Falling into like with the wine industry.

Hesitant to say I'm falling in love with it as it's trite and romantically naive to declare love for your (potential) new industry after so little time. But the past few days have shown me a business that has a rich history, great growth potential, (mostly) warm people and of course a rewarding end product.

Monday morning brought a surprise welcome in the form of a dual wine tasting of Altocedro and Caymus. As I mentioned before, the Caymus folks were in town working on a new project importing frozen Malbec grapes to the States. Karim has been an integral part of pointing them in the right direction around town . So Joe (Caymus founder's grandson and winemaker in his own right- he's started his own label focused on Pinot- Belle Glos) and John, his partnering winemaker, showed up around 11:00am to get a tour of the warehouse as well as taste Karim's pride and joy. I tagged along the tour, taking pictures of the crew and trying to absorb as much of the industry talk as possible. The openness and willingness to share trade secrets and innovative techniques underscores the sincerity of how these guys truly want to make the best quality vino they can. During the tasting both vineyard owners asked numerous questions and seemed to equally learn new things from their counterparts. We had the privilege to taste Caymus' 2007 Special Selection Cab Sav. I don't have my tasting notes with me, but trust me when I say it may have been one of the best Cab Savs I've tasted to date. Of course, Caymus is known for their Cabs. Silky smooth tannins, no peppery finish... ripe berries. Heaven. I asked Joe what name he had planned for the American-made Malbec and he admitted he was still trying to nail one down. Being that playing with names and slogans is one of my greatest past times, I vowed to let him know if anything came to me. Emailed him a few ideas within a few hours after he left. Great way to start the week!

Monday night was the weekly wine tasting club and this week's theme was Malbec Madness. Five wines with a wide range of prices, from boxed wine ($3 USD) and Damajuana wine to about $23 USD wine. We were to guess which wines fell where on the spectrum as well as what we personally favored. Altocedro isn't commonly sold around here so Karim gave me a bottle of the Año Cero (roughly $15 USD) for the group to try as well as the remaining Gran Reserva left over from the morning's tasting with Caymus ($60 USD). I saved the Gran Reserva for a select few people to taste after the big group left. I am pretty confident and unbiased when I say the Año Cero was the highlight of the night and created a (small) buzz for the brand. Afterwards I joined the girls from Familia Zuccardi, Jo and Katie, as well as their fellow intern Gavin (from Napa) for dinner at 7 Cocinas, which is focused on local, seasonal ingredients from Argentina's 7 culinary regions. One of the best dinners thus far, in a casual relaxed atmosphere. Will definitely go back.

Tuesday I spent the majority of the day at the office uploading the past 5 days' pictures to the company's Facebook and Flickr accounts as well as adding captions and cleaning up the Facebook profile in general. Karim had acknowledged he much preferred Twitter over FB and I could do what I wanted with it. Maintaining a FB page could be a full time job!

Tuesday night I met up with Joe's sister Jenny, her boyfriend Eddie and cousin Phil, all of who I also met at Saturday night's charity event. Jenny and Phil both work at Caymus as well and Eddie at his parent's winery. They are all here looking for internships like mine since is Napa's down time. They have found two spots at Alta Vista and I'm trying to convince the third to hang with me at Altocedro. We spent over 4 hours talking, walking the city and having dinner at Anna Bistro, my personal Mendoza favorite (if you remember, where I took myself for lunch my first time here and sat outside, also took my mom on her last night here). They picked a Mendel Malbec as it is a potential employer for one of them, but I was not too impressed with the $160 peso bottle. We finally parted ways at 1:30 and I told them to meet me the next night at the Vines' weekly winemaker night.

Wednesday morning Guillermo had to make a trip down to the winery and brought me with him so I could check out places to live. During the 1 & 1/2 hour drive, he gave me a lot of insight into the exporting side of the business as well as advice for where I might work post-harvest. I furiously scribbled notes as I realized how much there is to learn. Finally got a good look at my future hometown for the next month. One plaza, one stoplight, one hostel...yep. Everything is walking distance to the winery. Sweet. We had a great lunch at the one good restaurant in town, El Cielo (where about 10 Catena Zapata winemakers and vineyard managers were enjoying a multiple course lunch with Altocedro wine, champagne and Johnny Walker). I could get used to that! After lunch I met up with Natalia, who Carolyn (my savior) introduced me to. Natalia has lived in LC for 4 years, after spending 12 years in Mendoza. She works in agro-tourism and was super helpful in showing me my potential living options. Between the hostel, a room with a family (really an aging woman and her full grown daughter) and a charming, luxurious 2-bedroom cottage a bit off the beaten path (too lonely, too expensive), I'm pulling for the hostel. I'll have my own room (with 3 bunk beds) as it's the low season, and more importantly, internet, which is all I really need. Doesn't seem anyone else is staying there besides the owner, who was not there for me to meet. There also seems to be an empty house on the winery where construction workers had been staying. Still waiting to hear back from Karim if that's another viable option for me (it would be free... but may not exactly be nice).

Made it back to Mendoza in time to catch the last half of the winemaker's night at the Vines. Jenny and her crew were there, as was Cara and Jo, from the wine tasting club. Also saw Mariela and Juliet, who I spent last Sunday with, kayaking and grilling. Was nice to see so many familiar faces! The winemaker of the night was Marcelo Pelleriti from Monteviejo and Clos de los Siete. After the lecture, Jenny, Phil, Eddie, their friend Derek (who randomly went to high school with Eddie's brother in Napa and is here coincidentally by himself) and I went to Flor de la Canela, the hole in the wall Peruvian restaurant my mom and I went her first day here. Two grande dishes of ceviche and shellfish and a round of pisco sours didn't fail to please, and for $50 pesos a person, the price was right.

Today I took charge of redesigning Altocedro's consumer-facing technical sheets. These will be handed out to custumers in wine shops around the world who are looking to learn a bit more about who Altocedro is.

Now it's time for my two Skype dates of the evening, my dad and Mack!

just another sunday... argentine style

If you didn't know, Argentine Sundays are mainly for spending with family and friends. Almost every single store/business is closed, streets are deserted, windows bordered shut. Every store except the carne stores. What do Argentines do with their family and friends on the day of rest? Eat meat. Lots of meat.

How did I find myself in the middle of a family asado at the Portrerillos valley, kayaking with Mariel, a wine host at the Vines, and her aunt? It all begins with last night's BodegasTwitter charity event (eerily similar to charity events found in DC and NYC - booths of wine tasting mixed in with local famous chefs doling out bits of their seasonal fares, live bands, art and wine auction with whatever industry's who's who imbibing and socializing... very posh for Mendoza). I think I saw every single person I know in in the city... all eight of them. From Carolyn, my "rabbi," to Emily, my dream-crusher (I kid, I kid), to Adam and Myfawny from the wine club to a random filmmaker I befriended in my hostel. I actually felt like I had some friends here. Of course Karim and his wife were there, as was Marta and Guillermo from the office. Marta and I palled around all night, finding our favorite wines (mine the Catena Zapata Angelica Malbec Reserve, hers a Deseado sweet Torrontes espumante) as well as filling up on the braised pork, trout and quinoa with roasted peaches, tiramisu and alfajores. Also met a winemaker from Napa who has been working with Karim on sending frozen Malbec grapes to his winery in Rutherford for their first attempt at making Malbec in the U.S. He gave me his card with the promise of helping me if I want to harvest in Napa this fall... hmm. I'll keep that in mind. The music was awesome, from electronic tango to amazing flamenco to the super popular Kevin Johansen, an Argentine-American rocker. Apparently his Guacamole song is quite good when feeling depressed, as Adam and Myfawny enlightened me (reminder they are the couple who started MendozaWineCamp.com- he is American, she is Wales/Argentine ). As the lights came on and we were getting pushed out, the dynamic duo invited me grab drinks at a bar. Of course I would join them. Jumping in their 1970s VW van, we headed out to the local bar scene in Godoy Cruz. Adam is heading back to the States in a week for a 3 month publicity/marketing tour and may have some work for me helping Myva out with their tours. Both offered to help me with anything I need, especially if/when I get lonely. Myva was also very forceful in introducing me to her best friends, Julieta and Mariela, both who work at the Vines. Sat around a table of 10, being one of 2 Americans, speaking mostly Spanish. Mariela asked what my plans were for today and I shrugged, figuring I'd spend it hanging around the hostel considering everything is closed. She immediately invited me to her asado, promising she'd pick me up around 11/11:30. Only instructions were to bring clothing for kayaking and some pesos for the meat. Bid adieu at 3:30 and cabbed home, and had a cab driver who swore he didn't have 30 pesos change for my 50 peso bill, except for five $1 US bills. I took them.

