Our friends from Yosemite, Jennie and Delaney, also happen to be in South America. In fact, they were traveling all over Patagonia the same time we were but, somehow, everywhere we went, we always missed each other by a day or so. They are currently staying in Santiago, Chile with Delaney’s brother, who lives there, and decided to come over to Mendoza for a long weekend. It was great seeing familiar faces and being able to discuss exciting things like traveling, US politics and Yosemite Institute politics!
Delaney, Tamara and Dan at Hot Springs |
We took another day trip to a mountain town called Uspallata. Turns out, they filmed part of Seven Years in Tibet in this town. We all wondered why they just didn’t film in Tibet, but hey, we got to sit in a CafĂ© that Brad Pitt probably sat in. We rented bikes and explored a pre-Colombian smelting site, and then a little further, some Inca carvings. Uspallata also has poplar trees lining all the roads, and they were all turning yellow, along with the multicolored hills, it was a beautiful day.
Poplar trees |
Next, we ventured out to Maipu, one of the wine regions surrounding Mendoza to rent bikes and tour some of the wineries. It all sounds so peaceful; riding bikes in the wine country, but it is actually an amusing adventure. First, you arrive at the bus stop that is crowded with gringos. To ride Mendoza’s public buses you need either exact change or you need a rechargeable card. For some reason the hostels do not tell the gringos this. Dan and I are always doing our best to blend in and keep a low profile, and the obnoxious gringos on the bus make us cringe a little. When the bus arrives, everyone piles in, and the clueless tourist looks at the change machine confusedly, while the bus driver rolls his eyes. This must happen every day. Both times we have been on this bus, Dan has swiped our card for several people as they hand him the pesos. We actually make a little profit on this because they never have exact change.
Andes view from Maipu bodegas |
Bike Parking |
Delaney, Dan, Tamara and Jenny at bodega Carinae |
As you arrive back at Mr. Hugo’s at the end of the day they take your bike and hand you another plastic cup of the same awful grape juice. Waiting for the bus to take us back to city center, you can see abandoned plastic cups all along the sidewalk.
It was sad to see our friends leave Mendoza but we will no doubt see them when we return to the states.