow grass is irrigated. This is the Wine Capital of the world. I bought a bottle of wine for 1.90 peso (75 cents NZ)

24th we went white water rafting - grade 3 and 4 rapids. We had a really great time and will have to try a few rivers in NZ. I never fell out, but came close on 2 occasions, the guide fell flat on the boat on one occasion - at least we didn't loose him. Saw some wild animals, they are similar to llamas, but not. The guides were very excited to see them. It was a really hot day and soo refreshing to get wet.

Today has been another really hot day and 39 degrees. Too hot to do anything, The shops were closed anyway. We walked down to the main plaza but headed back because of the heat. Tomorrow I am going on a bus trip around some wineries.

Regards, Josie and Paul

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