So this morning at promptly 11:45 Seba (Sebastian), one of Mariela's good friends, picked me up and drove around the empty town to pick up a kayak at his friend's mom's house, strapped it to the roof of his tiny car using a blanket tucked into the backseat doors (I kid you not, I have a picture) and drove about 10 mph to Mariela and Claudio's apartment (rare for Argentina, they've been living together for 4 years- she's 24, he's 30). Every other corner in Mendoza and surrounding suburbs had a tiny mercado/panaderia/vinoteca with signs advertising this week's meat ofertas. Once at Mariela's, we waited about 30 minutes for her and her aunt to get back from the mercado, where they purchased the aformentioned meat, and her uncle and boyfriend and cousins to come with 3 more kayaks, also strapped to the roof of their SUV. Then it was off to Portrerillos, about an hour drive towards the Andes, on the same route used to head to Santiago. To say the landscape was pretty would be an understatement, as we drove past some well-known wineries including Ruca Malen and Precia. Of course my camera was still in last night's purse, and I only had my iTouch's less than ideal camera. But I made do. Will upload those pics tomorrow. Spent the day hanging around a campsite-type set-up, sipping mate, kayaking in the Rio Blanco among bright blue-green water, old, white gnarled trees straight out of a Tim Burton movie, and the snow-capped Andes. I must have done something right in a past life.

By 5pm the meat was ready. Surprisingly not cooked over an open fire, Mariela's uncle first made the fire, then took the embers and placed them under the little iron grill (parilla), creating an oven of sorts. They kept the fire going next to the grill, but only embers cooked the meat. And, boy, was there meat. About 3 cuts of beef, sweetbreads, intestines and chicken. Only seasoned with salt and cooked for about 2 hours. A bottle of Cab Sav and Malbec, bread, pickled onions and a tomato and onion salsa rounded out the meal. A white melon was the first dessert. More mate. Then we went to the tiny market about a 15 minute walk away and got alfajores and white wine. Sun was beginning to set and a fire was quickly constructed from dry twigs and leaves. Then a hole was cut in another melon, seeds scooped out, and white wine poured in. A mate straw went into the hole and around the circle the melon went, the fire continuing to grow. Finally at complete darkness, around 8:30, we packed up and headed back to the city. Hung out at Mariela and Claudio's apartment for a bit, putting away the kayaks, enjoying being in a local's apartment. The guys drank the favorite Fernet and Coke, Mariela sold me a body soap (she also reps the Brazilian version of Avon). By 10:30 Seba was ready to drive me to the hostel, where hopefully the bed bugs have disappeared. About 90% of the day was in Spanish, with me understanding maybe 30%. Mostly listened, usually only talking when spoken to, but I definitely picked up some new words. And now it's time for bed, so I can be bright and cheery for the office tomorrow.

Wine Tasting, Rafting, Harvesting, Bed Bugging

First official week at Altocedro has finished and I must say, the wine industry is a fun one to be in. Tuesday and Wednesday were spent at the office in Lujan de Cuyo, where I edited some of their technical sheets in English, created a consumer-facing technical sheet (as opposed to the B2B sheets) as well as a tasting notes worksheet to be used for Thursday's North American (gringo) client tasting day. Guillermo seemed happy enough with the produced effort, showing me the basic Word document they had used for past events. Since I'm still learning about the wine process myself, translating many of the words has me flipping between Google Translate, UC Davis' intro to oenology notebook Rebecca allowed me to photocopy and Wikipedia's Argentine wine page. Learning the wine process' technical terms and Spanish at the same time is a bit tougher than I had led myself to believe... or maybe I just hadn't given it real thought.

Thursday morning Guillermo picked me up at 8am sharp to swing by the office and prepare last minute things for the day's events, as well as throw a wine barrel in the back of his pick-up, to be dropped off at the winery later that day. Karim and his wife Pilar met us at the office and we all went to Campo los Andes, an old army base, where the wine tasting, asado and rafting would take place. Rio Extrema, the rafting company, is a cluster of little huts and buildings that host a restaurant (or rather, dining room where we're served the asado), rafting equipment, bathrooms and bales of hay and lounge chairs for hanging out. A sand volleyball court, swimming pool and ping pong table complete the scene, set against the Tunuyan River with the snow-capped Andes in the background.

The gringos showed up about an hour after us, a breath of American air I hadn't realized I missed. A mix of distributors, wine sellers, wine shop owners and a enologist/professor, they were selected by Altocedro's importer to attend the trip for various reasons... sales incentives, etc. As I shook their hands, they realized I was one of them, and the questions started flying. Are you a winemaker? How long have you been here? What in the world are you doing down here? Some seemed intrigued, some impressed, others just happy to have someone else to talk to after hanging with the same group for almost a week. One favorite was Kevin, who owns a tiny wine and coffee shop near Burlington, VT that focuses on sustainable and free-trade practices as well as small, family-run products. Another was Kenny, a fashionable, cowboy boots and Ray Ban-wearing enologist from Toronto who spends 10 days a month at home with his family and the rest traveling the world, educating and pontificating about wine. The day went smoothly, with the wine tasting first (favorable reviews all around - most were impressed with how drinkable the young Malbec was (the Ano Cero line) when compared to the other young Malbecs they'd tasted this week. After the tasting came the meal... empanadas to start, then salads, a baked pepper stuffed with egg and cheese, and of course the piles of meat. It was a hearty bunch, and they did us Americans proud. After lunch there was ping pong and volleyball, then rafting. Split into two rafts with a guide each, we embarked on the Tunuyan River for what was supposed to be a 45 minute tripover class 1 and maybe 2 rapids. Due to the lack of snow last winter, however, the river levels were lower than normal and our inexperienced guide Fernando didn't know how to steer us away from the jutting rocks, causing us to get stuck more often than not. One such rock tossed the raft just so, propelling poor Fernando like a missile. By the time he was able to clamber back into the raft, we had gone a few moments without any guidance and ran right into another, much larger rock. The boat tilted just so, causing water to start flooding in. Taking one second to asses the situation, I got the hell out of the raft and climbed up the rock, the others eventually following suit. I was laughing so hard I was crying. The site of these 50-something wine sellers in their ridiculous rafting suits, crowded on a tiny rock... the one time I wish my camera was waterproof. Finally the guides were able to take control of the situation and get us back into the raft. The 45 minute trip became a two-hour journey.

Back at the site, we warmed up with more wine and pizza, finally saying goodbye to the group around 8pm, whereas apparently 5pm was the norm with previous groups. Karim was my ride home, and after a few stops (picking his sister and niece up at a funeral in San Carlos, dropping the aforementioned barrel off at the winery, where I met Claudio, the vineyard manager who lives on site with his wife and son, Milli and Jamillo). Finally got back to the city by 11pm.

The next morning Karim and Pilar picked me up at 10am (only 30 minutes later than planned) to head out to the winery for family harvest day. Allow me to describe the driving situation here.

First, there is one highway that goes to La Consulta, and it is mostly only two lanes. It also becomes the main street of the city of Tunuyan for a while. Second, the majority of cars here are the mini European type, Citroens and the like, dating back to 1972-1985. The incredibly dry air apparently prevents rust and maintains cars so they run longer than usual here. That, and the price is right for the less than robust local economy. This often gives the impression I've stumbled back 30 years in time. Then there are the border controls. Between the gendarmia (looking for smuggled drugs), the fruit police (looking for uncertified produce. The Uco Valley is a controlled pest-free area) and the general craziness of rural living... men on bikes on the side of the highway, families hitch-hiking, cargo trucks full of grapes and tomatoes driving slower than I can walk... getting from point A to point B is never as direct as one would hope. Add to that the recent drama between the gas stations and the government regarding gas prices (everyone talks about the prospecting going on). Example: Guillermo and I drove to four different stations Thursday morning, each telling us "they were sold out," Guillermo scoffing under his breath they are definitely NOT sold out, finally skidding in on fumes, finding one that would fill us up). Point is... La Consulta is not exactly around the corner.

