Mendoza is in the western part of Argentina, really really close to Chile. In the months prior to my arrival, we seriously considered going there (along with the rest of Argentina in just two weeks, including Tierra del Fuego, down there by Antarctica...how young and naive we were!). There's a special place in my heart for Chile, as it was the country I chose for the 6th grade "International Project." Why Chile (or, "WHY NOT ITALY?!?!" as my dad put it), I don't know, but it was probably its unique shape. Look at it! It's adorable. But I'm still ticked off that I got a lower grade on my poster than my classmate who ALSO did his project on Chile but mostly used pictures from Argentina on his poster. Jerkface. But I guess I'll just have to go back to South America sometime so I can visit Chile!
The day the bus pulled in was Beccah's 22nd birthday! Happy Birthday, Beccah!
Yeah that's me about to lick Beccah's head. I was looking for the most unflattering picture of Beccah I had on my computer, but I went with the one depicting Beccah in the greatest peril. Don't worry, I'm way ahead of you. I already submitted it to awkwardfamilyphotos.com. It's not up...YET!We walked through what seemed like half the city with all our junk, trying to find the hostel. We finally found it, and boy was it bright!
Our room was the strangest set-up I'd ever seen in a hostel. There were six (maybe nine?) beds, all bunked. The ceiling was REALLY high, and the width of the room was REALLY narrow. There wasn't any room to move around, and the lockers were up near the ceiling. I'm not complaining, it was just really weird. (Note: where the camera cuts off on the left side of the picture below is where the wall is. THAT'S how narrow the room was.) The bathrooms were cleaner than some of the others we used on the trip, but the shower would stop working if someone was using the sink. So that was fun. When I have shampoo in my hair and that happens, I ask myself why exactly I like traveling so much.
After getting settled, we went a-wandering. We found the main plaza, and boy was it a big one! There were fountains and a little museum and lots of people making out on park benches.
We ate lunch at a nearby restaurant that Lonely Planet said had cheap daily specials. We got the special, which was a thin steak with mashed potatoes and a fried egg. First of all, why doesn't everything come with a fried egg? Second of all, OMG those mashed potatoes were delicious. We think the secret ingredient was nutmeg...SO good! The steak was great too.
We stayed there for like 3 1/2 hours, eating, chatting, drinking wine and coffee. WHY DON'T WE DO THIS IN THE US?!?! I guess people sit around for hours at coffee shops, but I wish you could do that at cafes. Poor Claire had to listen to so many boring stories about high school band and our family and pets and friends. Poor girl, she's a saint.So when I said in my last post that Mendoza was full of holes, this is one example of what I mean.
Is it the actual sewer? I don't know, but a big chunk of it is open. In addition to these long gaps of running water, there are literally HOLES in the middle of the sidewalks. The city is really clean and organized, except for these giant holes. I kept wondering how drunk people stumble home in that city. They must break a lot of ankles.After our long lunch, we walked to General San Martin Park. The front gates are from 1909.
There were lots of things to do and nice paths to walk.
I know there's nothing more boring than fountain pictures, but too bad! Here's Claire in front of a big fountain. We spent a while taking pictures trying to imitate the statues, but they are too stupid to even share on this blog.
Who am I kidding? There's nothing too stupid to put on this blog!
OK I kinda like this one.
Going for a stroll.
What a lovely lake.
Since it was Beccah's birthday, she got to pick dinner. She decided on falafels, so we headed over to a Middle Eastern restaurant good ol' LP recommended. Seriously, I need to get paid for all this plugging.
Cheers!
mmMMMmmm.
Stupidly, we ALL ordered a falafel. What we should have done was ordered three different things and shared, but oh well. A bit salty (again, those Argentinians love their salt), but delicious!So that was our first day in Mendoza. Pretty chill, because it was a long journey getting there. The next day we did a wine tasting bike tour! What's better than exercising and drinking wine at the same time? How bout, NOT EXERCISING AND ONLY DRINKING WINE. But actually, it was fun, and that's the next post!
1 comment:
HAHAHAHA I love awkward family photos
~ HOLLY ~
Post a Comment