Mendoza biking and wine tasting without reserva; Hacked Emails

 I flew from Bariloche in  N. Patagonia to Mendoza in the central western part of Argentina hard up against the high central Andes.  Disembarking from the plane there were a lot  people holding signs but none had my name on them so I took an Uber to my BnB in Lujan just outside of the big city of  Mendoza and in the start of the large Mendoza wine region.  Ubers are, like many things, cheap here and it only cost me  $9 before tip for the roughly 30 minute ride.

The next day I rented a bike so that I could tour some of the many fairly close vineyards which range from very large ones that export wines worldwide to small family wineries.  Visiting vineyards in Argentina is a bit tricky as most require reservations and tours and these are not necessarily cheap (anywhere from 20,000 to 60,000 pesos).  The tours also can be a bit time consuming making it difficult to see more than one or two a day.  

In any case, I had emailed the bike shop several days ahead asking to rent a bike and if they might assist with some winery reservations.  In fact, as I got no response, I sent several emails to different addresses.   Of course, when I got to the bike shop they had never heard of me and then explained that while I was welcome to rent a bike, it would be difficult to get tours and tastings without reservations.  I then explained that I knew that and that was why I had emailed ahead.  "Ah" the senora said, their email had been ''hacked!' she just about shouted.  When I explained that I had sent another message through the website, she now shouted "HACKED!" somewhat angrily at me as if  I had done the hacking or at least should have known that their email had been HACKED and was useless.  

In any case, I set off with a bike map and vineyards circled where they would at least sell me a glass of wine.  Fortunately- very fortunately as biking on roads in Argentina is only for the very brave and very stupid/suicidal- almost the whole way was on a bike trail-

But there some interesting obstacles blocking the bike path-

An interesting thing about Argentina is the contrast between the ordinary buildings, houses and settings and the wineries.  As mentioned the housing stock is pretty mundane and often a bit run down and most buildings and villages have little charm about them, but the wineries are almost all set in manicured lawns and vineyards and their buildings beautiful in the Spanish style-

The wineries themselves are virtually always gleaming modern facilities-

Here is one winery where you lounge about on white pillows on a perfectly mowed lawn-

It almost had a feel of an estate set in Brideshead Revisited (I stood at the bar inside and would not partake of such a decedent setting where I would undoubtedly have fallen asleep for the afternoon).  

I visited 4 wineries on my bike and Somehow managed to finagle my way past the inflexible reservation system.  At the first winery, they told me that I could not do a tasting without the tour and I could not join a tour without a reservation, but I could buy a glass of wine.  I said I would buy a glass of wine, but wondered whether they could actually give me 3 small glasses of different wines that would add up to one full glass?  The first woman pondered this and decided it would not violate the 'no tasting without a tour or reservation policy" and I was able to use this model at the next 3 wineries (only one refused to see brilliance in this paradigm and insisted on the $20 tour/tasting.  We agreed to disagree on the definition of a “tasting”).  So no actual tastings, just many small glasses of wine and the tasting fees ranged from $7 to $0 (the last winery said they were closed for the day, but then after chatting with me for a bit gave me a couple of wines to taste on the house).

It turned out to be a fun and informative day with the different wines ranging from really good to pedestrian.  Interestingly at one winery-- Alta Vista- they gave me a taste of their premier $100 bottle gratis, but I found it not as enjoyable at present as the single vineyard wine I had tasted earlier (both malbecs).  I think it was not ready to drink yet, though clearly had great potential.  

The biking  was mostly flat and I probably cycled about 27km which seemed pretty easy.  The bike shop told me they took a siesta from 2-4 so I had to return the bike during their awake but pre-dinner window from 4-6pm, which I did.  I didn't mention anything about emails when I dropped off the bike.   

Poor Man''s Bus/Boat Tour; Ecuadorians, Chocolates and Empanadas

 From Barioche there is an iconic boat-bus-boat-bus-boat-bus tour over the Andes to Chile- 12 hours.  Then you reverse and come back the next day or the following day.  After mulling it over and watching the weather, I decided to do a shortened poor man's version- boat/bus just across Lago Naheu Huepi to Puerto Blest.  This was shorter (an hour and half boat ride- the lago has to be 50+ miles long) and much cheaper and occasioned a stay at the somewhat remote and historic Hotel Blest.  Unlike some of my decisions, it proved wise as the weather the following day proved cloudy and rainy.