We meet Marta (the office admin) and Eugenia (the part time accountant) at one gas station on the side of the highway, as well as Guillermo and his wife Laura and their 15 month old baby Julian. After some mid-trip mate and medialunas, we were on our way. Finally get to the winery around noon, where we meet: Karim's parents and sister; Leo, the junior winemaker; Alejandro, who does the bureaucracy, dealing with the govt. and wine certifications; and Claudio, Milli and Jamillo. After a quick rah-rah speech from Karim, we grab our buckets and scissors and get to work snipping bunches of Malbec grapes off the vines. I'm the self-appointed photographer for the day, so only get to snip a few bunches, but I will definitely have my time in the coming weeks. After 20 minutes or so, just enough to get a feel for it, we head to the winery where we test out Karim's new double grape sorting machine and destemmer. 42 boxes of picked grapes are sorted, destemmed and fit into 3 barrels. These 3 barrels get some sulfites and fermentation starters mixed in, and are closed up to sit for 20-30 days, letting the yeasts do their thing and turn the juice into wine. Eventually the 3 barrels of juice will lead to just one barrel of wine.

Then it was back to Rio Extrema for another asado. Same deal as the day before, but in Spanish. After lunch, there was much lounging and talking, more mate, and I got my first dose of office female gossiping in Spanish. Trying my hardest to understand everything being said, I got maybe 50%. Much griping and laughing about married life as well as Marta's search for a boyfriend. The second dose of rafting (fortunately) didn't happen because of another group that took too long getting back. Then it was back to the winery for Karim to check on a few things with the construction workers (I should explain the whole winery is undergoing a reformation... new cement tanks, double-osmosis machine, as well as the aforementioned sorting table. The whole feeling is rather charming and antiquated, in stark contrast to the beautiful state of the art wineries you see in other parts of Mendoza. This one still has a touch of history). It was dark by the time we drove back to the city, and Karim asked us to talk to keep him awake. After discussing our families, Pilar is a child of 8 as well, I steered the conversation to questioning Karim about his opportunities in the U.S. and his vision for the future of the winery. I take notes, trying to make sense of exactly what I'm doing here... hoping something comes together soon in my head.

I get home with the desire to shower and email and relax, only to be told my dorm room has been infested with bed bugs, and they're fumigating. Apparently these things happen in hostels, where people come from long bus rides and other hostels. Sigh. I make it 2 & 1/2 years in NYC without bed bugs and I get them here, in Mendoza, Argentina?! We get strict orders to wash every article of clothing as soon as possible. Which is how I spent my Saturday... running back and forth to the laundromat as well as hand washing (via boiling water using a tea kettle) my more delicate items. Mind you, I have enough clothing for about a month... to span all four seasons. $11 for 3 washing machine loads, 2 hand-washing loads, and about 4 hours later, half my wardrobe is hanging on the lines for the hostel to see. There was something quite soothing pouring boiling hot water over my clothes... very cleansing. Even though most of my clothes were not even dirty, some still had their tags on.

Just got to Skype with Mack and Kara for a bit, they're having big weekend in NYC with the other PSU girls, which surprisingly evoked a few tears from me (man I must be lonely!). Also uploaded about 200 pictures from the 2 days at the winery and rafting so I can post them to the winery's FB page on Monday. Did not get the run in that I wanted. Maybe tomorrow.

Now it's off to get ready for a local children's charity event/auction put on by about 20 wineries. Altocedro is one of the hosts, and Karim bought me the 80 peso ticket. Apparently the who's who of Mendoza will be there, as well as some from Napa. I wisely hand-washed the bedbugs out of one my two fancy outfits last night, giving it enough time to dry today. Hopefully the bed bugs are gone and I can move rooms to the smaller dorm tomorrow (as they quarantined me today to ensure all BB are gone).

In summary, I'm finally doing what I came to do... but am left wondering what the hell I'm doing. Can I really spend a month in tiny La Consulta? Will I be able to make it during the harvest? Will I ever know when I'm doing what I'm meant to do?

I officially work in the wine industry.

So today marks my first day at Altocedro... and even though it was spent in an office, doing computer-y things, I'm pretty damn happy.

Backing up a bit to my last post, the trip down to Mendoza was uneventful in the way you hope traveling alone in a foreign country will be. Staying in the same bohemian kicked-back hostel as last week and enjoying the anonymity I have, avoiding most of the typical "how long you are, where you going" conversations. Arrived around 8:45am, lazed around all morning, napping and reading, switching between the educational do-it-yourself "From Vines to Wine" and my new friend Ben's novel "Indecision." Kindle, you're a godsend. Around 3:00 finally built up the energy to get dressed and went for a run in the massive San Martin Park... which is getting harder the less I do it. But at least I'm doing it! Also got a little yoga in afterwards, on the deserted hammock patio next to my room.

Made it back in time to change and shower and meet Marcos, my Argentine tour guide friend, for a quick 5 minutes while he caught the bus outside my hostel back to his house in Godoy Cruz. Then it was off to the weekly wine tasting night with the expat ladies (and bfs of ladies) of Mendoza. Last night was all about the Cab Franc and the favorite across the board happened to be the one I had recommended to Cara, the organizer. Pulenta Estates Cab Franc 2008. Full of green pepper on the nose but amazing in the mouth. Also about $45USD, which is on the pricier side of things. More people (girls) showed up this week than last, including Emily, who I had interviewed with at the Vines. We were courteous to each other, but nothing more than that. We all went around and introduced ourselves as to where we were from and what we're doing here, and she congratulated me on the internship... yeah, I'm actually really awesome, but thanks lady! Anyway, it was an enjoyable night but not as fun or intimate as the first. But I guess first nights always have the benefit of novelty. Went out for a bite after with Cara (the Seattle sommelier), Amanda (the freelance journalist still looking for a gig), and 2 new friends, both of who are english tour guides at Familia Zuccardi, one of the larger wineries here. Jo is British, new arrival, very spunky and has a few months off between finishing law school and becoming a lawyer in August. She had worked for a British wine critic for a few months and took the opportunity to check out Argentine wine country. The other was an American chick named Katie who has been here since November pretty much working for free and just got fully contracted by the winery. We found a falafel and schwarma place and I enjoyed my first falafel in 2 1/2 months. Well, tried to enjoy it. Enjoyed aspects of it. Not the density or dryness. Briefly flirted with the idea of going to Salta (the other major wine country, in NW Argentina) as Thursday and Friday are national holidays and my office will be closed. Amanda and I discussed going, but the 20 hour, $200 bus ride wasn't exactly a thrilling idea.

This morning, after my first night in a hostel dorm since I was 19 (not bad!), I took my first Mendocino public bus the 45 minutes to Lujan de Cuyo, where the office is. Even though Guillermo, one of my "bosses," had advised me to take a cab my first time, I figured if I could crack BsAs buses, I sure as hell could maneuver Mendoza's. Only took a few times asking the bus driver where to get off and then a follow-up question at the Farmacia on the corner and I was pointed in the right direction. Showing up on time (before 11), post-bus, Guillermo was impressed.

The office is in an old cold-storage warehouse next to a huge supermarket that used to have it as dairy storage. Guess they figured they could make better money storing vino. The Altocedro office consists of 3 private offices, one for Karim, one for Guillermo (the head of operations and commercial support) and one for Marta, the admin/secretary/ office do-it-all. Then there is the conference room in the making, which is sparsely furnished, with high ceilings, lawn furniture, the typical boxes of random corporateness, including a coffeemaker still in its box... and a full-size wine refrigerator. And then a bookcase, displaying wines, not books. This is my office. After a quick tour around the storage facility next door, (cases and cases of wine from more than just our winery), a labeling and packaging assembly line (in progress), and a little side building where our kitchen, lunch room, bathroom and dry good storage (labels, corks, caps) are, Guillermo got to work explaining what he was hoping I could help him with. From technical sheets to brochures to updating the website and creating original content, I've got my work cut out for me for the next week (and whenever the harvest offers me a hiatus). I got to work immediately, helping position the already existing technical sheets to read more smoothly in English, as well as add some design (yes! they have Photoshop! and an extra MacBookPro!)

Oh! They eat lunch together EVERYDAY. They order around 12 from the same place which changes its menu daily, it gets delivered around 2pm, and then the 4 of us eat in the tiny little cottage, crowded around more lawn furniture. Of course there was a bottle of wine (only once or twice a week I was told). My sliced, grilled pumpkin with melted cheese and tomato salad was actually quite nice. After lunch I asked Guillermo about the upcoming holiday/days-off to doublecheck before buying tickets to go anywhere, and he offered that I could stay and join them for the upcoming events. Thursday they'll be entertaining a group of American customers who come down annually (I'm guessing mostly buyers and importers) at a place called Campo de los Andes. There'll be wine tasting, an asada (BBQ) and rafting. Friday is company family day, kicking off the harvest at the winery with more wine tasting, while testing the new machinery (sounds like a good mix), and then more rafting. Whoo! Glad I didn't purchase those Salta bus tickets. At 6pm Marta and I closed up shop and rode back to Mendoza together, speaking mostly Spanish since she's embarrassed with her English. Works for me. Also caught the scoop on the office. She and Guillermo are 33, Karim is around 35, and the three guys on the winery range from 24-38. A young staff indeed. Looking forward to tomorrow already.

