Alright, here we go… This is Devin finally signing on to write a blog post for our wonderful followers! I am currently sitting in our hostel in Bariloche, Argentina with the same sickness Rach came down with over a week ago. So, I guess I have some time to update everyone on our amazing time in the wine country of Mendoza!

Hostel Alamo

Our trip started off a little shaky, pun intended, with the flight in from Buenos Aires. As the wheels on our plane touched down into the runway the wind picked up and the pilot pulled up to abort the landing. Very scary. We did a loop and had a successful but bumpy second attempt. Phew… From the airport we headed into the City for one of our favorite little stays yet, Alamo Hostel. This place was super laid back, close to the city center, and had a pool which was nice since it is very hot and dry in Mendoza.

Mendoza City

The first day Rach was still battling her sickness so I went on a little Dev venture up to a few cerros (hills) just outside the City. The next day we went on a walking tour around the City center and learned more about Argentinian history and Mendoza. Since they are in a very dry, desserted area a ton of large trees were planted to shade the entire City. These trees need water, so the engineers created an irrigation system to bring water to every tree through acequias or canals. I am used to designing systems that bring water out of the cities for stormwater purposes, so it was cool to see the opposite. Our tour guide, Marcelo, warned us to always keep an eye on the street to avoid falling into one of these canals, especially if you were in between wine tours ;~) Additional things we did in the City center include: going to museums, renting bikes and attempting some mountain biking, going to a winery which I will cover below, and attending a fútbol match. There was actually some really good mountain biking in Mendoza but we got some “Walmart” bikes that weren’t quite as nice as the ones we are used to.

Fútbol

Rach and I got the chance see a professional fútbol (soccer) match in one of the stadiums in Mendoza. We actually went with Marcelo, our guide from the City tour, which was really nice since the Argentinian fútbol scene can be a little dangerous, especially for tourists. The match was between the home team Independiente Rivadavia vs Deportisto Riestra, and we learned that the away fans in every game across Argentina are not welcome due to the violence that could occur with the home team fans. We went into the stadium very early and were able to get some good seats. As soon as the game started everyone stood up and started singing their teams chants literally the entire game. It was actually really cool to see the rhythm of the chanting change when the team had possession versus on defense. Near the end of the match, Rivadavia scored a goal but was later taken back due to offsides. The fans were livid and a bunch of fights broke out in the stadium. Minutes later, boxes of fireworks were brought into the bottom rows and then were simultaneously lit off by the fans. It was so many fireworks that the smoke from the explosions impeded sight of the field, the grass was singed, and the game had to stop for a minute. The game ended in a tie and we were able to get out of the stadium safely. Play the video below to listen to some of the singing.

Chacras de Coria

After being in the heart of Mendoza for a few days we relocated down south to the more tranquilo suburb of Chacras de Coria. We stayed in an AirBnB this time since there were no hostels down there and found a nice apartment attached to our hosts house. He had a three cute dogs roaming the property, a great grilling area, and a sweet pool! Since we were a little further away from things Rach and I figured out the bus system around here really well. Buses stop pretty much everywhere around the area and are very reliable. We have a SUBE card which gets you onto any bus for 850 pesos or about $0.85 a person. Activities in this area included: hiking cerros, relaxing in some hot springs, and yes more wineries. The hiking around the area involved some very steep accents with a lot of vertical elevation gain. The views were incredible. On one of our hikes we ended at the Parque de Agua (water park) which had some hot pools and an awesome lazy river.

Bodegas

Now for the wineries or bodegas… You can’t go to Mendoza without visiting at least a few bodegas. We went to total of four over our time here. The climate and elevation is perfect for growing grapes for all kinds of wine. They are really well known for their Malbecs, but we tasted some really nice Cab Francs, Chardonnays, Vermouth (which is alcohol from wine), and even a champagne beer. Each tour was a little different but we usually got to see the tanks where they ferment the wine and the tunnels where they stored barrels and bottles. Rach and I mostly ate in to save some money, but did treat ourselves to a few restaurants. One of our favorites was La Central Vermuteria which included a few tapa style dishes and Vermouth drinks.

Next stop on our adventure, we travel south in Argentina to San Carlos de Bariloche. Until next time, this is your blog host Devin signing off…..