Mendoza (& Some of the Past Week)

Two weekends ago, my friend Jade and I decided to go to Mendoza, Argentina (and ended up running into Michael from our program in the bus station, so he joined us too!). We took an overnight bus on Friday over the Andes, and getting out to wait in the immigration line at 4 AM was absolutely brutal. Not only had we barely slept at all but it was FREEZING. And of course, being in South America, everything took three times as long as it needed to. But at least I got another stamp in my passport!

We got into Mendoza around 8 AM, took a short nap and headed out for the day. Mendoza is known for its wine, so wine tasting is its main tourist attraction. And unless you rent a car, all of the winery tours are done on bikes!!! Slightly dangerous to have drunk bikers all over the roads? Yes. Still a brilliant idea? DEFINITELY! Maps in hand (actually in the basket on the front of my bike), we set out for the first winery, where we got to try lots of jams and marmalades, chocolate, different flavors of dulce de leche, salsas, delishhh olive oil, and absinthe!!! Now that I think about it, we didn't even have any wine there but a shot of absinthe was a great way to start my day! Okay I'm lying, it was disgusting, but I'm glad I tried it. Throughout the day, we rode around, visiting different wineries and enjoying the scenery. That night, we got some Argentine steak in a supposedly "German-themed" restaurant that was decorated like a rainforest, then passed out.

The next day, we walked to the main square. We decided to make some dog's day by giving him Jade's leftover steak from the night before, and ended up practically starting a dog fight in giant pack of strays, who then surrounded us and followed us all the way down the street until we took shelter in a bakery. Michael had an early bus back, so Jade and I wandered around the city, but EVERYTHING was closed since it was Sunday. Even the outdoor market wasn't going to open until the evening, but we had Argentine pesos to get rid of so we ate all day until we had to head back to the bus station.

Our ride back was much more enjoyable than the ride over. It was still light out for the first few hours, so we got to look at the mountains and see all the SNOW! Such a fun weekend! I wish we could've stayed longer but this whole "school" thing is kinda cramping my style.

Photosss:

Chocolateee :)

Preparing our absinthe shots.

The plant that Jade accidentally sat on and killed with her butt.

Aging wine bottles in the cellar.

All of the fountains in the city were died blue...

About half of our dog gang.

Driving home through the Andes!

This past weekend, we had a Mexican potluck since that's the food that everyone misses most. The food was good, but the best part of the night was meeting this little guy!

Her name is Espineta. I want one.

On Saturday night I saw Mamma Mia in Spanish! It was really small and low budget but I LOVED it, and it was pretty funny to hear all the songs translated to Spanish.

EXACTLY 6 WEEKS TIL I'M HOME!!!