Mendocina. I like the sound of that.

Tomorrow I become a Mendocina... at least for the near future.

Preparing to bid adieu to my mom and Robin after a day of last minute things... hitting up MALBA, the art museum, a few stores and of course purchasing random Argentine foodstuffs they couldn't live without.

Last night at Casa Felix we met an American "couple," or at least an American girl and boy. She is a Yale PhD student studying Comparative Literature, he is a published ex-pat, with a novel and literary magazine under his belt. Ben has spent the past 2 & 1/2 years in San Telmo; Moira has been visiting him for the past 2 weeks and heads back to New Haven tonight. Their last dinner at Casa Felix showed all the signs of a new or not-quite-established long distance relationship. It takes one to know one, eh? I hesitate to write more as I know this is a public forum and he's a somewhat public figure... well, he's been featured in NY Magazine, and has a Wikipedia entry and fan page on Facebook. That, a public figure makes.

Anyway, Ben and I exchanged emails should he venture down to wine country or I back to BA (ahem, Jeff, I eagerly await your plans). Loving the Casa Felix connection... first the guys at For91Days.com, now the writer!

A little internet stalking never hurt anyone

Heard back from Karim on Friday letting me know that I most definitely should still come down to Mendoza as planned on Monday. He and Guillermo (the guy who does his exporting/ marketing/ business side) can use me in the office for the week leading up to the harvest helping with technical sheets, marketing items, etc. Whew! Was relieved to find out I can get started sooner rather than later. You may think I'm nuts, but after 2 & 1/2 months without work (aside from Spanish and wine school), I'm actually craving a "purpose."

So I have some free time while Mom and Robin take a private Tango class in the living room (don't ask... this is the second of three they're planning, in as many days. They have another at 4pm tomorrow, and are leaving at 5:30 for the airport). That's dedication.

Anyway, I just dug up this gem of an interview, taken about 5 months ago. Not the most natural interview and it certainly won't win any journalism awards, but at least you can see who I'll be working with and a little insight into Altocedro.

Yesterday morning I again enjoyed having the apartment to myself, then eventually met up with Fernando, the head of Marketing at Algodon Wine Estates. This was a contact Robin forwarded along, an old friend of his has a friend who invested in Algodon... the whole friend of a friend thing that I'm so familiar with now. I met Fernando in Algodon's office in fancy-pants Recoleta, and after a bumpy start to the interview (informational meeting?), I was able to get comfortable and get to know Fernando, how he got involved with wine (his cousin's winery in Hungary!) as well as tell him a bit about myself. While they're not hiring anytime soon (their upscale winery and resort in San Rafael closes at the end of April for the low season), they have a boutique hotel in Recoleta that they're trying to build up, as well as their hands in a few other projects, including something that might rival the Vines' private estates project. Ruben, the COO, also come in to say hi. Ruben is your standard big man in the office, full of confidence, money and success, and jumped right in to interrogate why I was in his office, what I was looking to do. No, I have no real wine experience. No, I do not want to be a sommelier. But I have an upcoming internship! He knows Karim, and admitted that he was a very, very good winemaker. Another whew. After two minutes, he was off to his next meeting and it was back to me and Fernando, who agreed to pass my name and CV along to a few other people within the industry who might be interested in meeting me (so far one has already politely declined). Anyway, another contact for the books, as well as a nice bottle of their 2007 Merlot.

Last night Mom and Robin got back from Iguazu around 7, just in time for their first private Tango class in the apartment while I sipped a bottle of the Azul blend I brought back from Mendoza. Then it was quickly off to the parilla Don Julio, highly recommended by many, but disappointed with bland, fatty sirloin. Then I was dragged to another milonga for an hour or so while neither Robin or Mom had the courage to actually get up and dance. The tango music changed to salsa for a set and the vibe of the entire place woke up. What a different mood the salsa brings out in people... definitely the dance I would do if forced to choose. Then it was back to the apartment by 1am so we could arise at 7:30 in time for our 9:15 tour of the Teatro Colon, the recently refurbished and reopened opera house that rivals the best in the world in terms of acoustics, grandeur and opulence. 24k cold leaf, Parisian furniture, sculptures as far as the eye can see... simply awesome. Then it was time for the breakfast of champions at Freddo helado in the Patio Bullrich mall. Dulce de leche ice cream and cappuccinos at 10am, I kid you not. Then Plaza Francia for more artesian crafts, I got an electric green cowhide cuff, and then my Spanish teacher's recommendation to see the Recoleta cultural center's exhibition of Miguel de Molina, an amazingly flamboyant Spanish flamenco dancer/singer/designer. We fell in love with his costumes - you'll see when I post the pictures. Then it was lunch at another parilla, La Brigada, to hopefully redeem the previous night's lousy steak, which it did, times 10. My favorite parilla thus far. Both the sirloin and rib eye were top notch, as was the proveleta, chimichurri and calabaza puree.

Now another glass of Azul while posting, and it's dinner at Casa Felix, my third time at the charming closed door restaurant, which of course I will show to every visitor who comes to BsAs.

Ciao.

A Frenchie named Chucky & Me: Happy St. Patty's Day Indeed

Finally decided to break out of my normal blog style and add a picture within the text... this is the first picture taken with the iTouch that I've actually posted... I didn't carry my bigger camera around today but wanted to capture Mike and Jurgen's grumbly ole Chucky. The look on my face is pure fascination to learn that the story in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (which I read last fall) was almost 100% true (they spent 91 days in Savannah before coming to BsAs)...

Entonces, two new doors have been opened. One, using the iTouch as a camera. Two, posting pics within posts. Watch out, kids, Lindsey's getting fancy!

Back in BsAs. Same city, different feeling, that feeling of no plans.

When I booked my ticket coming back to the big bad city to wait for my mom and Robin to get back from Iguazu, I thought I'd be by myself with little to no plans, and pictured myself hanging in the apartment, painting my nails, watching TV, maybe laying at the pool, just killing time... ha. After catching up on a bit of sleep post-overnight bus (where I met an adorable elderly couple who live in Mendoza and offered to have me over when I'm back. He is a professor emeritus of geography tourism at the University of Gastronomy and Food... she was his English translator/wife/student. Picture the cutest old man with alfajor crumbs in his beard and pants unzipped as he departed the bus)... I digress.

Caught up on sleep, emails and general internet-ish, then headed out to meet Ayelen (my cello-playing, poetry-writing, French-learning 21-year old Spanish teacher from my language school) for coffee. Remember, when Ayelen plans to hang, she allocates hours to do so. No quick one-hour hi and bye for this girl. We meandered through the old crumbling streets of Montserrat/San Telmo with no particular destination except my sole requirement of coffee at some point. We stumbled upon the "mysterious" Túneles en la Manzana de las Luces, which I had never heard about, and she had forgotten that she had visited when she was in primary school. Apparently they're so mysterious because no one knows exactly why they're there. There are some educated guesses about the Jesuits building them to help safeguard the city... or something. The building housing the tunnels has a quiet, spacious courtyard which was the perfect place for a cafe con leche, probably one of the more unique to be found in the city. Three hours later, my Spanish quickly progressed from rusty to somewhat manageable, just in time for my two hour class with Martha, the Argentine married to Mickey, the Bronxian. (I remind you, dear readers, because I know I'd sure as hell get confused if I didn't have a face with the names...)

Probably the most enjoyable class thus far, where Martha offered me yet another round of coffee (this time made with an Italian coffee-maker, on the stove, similar to a percolator, but not plugged in). We sat at her kitchen counter and discussed my various trips, the internship, she gave me a few books to read, offered to put me on her family cell phone plan, gave me a tour of her palatial and amazing house (the rooftop terrace alone had me at hello) and discounted me an hour for the class. She could be my home away from home. I'd be happy with that. Also turns out she's a fellow member of the tribe. We're everywhere!

By the time I got home it was after 9 and I spent the night half-watching the Life of David Gale with Spanish subtitles, writing more emails and simply enjoying the rare freedom of having an apartment to myself in South America.

