Desde Bodegas a Fincas, Nuestras Viajes en Mendoza y Chilecito
(From Wineries to Farms, our travels through Mendoza and Chilecito)
Since the last post, we have visited both Mendoza, the wine region in Argentina, and Chilecito, a small towm in the Famatina mountains just east of the Andes. Today, we are on our way from Chilecito to Salta, a town in the North of Argentina, but have a 4 hour layover to switch buses--great opportunity to blog!!
Mendoza was a wine extraveganza. We got to meet up with Jon´s second cousin, Kate, who was great to us and helped us get around the city and the surrounding wine regions. She is working for a wine tourism and tasting company, so she set us up on an amazing chauferred tour of one of the four wine regions.
Our experience in Chilecito was the first and prime example of what we had both expected that our trip would be. Up to this point, we had stayed on the well beaten path, where there were lots of travelers and travel was fairly hassle free (with the exception of a few screaming babies and way overheated busses). All we knew about Chilecito came from a 3 sentence blurb in one of our travel books, that ended with "warmly recommended." It specifically referenced a farm called Finca del Paiman, where you could stay, help make jams on the farm (and eat them every morning for breakfast, and book guided hikes in the nearby mountains. I booked a two night stay there and a hike through email in Spanish--not very good Spanish, so we really had no idea what we were going to find!
It was the biggest headache to get to the town, and when we arrived at midnight in a rainstorm after spending three hours on bus that had weird liquids leaking-pouring over my seat, I was beginning to have second thoughts. However, our guide for the next day, Mario, picked us up from the bus, and drove us out to the farm. He told us that it rains about once a year in Chilecito, bad night to arrive! The farm was charming and we stayed in the one bedroom in the main farmhouse as we were the only guests. Jon had a run-in with a fly during the night, who had a "fiesta" on his face, leaving about 14 bug bites (we counted). For now on, he may sleep with a bag over his head.
On Saturday morning, we had homemade bread and fresh jam for breakfast and started our hike, which was gorgeous, although we forgot our camera (whoops). We explored the old cable car stations on the mountain were built in 1904 to bring minerals down the mountain and into the town. We also practiced lots of Spainsh with Mario, who was a great guide. We ate fresh walnuts from wild walnut trees and he showed us naturally growing mint, and several other herbs, the most interesting of which was mañi mañi, a viagra-like stimulant!
We spent siesta time (2:30-6:30pm!!) back on the farm, which grows fruit for jam, olives for olive oil, and lemons, and then explored the town and bought some local products, including a few samples of local wine, and made dinner. The people we met were amazing and friendly, and we learned a ton of cool things about their lives, dailyroutines, etc through talking to them. Overall, we had an amazing time, and are so glad we went--despite the pains of getting there and away! Any town that practices a daily 4hr siesta where everyone sleeps is worth the visit!
More about our day of wine tasting in Mendoza--with lots of good pictures next time we blog (which may be when we arrive in Salta at 3am this morning with nothing to do...)
(From Wineries to Farms, our travels through Mendoza and Chilecito)
Since the last post, we have visited both Mendoza, the wine region in Argentina, and Chilecito, a small towm in the Famatina mountains just east of the Andes. Today, we are on our way from Chilecito to Salta, a town in the North of Argentina, but have a 4 hour layover to switch buses--great opportunity to blog!!
Mendoza was a wine extraveganza. We got to meet up with Jon´s second cousin, Kate, who was great to us and helped us get around the city and the surrounding wine regions. She is working for a wine tourism and tasting company, so she set us up on an amazing chauferred tour of one of the four wine regions.
Our experience in Chilecito was the first and prime example of what we had both expected that our trip would be. Up to this point, we had stayed on the well beaten path, where there were lots of travelers and travel was fairly hassle free (with the exception of a few screaming babies and way overheated busses). All we knew about Chilecito came from a 3 sentence blurb in one of our travel books, that ended with "warmly recommended." It specifically referenced a farm called Finca del Paiman, where you could stay, help make jams on the farm (and eat them every morning for breakfast, and book guided hikes in the nearby mountains. I booked a two night stay there and a hike through email in Spanish--not very good Spanish, so we really had no idea what we were going to find!
It was the biggest headache to get to the town, and when we arrived at midnight in a rainstorm after spending three hours on bus that had weird liquids leaking-pouring over my seat, I was beginning to have second thoughts. However, our guide for the next day, Mario, picked us up from the bus, and drove us out to the farm. He told us that it rains about once a year in Chilecito, bad night to arrive! The farm was charming and we stayed in the one bedroom in the main farmhouse as we were the only guests. Jon had a run-in with a fly during the night, who had a "fiesta" on his face, leaving about 14 bug bites (we counted). For now on, he may sleep with a bag over his head.
On Saturday morning, we had homemade bread and fresh jam for breakfast and started our hike, which was gorgeous, although we forgot our camera (whoops). We explored the old cable car stations on the mountain were built in 1904 to bring minerals down the mountain and into the town. We also practiced lots of Spainsh with Mario, who was a great guide. We ate fresh walnuts from wild walnut trees and he showed us naturally growing mint, and several other herbs, the most interesting of which was mañi mañi, a viagra-like stimulant!
We spent siesta time (2:30-6:30pm!!) back on the farm, which grows fruit for jam, olives for olive oil, and lemons, and then explored the town and bought some local products, including a few samples of local wine, and made dinner. The people we met were amazing and friendly, and we learned a ton of cool things about their lives, dailyroutines, etc through talking to them. Overall, we had an amazing time, and are so glad we went--despite the pains of getting there and away! Any town that practices a daily 4hr siesta where everyone sleeps is worth the visit!
More about our day of wine tasting in Mendoza--with lots of good pictures next time we blog (which may be when we arrive in Salta at 3am this morning with nothing to do...)
posted by Jon and Kristen | 9:30 AM
3 Comments:
Jon, you two are drinking wine everywhere you go. Seems like you are having a wonderful trip. I don't know how you get to post so much when you don't have a computer. Guess there must be some great internet cafes. Good luck to you both. Miss you. Happy Easter! love, auntie jane
do we get a picture of your face after the fly fiesta? Sounds hot! Glad to hear you got to eat some fresh walnuts and mint and the like. very cool!
Jonathan, when I read your last underground escapade----RISK, my heart was beating quickly. I can only imagine what your mom thought of this. You were so lucky this time. I pray that all of you come safely home, and that you don't have to contemplate breaking the law again. auntie jane
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