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At first, I was concerned that two trips in one week would be too exhausting, but if there is a time to do crazy, fun, tiring things in my life, it is best to do them now while I am young and don’t have a hundred excuses to say no. I am beyond thrilled that I went because everything, from the long bus ride across the Andes mountains to the tipsy bike rides through the Argentinian vineyards, was an unforgettable adventure.
I decided quite last minute to join my friend Sam on her journey, so it is a good thing that I have become an expert at packing quickly and in just one backpack for short-term trips. Sam wasn’t able to apply for a visa properly and therefore she had to leave the country within about 80 days, and I was happy to accompany her and four other friends on a little excursion. Mendoza was the perfect destination because it is just on the other side of the cordillera, the Andes mountain range, and we could take a scenic bus ride that takes about 6 hours driving and 3 hours at the border crossing. We were advised to bring warm clothes because waiting outside at the border at over 10,000 ft. was often freezing. Luckily it hadn’t been too hold and there was no snow to stop or delay our journey.
Once we got to Mendoza, I immediately forgot about my coats and scarf, it was nearly 80°F all weekend. It was so hot, in fact, that there was a wildfire close to the city. We could feel the smoke stinging our eyes as we explored the downtown area. Knowing Argentina’s reputation, I had two musts on my list: drink good wine and eat good steak. The restaurant we ate dinner in the first night was near our hostel, and the meal was excellent, but the steak wasn’t the extraordinary flavor I was hoping for. Nonetheless, the wine tours the next day did not at all disappoint. We rented bikes and cycled around the countryside from one vineyard to another. Viamonte winery was my favorite by far. It was an enchanted place that had a live music performance and tango dancers putting on an unbelievable show under the hot Argentinian sun.
On our last day, we took a bus back into the mountains to the beautiful valley of Cacheuta, in which a small hot springs resort has been constructed. The pools were varying in temperature and some, including the lazy river, were incredibly refreshing, while others were too hot to stay in for longer than a few minutes. Returning to Mendoza, we realized many of us didn’t take enough Argentinian pesos out from the bank, so we had to find places that took credit cards. Argentina has been going through a mild financial crisis very recently, so I was surprised to see so many people still out and about spending money. Perhaps the Argentinian people haven't caught up with the economic state of things quite yet.