This morning I slept in a bit, dreading the inevitable chore of the day: my taxes. Robin graciously brought my W-2s and 1099s down, and I hunkered down over some newly discovered delicious Greek yogurt, yellow plums (so sweet and juicy) and cereal and began the annoying task of plugging numbers into TurboTax's software, keeping an eye on the ever-falling amount of money I'd get in return. It ended in the black, after dipping to the red for a minute, but with a huge sigh of relief I will be getting SOMETHING back... just enough to keep me here an extra week or two I'd say.

After double-checking the numbers with H&R Block's software, I picked the cheaper of the two services (TurboTax with Capital One's 25% discount if anyone's wondering), showered, and headed out to meet Gonzalo for coffee. Gonzalo is my other teacher from the language school, 24, studying literature and also wise beyond his years. Was great seeing him after the month hiatus, having seen him everyday for my first month here. Showed him some pictures of the trip on my new iTouch, he complimented me on my Spanish (score!), we discussed various relationship topics, gossiped about the few people we know in common, and then it was off to meet Mike and Jurgen, the couple from Casa Felix who are traveling the world, 91 days at a time in various cities. Met up with them in a literary/arty cafe-bar called Poesia in San Telmo, their 'hood, so they could bring along Chucky, their aging and slightly injured French bulldog. We sipped our blonde artisanal beers (little more than $3 a piece), devoured bowl after bowl of peanuts in their shells, talking about ex-pat life, BsAs, their travels, monetizing websites and blogs (they seem to be quite good at it... how they're making a living actually). They have 6 more weeks in BsAs then they're off to Bolivia, which I keep hearing more and more great things about. Apparently there is a developing wine industry there as well... must look into that.

I've finally begun to really budget myself, after two months of not reallllly giving a damn and living more like a rock star than I should have, and it's caught up. I've dug way into more savings than I'd planned, and am eagerly awaiting the internship to cover some of my expenses. Finally heard from Karim today, who informed me that the Italian winemaker won't be joining us for the harvest, which is now also pushed back a week. So instead of just a few days after my mom and Robin leave, I have two weeks free... I know it sounds silly, but the thought of not doing anything concrete for so long actually has me in a panic. That, and I'd have to figure out where to stay. Maybe negotiate with Hostel Lao for a discount on an extended stay? So not my personality to have nothing planned, so of course my mind is racing. Maybe my mom will stay an extra week! Maybe I'll take a hiking trip somewhere. Maybe I'll go to Salta and taste the hell out of Torrontes. Maybe I'll ask someone to fly me to Europe! Ha. It's funny what the mind thinks up when it has the time and freedom to not be bogged down with a 9-5.

Mendoza, closure of part 2: Relief

What a difference a day and half makes! Sunday night I was sitting in the same place, at my go-to spot on the worn and cracking sofa in the living room at Hostel Lao, worrying if I'd made a mistake about being here. Sure, I keep a strong front, but deeper down, I was over-analyzing my situation, as I (just sometimes) tend to do. While things with Karim are still not fleshed out 100%, I am feeling immensely more confident about my decision.

Yesterday I enjoyed my first day with zero plans. Well, I attempted to have zero plans but my slight type A personality came out and emailed a local British ex-pat whose email had been given to me by one of my language teachers in BsAs. Paul emailed me back immediately and we arranged to meet at 6pm in the Plaza Espana, one of the four charming, Spanish-tiled, fountain-y plazas around the city. That should have left a whole afternoon to kick back and hang out around the hostel. But I wanted to send some electrolyte tablets to Alvaro over in Chile as well as print out my bus tickets for BA. So I hunted down a stationary store that was open during siesta (took 3 attempts), bought an envelope, wandered over to the post office to send the Nuun tablets (they are difficult to find down here, so my mom brought some down for me). Of course nothing is as easy as it should be in a foreign country and the lady at the post office informed me I had to bring the package to customs for inspection, but as it was 1:30, I would have to come back tomorrow when they are open from 8-12:30. Okay. Then it was off to print out the bus tickets, which took the guy at the internet cafe about 5 times to figure out. Wandered back to the hostel, bought more minutes for my phone, posted remaining pictures of Mom's trip and followed up on more emails. 6:00 approached rather quickly and I headed out to meet Paul.

Being an ex-pat, he was there on-time, a rare treat down here. We settled down at a cafe for an evening jolt of caffeine. Paul came down to Argentina 5 years ago after he and his fiance threw in the towel at their corporate jobs, wondering what it was all for, and set out to travel the world together for a year. They made it 8 months, across South America and part of Asia. They broke up in Thailand out of a mutual feeling it just wasn't right (after 7 years). Having already visited Argentina and liked what he saw, Paul headed back to BsAs to start anew. Taught English for 3 years in BsAs, met his now wife, and was finally convinced by his old company to take a sales position for the South American territory. They decided on Mendoza for its small city feel and closeness to Santiago, where his largest client is. They have a 2 year old boy named Thomas and baby number 2 is on the way. We chatted for a little over an hour, I offered my babysitting services, he offered help with anything I might need, and then it was time for me to meet Carolyn at a last minute wine tasting she emailed me about.

Having no idea what the wine tasting was about, or who was putting it on, I blindly show up at the address, a restaurant, and 6 ex-pats, all about my age, are hanging around waiting to get it started. They ask who I am, I ask if Carolyn was there. She wasn't, they didn't think she coming, but hey, of course I could stay. They immediately start drilling me with questions as to who I was, why I was in Mendoza, what I was trying to do. I started off with the usual background, got into the internship story, about to start on my disappointment with the Vines, but caught myself and asked if any of them worked there. Bingo. Two of the girls. Another Lindsay and a Cara. The two interns I had read about online.

Lindsay seemed to be the most knowledgeable of the group (or at least the most vocal in her opinions on the wines). She is Canadian, a trained (but not tested) sommelier, currently traveling the world's wine regions with her boyfriend, a Kiwi named Bruno (who humbly admitted to knowing almost nothing about wines). Guessing they're late 20s, early 30s. Been together for 5 years, met in Canada. They just came from NZ and Oz and are heading to Spain after her 2 month stint with the Vines. Cara is also a sommelier, from Seattle, spent 4 months in BsAs (hated it, got mugged at gunpoint twice, once with her mom- eek), and has been in Mendoza since January. She is working at Azafran, the "it" restaurant according to guidebooks, and not really sure what her position is at the Vines, but it's some sort of internship. Also not sure how long she'll be in Mendoza. Amanda is a journalist from North Carolina, but was most recently living in Colorado, and came to Argentina to get into the wine industry a month or 2 ago. She hasn't found anything yet but admitted to not really trying too hard. She seems the head in the clouds type, and kept asking me how I went about contacting people and how I got my interviews. Rounding out the group were Adam and Myfanwy, he an American who is an avid skier and saw the opportunity to start some kind of ski tourism business down here. He started out by becoming a tour guide for Trout and Wines when it first started, about four years ago. She is Argentine-born but spent 15 years in Wales so has a great accent. She did some time on a Napa winery as well as being a wine tour guide in Mendoza. Tour guides at rival companies, they decided to quit and start their own, Mendoza Wine Camp. Ironically enough, I had emailed them a month ago after Martin told me they may be hiring. And I never heard back. Of course I ribbed them about this and they felt bad enough, after swearing they never got the email but then realizing they "starred" it and forgot to write back. Everyone seemed impressed enough with my internship, saying how hard it is now to get a gig like that, as opposed to 4 years ago. They know plenty of people with more experience with me who have been turned away. Hmm. Lindsay and Myva, both having worked harvests (or vintages as they called it), gave me tons of advice, from wearing gloves everyday so as to not permanently stain your hands black, to wearing shitty clothes you don't care about, to asking tons of questions and paying attention to what chemicals do what. Etc. Both absolutely loved their time on the vineyards.

The blind wine tasting was Chile vs. Argentina Sav Blancs. Two months ago I would have felt way over my head, but turns out I've learned some stuff and can hold my own! We tasted 6 wines, shared a picada (meat and cheese plate) and Carolyn eventually turned up, with Carmen, her 3 year old daughter in tow. Hadn't seen her since my first trip to Mendoza and it was like seeing an old friend. She assured me Altocedro will be a great experience, pack more warm clothes, and sure, I may have to couch surf at first, but it will work out. She's really excited for me, and for some reason I entirely trust this woman who I've only met twice.

After the tasting, went out for a beer at an Irish pub with Cara and Amanda and met up with some of Cara's couchsurfing.com friends. A local Mendocino who offers her couch, a Dutch OB/GYN who is traveling South American until his new job in May, and a French software consultant who recently moved to Mendoza. All in all, a good night.

