It was an easy flight from the smaller and much more relaxed local airport in Buenos Aires. We were picked up from the apartment at 6:45am and by just after 11am we were letting ourselves into our new apartment in Mendoza.
We decided to stay just outside the city, but close enough to walk or take an Uber in. The apartment sits directly opposite the Mendoza tennis courts and is a stone’s throw from the wonderful San Martín Park. It is also a five minute walk from a street dedicated to restaurants and coffee shops, all shaded from the heat by a canopy of well established trees.
The climate here is very dry and one of the first things we noticed were the fast running water channels on either side of many streets. We discovered they are part of an intricate irrigation system that sustains the many large trees across the city. They are beautiful to look at and add a sense of calm.
Just before leaving Buenos Aires we arranged a last minute excursion. At about 5:30pm a minibus arrived to take us on what turned out to be a forty five minute drive to the foothills of the Andes, followed by another twenty minutes through what initially looked like a rocky impasse before we reached a gaucho estate. From there, along with a small group, we would head out on a two hour trek.
Neither of us are horse riders, so we were both a little nervous as we climbed onto these big animals and listened carefully to Diego’s instructions on how to handle our particular mounts. Once we set off and began to get acquainted with these beautiful and well trained horses, which were clearly well cared for, we relaxed and started to enjoy the solitude and openness around us. Our route followed small undulating trails through thorny bushes and cacti, crossing long empty riverbeds along the way.
I didn’t take many pictures. Not just because I didn’t want to drop my phone, but also because it felt strangely disrespectful to interrupt the experience I had been given.
When we returned to the camp, the gauchos helped us dismount before tending to the horses, making sure they were fed and watered. The riders then gathered around a long wooden table where a feast had been prepared during our ride. Various cuts of meat had been expertly cooked over an open fire and we all enjoyed the meal together.
We finished the evening sitting beside the fire under the stars while Diego played his guitar and sang Argentinian folk songs. It was a wonderful experience.
We soon settled on Paloma as our regular morning coffee stop. Argentina is not particularly known for its coffee, but this place was very good and the food was excellent.
Rachel has been fairly busy with work during this trip, so her walks have mostly been short ones around town. I ventured further into San Martín Park. It is vast and I didn’t manage to see all of it, but I enjoyed what I did explore. There is plenty of birdlife and the park is clearly well cared for by both those who maintain it and those who use it. The entrance gates on the city side are particularly impressive.
We decided it would be far more enjoyable to cycle through the vineyards rather than be driven through them. After a short Uber ride from the city and picking up bikes from Mr Hugo’s bike rental, a small family run business and agreeing a route, we set off.
It was a very hot day with little shade, as we cycled through the rows and rows of vineyards, so we decided to visit the highly acclaimed Trapiche vineyard first. Unfortunately we had missed the only English speaking tour of the day. By good fortune, however, we met a young chap who was only too happy to practise his English, which was excellent. He talked us through the entire grape to glass process, explained the different wines they produce and even offered Rachel the chance to taste several of them, which she happily accepted.
Malbec is what Mendoza is best known for. The dry conditions here are perfect for the grape, unlike the more humid French wine regions where it originated. Apparently the French did not favour it much at all. Malbec in French loosely translates to bad taste or bad mouth.
The history of the vineyard dates back to the late 1800s and the old railway line once used to transport wine to Buenos Aires can still be seen. We even wandered briefly through the wine vats where we caught the end of a tour. At first I thought the singing was piped in, but it turned out to be the sommeliers themselves finishing their presentation. They were that good.
We had planned lunch at a boutique winery, which we eventually reached after the tourist police kindly put us back on the right road when I had led us somewhere we should not have been.
Our host generously poured more wine for Rachel and served some very good food, which after about three hours on the bikes was very welcome.
Dream Chasers 