Mendoza has a population of one million people and lies in a valley 100km west of the Andes. Open irrigation channels orginially built by the Inca´s to divert snowmelt down from the mountains still give life to the greenspaces of the city centre. Siesta time is taken very seriously here and everything shuts down from about 1pm till 5pm.
In 1861 the city was almost levelled by an earthquake. It was rebuilt to plan with plazas strategically placed every few blocks and there are lots of beautiful leafy sycamore trees lining the streets which provide much needed shade. It was 35 degrees celsius when we arrived!
The wine was of course the big draw for us here. It´s not like us to pass up the opportunity to visit a wine region! However the petroleum industry is in fact the primary industry here. Luckily enough the nearest refinery is located outside the city, well out of sight.
We were a little dazed and confused when we first arrived stepping drowsily from the bus. We checked into Hostel Lagares to a very friendly Javier who spoke English and was more than helpful! We splashed out ten euro for own room with air con., yahoo!
We wandered off down Avenida General San Martin and instantaneously fell in love with the place. There is a very relaxed vibe and it was a welcome break from the previous two hectic cities. We strolled to Plaza Indepencia which is in the heart of the city, and from there to Plaza Espana which is far more charming. Lunch was consumed in La Barca on Espejo, nice cheap eats. At this point James was nearing siesta time and so we headed back to the hostel. So whilst everyone slept I spent a couple of hours researching what exactly we were gonna do with ourselves for the next few weeks!
Later that night we headed out to La Buque on Sarmiento for dinner, as recommended by the local wine magazine. It was all fantastic till a tour bus of people poured in and kind of killed the buzz. But great meal all the same.
We headed off on the Alta Montana route the next day. After about twenty minutes of driving outside Mendoza and the wine region the green trees disappear and give way to a dusty, rocky landscape. The scenery is truly spectacular. The Alta Montana route follows the former Trans-Andean railway and the Rio Mendoza into the Uspallata valley. There are many points of interest along the way. The first stop was a small settlement in the Uspallata valley for our morning coffee! Thank God! Incidentally it is all the location where Brad Pitt filmed the movie Seven Years in Tibet.
From there we climbed further up the mountains along winding roads and amidst truly unbelievable landscapes. We stopped to stretch the legs at Los Penitentes, a popular winter ski resort. Obviously it was closed this time of year but it is a popular climbing spot in summer.
Next on the itinerary was the site where a small bridge erected by Ambrosio O´Higgins is located. It´s very small but has alot of historical value. So many old buildings were flattened during the 1861 earthquake that the city has very little pre dating architecture left. The Incas used this bridge and it was the site where General San Martin camped with his army before crossing the bridge and heading over the border to liberate Chile.
Next up was Puente Del Inca. This is a natural stone bridge which traverses the Rio de las Cuevas at 2700m. Thermal waters seep from rocks above downwards creating streaks of colour due to oxidation of copper and iron in the rocks creating a multi-coloured rock bridge. There used to be a spa resort located there in the 1940s but it was destroyed by an avalanche in 1965 and never rebuilt. There is a strong lobby to rebuild however given the potential toursim windfall due to the therapeutic properties of the water.
Also along the Alta Montana route is Parque Provincial Aconcagua. At 6959m Aconcagua is the highest mountain in the west and southern hemispheres. Unfortunately it was a cloudy day and the summit was obscured. In 1985 an Inca mummy was discovered at 5300m. Unfortunately Aconcagua is only for the most experienced of climbers.
That day we ascended from the city of Mendoza at 750m to 3200m at the Chilean border where we stoppped for lunch. I certainly felt the effects of the altitude at that point. Everyone was definitely moving alot slower and it was more a trudge up to second floor of the restaurant we had lunch in. Anything above 2400m you´re likely to feel the effects.
The following day we had a day off! We strolled over to Parque General San Martin which is 4 square km of green space. It is filled with all sorts of clubs, regatta, horse-riding, tennis etc We very much had a swim in mind and hearing the regatta club had a large pool on the lakefront in the park we decided we´d check it out. After a bit of confusion (and a quick medical!) we gained admission to the pool area where we stayed for the day reading our books and jumping in and out of the water periodically. Heaven!
Back on the tourist band wagon once again we set off on a wine tour on our last day in Mendoza. First stop was Septima which is very much a commercial winery and they make no show of hiding that. We had a tour of the winery and got a very comprehensive explanation on the wine making process. That tended to be the trend for the day in each place we visited. None of the places we visited were in fact the ones we were told we were going to, but no surprises there. We´ve leanred not to get indignant or annoyed about such things after S.E. Asia. You just don´t always get what you pay for. It was however a very informative day and I actually learned more about the wine making process here than we did in Australia. We were only given two wines to taste in each winery which we were surprised about. After coming from Oz where they start with the whites and make their way through the reds until you stumble out of the place we half came to expect this in Mendoza. The wineries here export 70-80% of their produce and so making cellar door sales is not very important to them. In fact most of the wines we tasted were average. The highlight of the day was the lunch we were served in Cava de Cano restaurant that included plenty of free flowing shiraz! Two long wooden tables were spread with a multitude of tapas and the waiters came in and out serving empanadas and other hot pastry delicacies!
There are 1200 bodegas (wineries) in Argentina, approximately 700 of which are in Mendoza. The wine was mostly sold on the local market until 2001 and the a turn in their economy for the worst meant they started to export worldwide. The USA is their biggest market.
The other two bodegas we went to were Cecchin Familia Bodega and Bodega Carmine Granata. Both were family owned and run the latter being one of the oldest ones in the area. They were still using large concrete vats down in the basement.
The Cecchin family are operating one of the only organic bodegas in the area. Our tour there started off out in the vineyard under olive trees before wandering inside to see how they produce their wine. Two old women were chatting at a table as they hand labelled the bottles. It was a very charming little place, our favourite - you gotta love the personal touch!
A great day over all. We met two lovely Irish girls who we got chatting to for the day so we had a bit of craic with them.
That evening we had to cancel our dinner reservations and admit defeat! Instead we strolled around Plaza Indepencia through the night market. Parks in Argentina always seem to be full with kissing couples. They are quite a passionate bunch.
And so that was it, Mendoza, tick. We could have spent weeks there but with time ticking we packed up and grabbed the next bus out of town, out of the country!
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