The bus over the border to Argentina is pretty comfortable - National Express could learn a thing or two. Large seats which recline almost horizontal with lots of legroom, and snacks served. Its a great bus ride over the Andes, stunning scenery that rivals New Zealand (OK that something that National Express cant help.) Although it takes a while to get through, we have no problems this time with border controls and rogue fruit!
We're a bit delayed getting into Mendoza, and despite the warnings of the guide book against thievery, we feel pretty safe in the bus station. Whereas in Chile everybody looked Spanish or just like Gael Garcia Bernal, here in Argentina, they look more native American Indian. We're a short walk to our hostel, which is the really cute family run Chimbas, and then off to hunt out our first steak. English isnt widely spoken, and all the different cuts of meat are a bit of a challenge for my 10yr old GCSE Spanish, but we struggle on through with a great bit of meat and a lovely bottle of red wine all for under a tenner. We think we're going to like it here.
Next day is Sunday, and we're thrilled to have had a good nights sleep for the first time in a while. Its on e of the best places we have stayed in, and also one of the cheapest with TV and even en suite shower room. We spend the day roaming around the mainly shut centre, but do find a good place for lunch and wine, and up the steak stakes with a bife de chorizo, apparently the best cut of meat. It goes down very very well, even as part of a budget friendly menu del dia. After a bit more of a tramp around, very little is open so we head home to watch TV, and use the free wireless.
We're set for a great day of cycling the vineyards on Monday. After a 45 mins bus ride, we're in a little town called Maipu where we pick up our bike from Mr Hugo. The man is there himself to set us on our way. Whilst far from cycling experts, we're aware that we're on a pretty budget bike, but the sun is shining, and there is snow on the Andes in the distance, and its not long before we find ourselves at our first bodgea, El Cerro, a small intimate family run place where a glass of wine, not a taster like in Oz, but a decent glassful is about £1. We get three that we want to try and settle down in the sun on beanbags to tuck into the booze and chat with the other travellers who are around. People are a little bit older in Argentina, and therefore more on our wavelength, and we have good wine quaffing companions from London, Australia and Holland. We've soon wasted about 2 hours - time to move on to the olive farm the furthest point about 9km from Mr Hugo. Not too sobered up by the cycle, we tuck into oil, bread and sun dried tomatoes, even buying some souvenirs - a good idea to get some glass jars to weigh us down. Fortunately there is another bodega opposite for us to drown our sorrows. Time is starting to press on, and we stil havent had some lunch, but we do have a Mr Hugo voucher for a free glass of wine with some food at another bodgea, so head there as fast as possible. One glass isnt enough of the delicious Malbec, which is our new vin du choix, so we neck another and play with the house kitten before heading back to Mr Hugo (via the chocolate factory) who is waiting for us with another glass of wine. By far our favourite wine tour that we have been on, much more relaxed and good value here than in Margaret River, and a lot more intimate and friendly than the big businesses of the Hunter Valley, we vow to drink Argentinian red from now on.
We're pretty exhausted by the time we get back to Mendoza, but hike up into the main town to find some supper (this time with beer!) and then early to bed.
Tuesday is our last day in Mendoza, but our bus south to the Lake District town of Bariloche doesnt leave until 8pm, so there is nothing else to do but go to find a good menu del dia and a bottle of malbec for lunch. Not difficult at all, but we decide to vary the meat intake a little and have some chicken, bacon and even vegetables alongside the traditional beef.
So all in all a good start to Argentina, somewhere that I have been looking forward to visiting for a long time. The steak and red wine is as good as people say (although we havent had super melt in the mouth stuff yet, its all looking very promising) and also as cheap. Its easy to get around, and much more developed than we were expecting, wifi is everywhere, and did we mention the steaks?
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