Today I attempted again to send Alvaro's tablets but after examining them, the guy at the post office's Customs window directed me to another office to get them to sign off on it and then come back. It was 12:20 and they closed at 12:30. Sigh, I'll do it next week.

One last errand before my bus, swing by the Vines to pick up a bottle of the Azul blend Mom wanted but couldn't get before she left, then it's 13 hours on the bus. I really should go walk around and make myself tired so I can sleep on the bus, but I'm so enjoying the rare tranquility of this youth hostel. Seems most of the occupants are out bicycling around wineries or rafting the Mendoza River so it's just me, the front desk girl and one or two other people lounging in hammocks around the pool, reading and writing. Weather is perfect. Blue skies and 72 degrees.

Already made my reservation to stay here next Monday and Tuesday, but moving to the dorms. $14 a night as opposed to $36 for the private room and I end up spending most of the time in the common areas anyway. Big backpack is locked up in their closet, awaiting my return. Big suitcase is going back to the States with mom. Time to travel light.

On my own. For reals.

So up until now I never really felt "on my own." In BsAs, I had the Spanish and wine schools and my English-speaking roommates who were in the same boat as me, always having someone to eat with or walk around town and laugh with. Then it was my Patagonia trip with a built-in social network (of sorts), then my mom showed up with open arms and heart. Now she's back in BsAs while I decided to stay in Mendoza for a few days to try to finalize job things and the living situation.

Of course after having your mom around for two straight weeks, being in a foreign city in a hostel knowing pretty much no one (save a few acquaintances I've met along the way), and realizing this is going to be my life for the near future... well, I'd be lying if I said I didn't think twice about packing up shop and calling my own bluff. But I know this is what I'm here for, and to let my doubts and fears overcome me would be worse than stupid.

So at 5am this morning, I bid adieu to my mom for a few days, enjoyed a late checkout at Hotel Bohemia and slept in, Skyped with my dad, repacked my bags, uploaded photos and cabbed over to the new hostel, Hostel Lao. Total chill hippy hostel outfitted with hammocks and wind-chimes, a murky pool, well-worn couches and an average age of 25. Hung around the pool area with my Kindle, took a nap and went for a run in the San Martin Park. First run in 2 weeks was exhilarating. Came back to hostel to send emails I had been delinquent on and just as I was feeling a bit lonesome around 7pm, a guide I had met at one of the wineries (and who I had emailed earlier today in the hopes of having a friend my age), texted me he was close to my hostel. Still in my running clothes, I grabbed my fleece (there's a cold front here: 61 degrees!) and room key and met him for some pizza and beer. New friend, yay! Marcos is 29, finishing his tourism degree, loves quoting the Simpsons, and has a car! And will take me hiking! And we speak a mix of Spanglish. Hope on the horizon for Mendoza friends!

The internet is yet again total shit in my (very charming, clean) private room, so here I am in the living room with 2 Germans (?) watching Stigma or some other terrible religious movie from the early aughts.

First, to recap the last few days with Mama Berk in Mendoza. Wednesday was interview day, which I've already touched on. Thursday is up there with one of my favorite days so far. Another big thank you to Karen for turning us onto Termas Cachueta, a thermal spa and hot springs in Lujan de Cuyo, about an hour outside the city. An all day excursion full of natural hot springs of varying temperatures, mud baths, a massage and the best lunch buffet I've had in South America. Homegrown vegetables served every way possible (I think I had 5 different kinds of eggplant), amazing lentil salad, roasted tomatoes, grilled onions, and of course at least 10 kinds of grilled and marinated meats... and then there was the dessert. Sure, there was flan and watermelon and some kind of tiramisu. But the mousse de dulce de leche is hands down what I want at my last meal. Gallons of it. Fluffy, creamy, sweet caramelly heaven. Of course we had left our cameras down by the hot springs, not knowing lunch immediately followed our hour long massage, so I don't have pictures of the meal. The tough life. But the pictures of the spa will be posted soon enough.

As soon as we got back from the springs we threw on our sneakers and hiked off our ridiculously gluttonous lunch in the nearby Parque de San Martin (he's like our George Washington). Walked about 45 minutes to the base of Cerro de la Glora (Hill of Glory) which honors their fight for independence. The 15 minute climb of the Cerro was steeper than anything I did in Patagonia. Poor Mom and her knees, but she did it. And the sunset view was worth it. Mendoza is a sprawling city much larger than thought.

Friday was our first real trip to the good wineries, spent in Lujan de Cuyo. Archaval-Ferrer (where I met Marcos, the guide), Ruca Malen and Septima. Highlight of the day was the 4-course lunch at Septima where we were the only patrons in the beautifully decorated 4-star dining room with a view of vines galore and the Andes. An amuse bouche of cured ham bruschetta (paired with sparkling white wine) followed by a cheese, nut and dried fruit plate (Malbec rose), then the Best Steak to Date here in Argentina (Cab Sav). Twas totally unexpected and only ordered because I don't love trout, the other main plate option. Dessert of (what else?) dulce de leche flan paired with a delicious dessert wine that wasn't cloyingly sweet. Mom's dessert of surprisingly awesome dried syrupy fruit with brie included fruits we couldn't figure out, and after asking the waiter, found out it was sweet potatoes (batatas), a type of squash (zapallo), and candied watermelon (alcayote). Of course we wrote everything down and hunted them down at the Centro Mercado yesterday. Mom lugged to BsAs jars and jars of marmalades, dried fruits, wine and nuts.

Post-wineries was get-your-roots-colored-time for Mom while I dutifully read and waited, just like I was 10 again. Instead of the Babysitter's Club to keep me company, however, I had Patti Smith's Just Kids. So good and keeps getting better! Mom's hair turned out fab and we were off to do some shopping and taste some more wines at the Vines. Shared their Premium 5-tasting flight and I got to enjoy more Laborum Tannat, which I had first tried when Karen generously bought me a glass in February.

Saturday was Day 2 of tasting, but in the Uco Valley, a bit farther out of the city and at a higher altitude, making them known for a more premium wine. LOVED Pulenta - they gave us a blind smell test just like in wine school - and an all around top class informative tour. The itty bitty boutique winery Azul followed, also very good, and very reasonably priced, they only make 40K bottles a year or something (exact number is in my notes, in my room, grr). Ended at Salentein, which houses a phenomenal private art gallery of Argentine and Mendocino artists, a quick lunch of empanadas and salad, then a tour of their state of the art winemaking facility. Gorgeous room where the acoustics are on par with an opera house and we just so happened to have a Dutch opera singer in our group! Wines there didn't live up to the hype my mom's friend AJ had imposed on her, so she was slightly disappointed, but I think the ambiance balanced that out. On the drive home our driver spotted a moto race, with about 30 kids (teens/20s) racing motorbikes around a dirt track, doing jumps and craziness. Snapped some shots and continued home for Mom's last night in Mendoza. Ordered wines to ship home from the Vines, shopped the Central Mercado where we found the delicious dried fruits as well as disgusting fresh animal parts on display, just in case you want to grill some cuajo (Natural calf rennet is extracted from the inner mucosa of the fourth stomach chamber of young, unweaned calves), heart, chinchulines (Googled this-intestines) or tongue at home. No? But they're on sale!

New pictures and Mendoza Round 2 Update.

after a busy few days in Mendoza, we decided to stay in tonight and enjoy a bit of downtime with an actual internet connection in our room, lucky you.

after landing in Mendoza an hour late Monday evening, we checked into the quaintly almost-ideal Bohemia Hotel. i say almost-ideal because it is a really funky, cute boutique hotel, exactly what you'd want after sipping Malbecs all day with your mom, but there had been some issues with the internet in the room (Macs don't get service in the back rooms? i was forced to sit in the enclosed patio outside our room, trying to upload pictures and send job emails while getting attacked by tiny no-see-um gnats), as well as the A/C unit located in the closet, which shared a sliding door with the bathroom, so in order to get A/C circulating in the room, the door to the bathroom had to always be closed... more annoying than it sounds. we changed rooms yesterday and solved both annoyances. ok, so now pretty ideal.

