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!
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