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.
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