Monday night we meandered over to the hole-in-the-wall Peruvian joint Flor de la Canela that I had wanted to try my last visit here but didn't have the time. literally a hole in the wall where once the tables outside were full, they dragged the inside tables outside and filled up the sidewalk. we shared a ridiculous amount of very well priced (and spicy!) ceviche and 2 pisco sours and called it a night. tuesday we rented bikes and rode around the Maipu district, about 30 minutes outside Mendoza city. known more for the bike riding from vineyard to vineyard than the actual wines being served. we weren't impressed with the wines, but the bike riding and chocolate and jam and olives and olive oil tastings were fun (other gourmet foods Mendoza is known for)... then we got to the construction site where the one main road that leads to all wineries became a dirt path with endless rocks and potholes. bumpiest 30 minutes of my life. we somehow managed to make it all day in the hot, dry desert sun and got back to the hotel around 8pm. mom took a nap, i futzed with the internet connection and cursed out Flickr a few times, then we walked over to Mendoza's main nightlife strip, Aristedes Villanueva, (kind of like Lincoln Road if you know Miami Beach) and window shopped while snacking on this inflatable popcorn that is our new favorite snack. instead of a movie, we had the stores. instead of popcorn, Maiz Inflado.

Wednesday we slept in for the first time and then got our nails done so I could be somewhat presentable for my interviews. after 2 months of no manis and pedis, i felt quite bad for the girl assigned to me. two hours later, i was on my way to the Vines for interview round 2. sigh. i really was so excited for this one. the company is growing and growing... opening a culinary resort and spa in 2012, featured in all the guide books and NY Times and Bloomberg... then totally got disheartened after the meeting. to save time, i'm adding onto an email i sent to my Dad:

The first one was at the Vines, the big company owned by the American. I felt like I didn't connect with the woman I spoke with, an American who is the Director of Marketing. She's been here since 2006. I think mainly because she started off by saying they didn't have any specific position open and it might be a few months until they do. And then she also explained how the company was run very American... she only gets 2 weeks of vacation a year, she barely has anything to do with actual wine, works mostly in the office, etc. etc.... pretty much everything I don't want right now. I was pretty bummed afterward because the company is growing and I thought it would be great to work there, but then as we spoke, I realized it wasn't as good a fit for what I really want to do right now (learn the behind the scenes of a winery). I found myself pitching myself to to be a project manager! What the? That is NOT what I came down to Mendoza, ARGENTINA, to do.

My poor Mom, who was so excited for me that morning, had to deal with Pissed Off, Disheartened, I DONT KNOW WHAT IM DOING HERE Lindsey for a few hours until my next meeting. pouty McPouterson.

I managed to snap out of it before I met with Karim, the winemaker and owner of Altocedro, a small but well known winery in La Consulta, about an hour outside of Mendoza City. They sell in the States, so keep an eye out for it. We had a great conversation over coffee at the fancy-pants Park Hyatt where he knew about every other person who walked in, all of whom worked in the wine industry in some way. (Remember, I was put in touch with Karim through Carolyn, the American woman I randomly reached out to through email after seeing her company website. She's friends with Karim, who she met while working at the Vines herself, doing their PR. "Too corporate" for her... hence her own wine tourism business. there you go.)

Back to Karim. Turns out he's offering me an "internship" of sorts where I can learn everything about the winery during the harvest (March-May-ish), help him keep a "Harvest Log" online (take pictures and update daily with what goes on during a harvest... hello, yes I can do that), as well as actually get hands on experience with the machines and grapes. I wouldn't be doing manual labor unless I want to, it would be completely flexible time-wise (if I want to take a few days off when a friend visits, I can. (JEFFREY- we need to organize your trip soon!). He is also having another intern start in a few weeks, an Italian winemaker who wants Argentine experience. I may be able to rent an apartment with him, which would be great. Karim will cover part of the rent (about 50% and then if I share with the Italian, I only need to pay 25% rent. And he will cover 100% of my food). Sounds pretty reasonable and it's pretty much what I came down to do: get to know the winemaking process. We also briefly talked about maybe helping him expand his business in the States... but first things first.

Ok, tomorrow we're up early to go on our first real wine tour (I discount Maipu entirely. Sorry, Trapiche). Lujan de Cuyo, here we come!

oh, i've managed to upload all Patagonia pictures, most videos (uploading the sea lions now), as well as a new Special Album dedicated to the lost dogs of Patagonia... for some reason, i really took a liking to them. they just seemed to have so much more personality than the strays of the States. i've started a thing now and can't help but take pictures of random dogs i pass most days. so there will be a continuing evolution of this...

More Patagonia pictures, quick recap of Mom in BsAs, and onto Mendoza Part 2

Okay. Quick 20 minutes to bang this out before grabbing a cab to scoop mom up at her Tango class and then we're off to Mendoza!

As my Dad eloquently pointed out - we're going real first class this time- by hour and a half plane rather than 13 hour bus. There's no way my mom would enjoy the overnight bus, even in their first class.

Before I delve into our last week in the "Paris of South America," I should point out that I am still continuing to upload Patagonia pics. As I mentioned before, the connection here really sucks and it takes way longer than normal to upload anything. Really having trouble uploading video, and there's this one of penguins that I REALLLLY want everyone to see. They're just so ridiculous in the way they move. So, continue to check out Flickr for updated pics and videos from the end of my trip as well as captions explaining what's what.

The last week with my mom has been great, but also a bit stressful, making sure she has a great time and sees everything I think she should see to get a good feel of the city. Starting the trip off at the Popular (aka CRAZY) section of a professional soccer game was NOT the way to go. Then there were tango classes, milongas (tango clubs), a super cheesy Tango show that made us both cringe, a relaxing day at an Estancia where we watched gauchos do horse tricks and folk dance and we ate loads of steak... of course no trip of my mom's is complete without lots of shopping all around the city. I found we tend to favor the artisanal jewelry more than the clothes, but we did score two amazing dresses by a local designer that Karen (who I met in Mendoza) turned me onto. We bought the same style but different colors and you can wear the dress about 5 different ways. It would totally make her trip if I agreed to wear it with her at the same time, but it hasn't happened, yet. Would bring us both back to when I was 5 years old and we wore coordinating Laura Ashley dresses and gigantic bows in our hair. You get the picture.

Then there was the day where my mom caught a 24 hour bug and was in bed all day (she blamed the mate tea, but apparently there was something going around). Once she felt better, there was more shopping, two nights of dinner at closed-door restaurants (loved Cocina Sunae, run by an ex-NY woman who married an Argentine- my first Asian food in 2 months- perfectly spicy. Also took her back to my favorite, Casa Felix, which I had visited my first weekend with Amy and Lisa. There, we met an awesome gay couple who write a blog about their journeys around the world. They spend 90 days in a city and write about it. One-half of the couple is American and the other is German. Current residence is of course BsAs, but permanently they call Valencia, Spain, home. Have spent time in Savannah, GA, Denmark, and a bunch of other places I can't remember right now. Haven't had time to check out their blog yet but promise I will! I plan to meet up with them when I come back to BsAs to see Robin in two weekends. I digress).

Saturday we finally made it to the Recoleta cemetary, which I used to live 4 blocks down from but had resisted visiting until my mom was here. It was breathtakingly beautiful, as I knew it would be. The tombs are elaborate, with whole families buried in multi-level mini buildings. Street after street of opulence - statues, stained glass, classic architecture - all to celebrate the dead rich and respected portenos (of course, this is where Evita is buried). It's kind of a mini-town of death. A very cool place to spend some quiet time. Fancy coffee at the Hotel Alvear after the cemetary was a nice pick-me-up and dose of reality. Then it was Plaza Francia for more artisanal shopping at the weekend market - we bought matching handmade funky colored leather sandals - totally continuing to hippy myself out. Walked around Recoleta a bit after, then wandered over to the Evita museum, which was disappointingly unorganized and lacking of her life's details... but still in a cool old building that used to be one of her foundations for the poor, and saw some of her dresses... and sang to myself Don't cry for meeee, Argentina!

Yesterday (Sunday) we took the Buquebus to Colonia de Sacramento, Uruguay, right across the Rio Plata. First we walked from our apartment in Palermo Hollywood ALL the way to the River. A bustling 1 & 1/2 hour walk at 10 am. Then spent the day wandering the old Portuguese-built cobble-stoned streets of Colonia. Think a South American Colonial Williamsburg. Had a great lunch at El Drugstore, where 2 musicians played Spanish guitar and a bongo drum, walked around the water, took pictures of crumbling buildings, bought the requisite tchotkes, climbed an old lighthouse, treated ourselved to gelato, and missed our 8:00 ferry back, not knowing that Uruguay is an hour ahead of Argentina. They must not follow DST. Who knew? No one told us. Disgruntled and annoyed, changed our tickets, and made the best of it. Went back to the town, had a great lamb dinner in an art gallery restaurant, had my mom try Tannat, a typical Uruguayan wine, and took the 11:30 boat back to BsAs. Subsequently passed out by 1am, woke up at 8, and packed up my life yet again, now ready for Mendoza Round 2.

