City Escape to the Andes

Last weekend I fled the city from Thursday until Monday on a 14 hour overnight bus ride to Mendoza, Argentina, where I was then picked up on a bike (with a few friends) by the Mendoza Police.

I think this trip will best be explained in pictures really. While I am in the process of receiving Argentine residency currently, and since my fingerprints were taken last week, I was certainly a bit worried when the Mendoza police truck pulled over to the side of the road as we were biking along the bodegas and vineyards. Had they found me already?! I will explain more, but let me go in chronological order first…

First off, I am absolutely in love with the city of Mendoza. It was an incredible weekend away from Buenos Aires (although I was happy to return too, which my host mom says is “muy importante!”). Mendoza is a very small city completely surrounded by mountains. There are not many tall buildings, the streets are very calm and quiet, and everywhere you look, you can see the mountains. As soon as we arrived, I felt comfortable. It’s the kind of place that is definitely naturally more my “speed,” with its size and proximity to NATURE! I just immediately felt happy. It was a really great weekend because I went with two Bowdoin friends from BsAs (Sonia, a girl on my program, and Megan, her roommate who was visiting here this past week). I also have three friends from Bowdoin who are studying in Mendoza this semester, so it was a big ole’ Polar Bear reunion in Argentina… the best kind!

Argentine flag in the Potrerillos (of the Andes)

It was a wonderful first trip because everything went so smoothly (which I feel rarely really happens in Buenos Aires)! Our busses were on time, the hostel was great, we were able to do every activity we planned (or didn’t plan!), we met some wonderful people, and it was a truly relaxing trip. I found the trip to be really eye-opening, as this is my first experience in South America, yet all I have seen so far is Buenos Aires, which is great and authentic in its own way, but just not an accurate representation of the majority of Argentina or much of South America. Buenos Aires is a perfect place to be for so many opportunities, for learning Spanish, and for experiencing city-life that I have never had the chance to taste before. But, in terms of seeing the unbelievable natural landscape of this country, the bus ride to Mendoza and time spent there really helped put it all in perspective for me. It gave me a context where I could now stick Buenos Aires in the middle of. We slept for a lot of the bus ride since it was over night, but waking up as the sun rose to see flat, almost desert land, with incredible mountains in the background for hundreds of miles was a sight very different than my representation of Argentina here.

When we arrived Friday morning, the three of us headed to our hostel where we stayed in a room with 5 bunkbeds. We were all anxious to get out to spend some time outside, so we chatted with the receptionist at our hostel and he told us about a horse back riding place that would come pick us up, take us on a tour, and end with asado and wine for only $50 US total. We were down. And it was one of the most amazing things I have ever experienced! We rode through the precortilleras (the “foothills” of the Andes) for almost 3 hours and ended in the middle of the mountains at a little camp-like area for asado (the Argentine BBQ), lots of vino, and true Argentine folk music around a campfire with the gauchos (the horse-riders). It was perfect. Plus, anyone who knows me, knows my favorite thing in the world is to be super corny and sing around a campfire. I’m into those kumbaya kind of moments…

The layers of mountains went on forever.

Our group of horsies.

As we climbed and climbed, this was the view from the top of the cliff (helmets are not a thing when riding in Argentina, so that was nerve-wracking.)

Me riding through the wind!

This is a selfie (ie: self-taken picture) with my great gaucho friend, Andrés. I was the last little horse in the line for awhile, so Andrés and I chatted it up in español as he hung back with me. Later on that evening, he would not stop asking me for besos. But, I assured him we were just friends!

Love this one. It was so peaceful.

Real Asado!

Our gaucho leaders singing some Argentine folk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We hung around at the farm area until almost midnight, where we watched the sunset and the horses be let free to run back to the estancia (the actual horse farm) BY THEMSELVES through the mountains! Apparently they are trusted and know the way? To top off the great day, we also met a few traveling international friends who were riding with us– a couple from England, a guy from Australia, and siblings from Guatemala. We all really hit it off, and they ended up coming back to our hostel with us to take part in yet another campfire and spend some time all together. It was such a fun night and really showed me how much traveling can bring people, especially if you are open-minded, friendly, and eager to share stories.

The weekend continued on an upswing from there, as Saturday we met up with my friend, Andi and explored Lujan de Cuyo and spend the day hiking and walking through another section of the Andes: the Potrerillos. I think I was driving my friends crazy talking about my happiness in the mountains and how amazed I was. It was time for me to have a little city break!

Here we are! At the reservoir, representing Bowdoin with our shirts and Andi’s little polar bear (look left!)

The natural colors were insane.

Breathtaking views at the top. Not even New Hampshire can compare to this!

We all went out to dinner later that night where we chatted a lot about our different experiences in Buenos Aires and Mendoza. And our final day, Sunday the three of us Buenos Aires chicas and our Mendoza chica, Andi, headed to the bodegas in Maipu, about a half-hour outside of the “city” area to a town that was even more rural. It was interesting to see an area that is less advanced and modern, because I know that is more representative of a lot of South America. We rented some bikes, got a map, and headed down the road on our way to taste the world famous Mendoza wine. This area of Argentina is known for its vino or wine, because the land is filled with these bodegas, where the wine is made and processed. We were told that it would take us about a half hour to bike down the entire road to get to the last bodega on the street, and that we would have time to turn around a stop at another bodega on the way back. But, alas, it took us almost 2 hours, so it was quite an adventure. I was really surprised by the number of “piropos” we experienced along the way. This is the word in Spanish to describe “flirty compliments” men say to women, and it usually involves whistling, hollering, or shouting out of some type. Us girls have all experienced this here and there on the streets in Buenos Aires and in Mendoza, but during the bike ride, almost every man who drove or walked by us was saying something. It was really uncomfortable, and I know it is harmless, but it is not something I can get used to. But, we finally made it to the bodega, Carinae, where we had a lovely short tour and time for some wine tasting. I was excited that the tour guide spoke in Spanish to us the entire time! As we got on our bikes to head back for our long journey on the adventurous roads of Maipu to the bike rental place, we were getting a little crunched for time and feeling a bit tired. Out of nowhere, the Mendoza Police pulled over in truck, asked if we wanted a ride (with all of our bikes), and well, the rest is history! 

So much wine making!

Being very classy with our different wines. 

All in all, it was a fabulous Argentine adventure! I am looking forward to more weekend getaways to come. It’s a really nice way to balance out the busy city life. And now with my refreshed state of mind, I’m ready for a Buenos Aires weekend and week ahead.

¡Chao!

P.S. The gauchos from Mendoza taught us a Spanish tongue-twister. They all made fun of me for how much trouble I had, but I am improving. Give it a try: Pablito clavó un clavito que clavito clavó Pablito.