Argentina - Tango and Malbec

Ministro Pesrarini International Terminal A As I write this I am sitting in the Ministro Pistarini International Airport at Buenos Aires waiting to check-in for our flight back to NZ.   This morning we had to pack and return our rental car.   They were meant to pick it up at 10:30am but no one showed.   Half an hour later after several aborted phone calls we decided to take it back to what we thought was the depot.   With help of Mr Google and my own superb navigation abilities we found one place but it was not the right one.   Fortuitously, while I waited nervously in the illegally parked car for B to find the office, she was having difficulties too but was pointed by phone to another address.   It was just around the block.   We were then very fortunate to have a park open up for us right in front of the building and a nice man indicated we could park there.   As we went into the building the man who had dropped the car off appeared. ...

A recommendation by Dani from our favourite coffee shop in Buenos Aires and also a recommendation from Andrea our host   had us leaving relatively early for Aconcagua (the highest mountain in South America) and a place called the Inca Bridge or Puente del Inca.   There was high cloud which burned off as we left the apartment to retrace our steps on the motorway to the turnoff to RN7 which is the route that goes through the Andes to Santiago in Chile.   The road despite being a main transnational route is a two- lane highway with deep ruts caused by the heavy trucks.   Compared to New Zealand maintenance is of low priority, I guess due to the economic situation.   Inflation is raging in the country and I just read that interest rates are at 40%.   Sounds like Muldoon.   Unlike the Muldoon era wages are not going up with inflation.   The distance to Aconcagua National Park is around 200 kilometres.   For the most part we were...

Arriving at Urban Restaurant Valle de Uco is regarded as the premium area for wine growing in Mendoza.   It is closer to the Andes and at a higher altitude which means slightly cooler days (still hot by NZ standards) and much cooler nights which slows the ripening process giving better flavours.   The table setting It is around 80 kilometres from Mendoza with the first part of the road being a divided motorway.   Then the rest of route (called RN40) was single lane with the surface of the road rather cut up.   On the advice of our AirBnB host, we decided to go for lunch to a place called O Fournier.   It is at the far southern end of the Valle de Uco.   A combination of the GPS and Google Maps got us to the right place.   The winery was a piece of stunning architecture.   When we arrived there was a security man at the gate who asked if we had a reservation. Of course we did not.   I then spoke to a man whos...

Lujan de Cuyo - the potential visit You know that things work differently in another country but you still make assumptions.   That was the learning B and I had yesterday.   It was Labour Day and a public holiday.   In NZ and Australia shops mostly stay open and people go about their usual buying activities.   We discovered in Argentina, at least in Mendoza that is not so.   The car we had rented turned up at the appointed time and I paid the cash and signed the documents then keys were exchanged.   We have the car for three days and it includes a GPS so we can find places.   The car is a VW Gol which is a South American version of the Polo.   There are no bells and whistles in this car.   No electric windows, or remote unlocking.   No cruise control and it is manual.   I assumed that the GPS would have the facility to change language.   It does but only to Portuguese or another version of Spanish. Interesting!! ...

The bike shop with no bikes for us We were a bit slow starting this morning.   The plan was to go down and catch the tram to Maipu and pick up bikes at the local store there.   It was a bit of a walk to the railway and then we had to find a stop which, with a bit more walking, we did.   About 15 minutes later the tram came along and we had a nice ride to Maipu on a relatively old tram (the light rail is new but the trams seem quite old).   We found the bike shop where it was meant to be and expectantly walked in hoping to see some bikes but there were none available.   They had all been rented as had the bikes at other shops   in the area.   I couldn’t believe it but apparently there were hordes of people wanting to cycle the vines.   It looked like a good thing to do.   If we ever come again I think I will book a tour or some such   to ensure we get what we need.   Bodega Lopez - it closed just as we were leaving ...

Trees shading a cycle trail by the park After a leisurely start to the day we wandered into the central city area.   The streets are all lined with trees.   There are little deep canals between the foot path and the street that have water flowing through them which are a bit of a hazard.   Because the climate is so dry (it is a desert like climate) the water is needed to keep the trees alive. The trees provide shade as it gets very hot here in the summer.   While out we encountered the one-way system which seems to exist in most streets apart from some really wide ones.   We are staying near a very big park.   Gen San Martin Park it is called and it is clearly a place that is heavily used.   Not surprisingly as there are lots of apartments or terrace like housing around with no grass to speak of.     One of the things that you become aware of is how security conscious people are.   Every property has a high metal fence around i...