Ok, I'm way over my time. Gotta go get the Tango Dancing Mom. Pictures of this week will be posted once I'm finished with Patagonia...

Patagonia, I will be back.

Ok, a few minutes of free time! Mom's sleeping off a stomachache (too much mate, perhaps?) and I just got back from saying farewell to Amy at Helena, her favorite lunch spot. She's heading back to NYC tonight, and thus, eventually the grind, after 9 months of exploring South America. Even though I met her less than 2 months ago, it feels like years. And so it goes with the BsAs timewarp. She definitely had a positive impact on my experience here, and I'll miss hanging with her.

But onto new things... Mendoza round two is coming up Monday night and I still need to recap Patagonia! The internet connection in the rented apartment can be a bit slow and gets interrupted a lot, causing me to lose connection with Flickr every single time I try to upload pictures. I think I'm on my 10th try now. But I'll persevere... only so I can then bore you with my 400+ pictures and videos of the South (and that's after editing a lot of pictures out).

Maybe I've resisted writing about Patagonia until now because it was simply so amazing and I don't think I can find the words to explain the immense vastness and beauty of it... if you have some free time, pick up a copy of Bruce Chatwin's "In Patagonia," the Patagonian backpacker's Bible. Started reading it on the bus to Chile and really enjoyed it. Full of interesting anecdotes of Chatwin's journey down south in the 70s, when it was much less developed and more of a wild frontier...

So I think the best way to go about summarizing the two weeks is via pictures, currently being uploaded now. Stay tuned and I'll update with captions and explanations. I do apologize if the glaciars and mountains and animals cause you to lose interest. Wait, actually no, I don't. If you don't like them, don't look at them! Two weeks, two countries, five towns, four glaciars, five hikes, one 12-hour bus ride, 8 fellow travelers and 1 fearlessly energetic tourguide.... you're going to have pictures.

Highlights, if I haven't mentioned already (and I may have), were hiking Torres del Paine (hardest hike of the trip with the best summit/ view point), ice climbing Viedma Glaciar (for the pure exclusivity and rareness of it) and horseback riding the valley in Puerto Natales (for the sheer peacefulness of being surrounded by horses, cows and 5 other people in the hours leading up to a gorgeous sunset, with lichen covering trees as far as you can see and a surprise snack break of empanadas, cookies and chocolate).

Note: really love lichen. The fact that it only grows where there's almost 0% pollution... after BsAs, the air was heaven.

Second note: full moons in Patagonia last 48 hours. You see them during the day and they are HUGE at night. I'll try to point them out in the captions.

As for my fellow group of travelers, a quick breakdown:

Christine- my 42 year old Swiss roommate. We got along swimmingly, thanks to her almost-great English skills and aptness to act years younger than her age. When we didn't understand each other due to the language barrier, we'd just giggle like kids. We had a lot of the same interests (hauling two bottles of wine into the camp site to ensure we'd have something to do after dinner; leaving the group on the last day of the trip to do their $150 rip-off excursion while we went off on our own and had our own hiking adventure). Loves U2 (has seen them 5 times and counting), has a new Spanish-Swiss boyfriend, Bruno, and works in import/export for a Swiss chocolate company. Taught me "teep-tawp" I guess like tip-top, means really cool! in Swiss German.

Laura and Colin- couple from the UK, both 29, almost 30. She from Scotland, He from England, both residing in Scotland. Been dating for 10 years, living together in Glasgow. She an anaesthesist, He an astro-physicist getting his doctorate. Both completely nice, charmingly nerdy, down to earth, not cheesy couple, but unfortunately not big drinkers or into going out. I say unfortunately since they were the closest in age to me besides Alvaro, the tour guide. We got to know each other best on the four hour flight back to BsAs, laughing about our first impressions and certain events and people throughout the trip.

Leslie and Jim- couple in their 50s from London. Only married for a year or so, four kids between the 2 of them. She owns some sort of consulting business, he's in finance, and had worked in NYC during 9/11. She was snooty, liked to talk a lot of talk, including bragging about all the places she's been (including bringing out her passport and showing off each full page visa to Egypt, Nepal, Tanzania, etc.), to how great of a horseback rider her daughter was... whereas he was the jolly type, got a long with everyone, and was at his wife's beck and call. We all felt for poor Jim. And then we heard him snore... and that ended our sympathy. She was also the last person during all the hikes, if she even went on them, and we were always waiting for them, on the buses, on the trails, for dinner. And then she tripped on the wooden catwalk...walking to the Penguin Colony... and went to the hospital, ending her trip at Punta Arenas and foregoing Ushauaia.

Laura- the only other American on the trip. In her 40s ( I think), a physical therapist from Chicago who has hiked a lot (including Kiliminjarro), was pretty athletic, but had no interest in talking to me. I tried. Even the other Laura pointed it out: "is it something to do with both being American?" "Like we're the same magnet? No, I think she just doesn't like me," I shrugged.

Jill- Laura's roommate by default. An amazing woman from Australia whose age we couldn't figure out til the end, when we got it out of Alvaro. This woman was an Olympic trained athlete (in squash?), a geneticist who works for the University of Melbourne and took 2 months to work for the Oz govt in Antarctica last year. Super into everything natural, a true Darwinist, and got me into discovering lichen, examining rocks, and playing scientist. In excellent shape, but with cropped gray hair and a face that shows the Australian's sun damage. Hence the green plastic nose guard you'll see in the pictures. She was one of the first to ice climb to the top of the wall, kept pace with us on most hikes, and was down for almost every adventure. She's 62.

Stephan- pronounced SHTEphan. 36, taxman, from Germany, and very German. The loner of the group, as there were no other single men to room with him. Definitely beat to the rhythm of his own drum and kept to himself. Loved music and often whistled while hiking. Was sad to learn Americans (South and North) don't sing hiking songs.

As a whole, not a lot of life stories were shared within the group... with the exception of Alvaro, who loved to talk about his conquests (physical, intellectual, amorous).

Alvaro- 30, from Santiago, Chile, now lives in Puerto Natales. Been a tour guide for 5 years, and does everything. Rock climber, horseback rider, kayaker, hiker, guitar player, rugby player, photographer, wood whittler, trained chef and sommelier, marathoner... you name it, he can do it. Always looking for his next big thing... possibly guiding in Canada or the rest of South America. Intensely passionate about his job, and was very sensitive to making sure everyone was happy. The one day I fell into a bad mood (had just awoken from a nap on the bus, on the way back from 2 nights of camping. Was a bit groggy and was being told our sleeping bags had a daily fee... not a nightly fee. Logically, sleeping bags should have nightly fees! Who pays for one day of a sleeping bag?) Anyway, I digress. I gave a bit of an attitude, Alvaro quickly picked up on my bad mood and tried to snap me out it. My stubbornness prevailed and it couldn't be shaken. But he tried, and that's what counts. Luckily, he was also always up for a beer, so one night when the rest of the group was ready for bed by 10 after spending all day on a bus, I had a ton of energy, and we grabbed a drink. Good conversationalist, if a bit of an exaggerator and self-promoter... but still a great person to have met and probably one of the better tour guides we could have gotten.

Andy- me. On Day 3 of the trip, I had been helping translate for one of our ice climbing guides on the Viedma Glaciar, who I guess hadn't caught my name correctly. He began calling me Andy (Lindsey is actually a very difficult name for Spanish speakers to say, for some reason), and I responded, not really thinking anything of it. Only later, when Laura (of Laura and Colin, not the cold Chicago-an), was recapping the day to Alvaro, did I realize how weird it was I answered to it. From then on, I was Andy to Alvaro as well.

The dogs of Patagonia must be acknowledged as well. Everywhere we went, stray dogs met us, whether it was on street corners in tiny Puerto Natales, at the top of the Martial Glaciar hike in Ushuaia, laying under a monument dedicated to Magellan in Punta Arenas, or after a run outside the hotel in El Calafate. But these strays all seemed healthy, robust and unlike those mangy things you see in the States. From what I could decipher from my Pedigree Dog Show watching days, they were a lot of sheepdog mixes with really sweet dispositions and surprisingly healthy coats. I've created a separate album just for the dogs...

Ok, I think that about sums it up, but wait for the pictures and captions. They will hopefully do the region justice.