On the boat ride, I met this delightful young couple from Ecuador who were celebrating the 1st wedding anniversary by staying at perhaps the most famous hotel in Argentina (certainly Bariloche) Llin Lao which sounds like it should be in Cambodia.  Interestingly they were living in Buenos Aires because, well, it was so cheap. I could identify.  They explained how there 2 wedding ceremonies or celebrations in Ecuador and that they had done the legal one but not the traditional religous/family one where hundreds of free loading long lost relatives showed up and expected a lavish party costing $100ks+.  They were postponing that event as long as possible so that maybe a few hundred relatives would lose interest and make the reception possibly affordable.  

The old (1930s) Hotel Blest was a delight and I walked from there to the beautifully green colored lake, Lago Frias where I saw this ferry apparently grounded by a low tide-

I took the boat back the next day and then a bus to Bariloche to pick up my laundry and get a $7 haircut.  Settled by some Swiss over a century ago, Bariloche has dozens of chocolate shops which are quite popular-

As are empenadas in Bariloche (about $1 apiece)-

Next stop Mendoza and wine country and the highest Andes in South America

Hobbit Houses, Rock Climbers, Cool Feet and Argentinian Bridge Maintenance

 Obviously with all my travel experience, I have become a master at trip logistics and planning, notwithstanding a few unforced errors here and there due the locals failure to comprehend good Spanish accented English..   So, on yesterdays hike,  I naturally took the time to reconoiter another hike on Cerro Catedral which REQUIRED a lift to the hike's starting point.    I got up early and drove my trusty rented Renault to arrive in time for the opening of the lift as it was to be a long hhike around the back side of the mountain.  Except when  i got there, with my usual quick perception, I noticed no lifts were running and the place looked deserted. That is when it dawned on me that no one had thought to tell me that it was Sunday and the lifts didn't run on Sunday.  A screw up by the ticket office obviously.  

Well, using my well practiced improvisional logistical skills, I fumed for  10 minutes and then blankly stared into space for another 15 minutes or so  wondering what am I supposed to do now?  As I gazed about me, I happen to notice a bunch of cars about 200 yards away next to what looked like some sort of trailhead and more people driving up and getting out in hiking gear.  What were those fools doing, didnt they know the lifts were  closed?  I decided to drive over and at least warn them off or try and figure outit what these poorly informed souls were doing. That is when I noticed that there was indeed a trail there and it lead to the same backside of the mountain Refugio  that I had been planning on making for via the more arduous lift supported route.Applying my well honed adaptability skills,  I decided to follow the crowd and so set off on the 12 mile round trip.

The trail went through some alternating woods and open country as it wound up and around the to the Refugio Frey set at the base of a small alpine lake.  

Hiking in the woods isnt always boring-

And this  hobbit looking dwelling tho I saw no hobbits about-

Just one of the Big People-

It ended at what is regarded as one of Argentina's premier rock climbing destination.   If you look closely, you can see a climber at the  top and some guys climbing- basically straight up with ropes, etc--

My feet were quite hot and sadly blistered (somewhere Jim Gallagher is shaking his head at the perpetually uneducable) and so I temporarily cooled them off in the lago (espanol) set against the stunning spiky peaks-

On the return, I noticed the Argentines seem to apply different bridge maintenance techniques than say the Swiss or others-

For some reason, it did always inspire confidence-

Barioche: High Andes Texture; Man on the Street

 I left Uruguay and the land of no tours and more expensive food (relatively speaking) and returned by ferry to Buenos Aires and then flew south to beautiful town of Bariloche in Northern Patagonia  Some observations of Uruguay-

~lots of rolling farmland and ranches;  like much of SA, the farms are pretty but the housing stock typically does not add (Switzerland or England it isn't)

~Uruguayans seem uniformly polite and nice; they are much more polite and attentive drivers than the Agrentines who candidly are among the worst I have encountered in my travels (often rude and impatient)

~  While a limited sample size, I felt quite safe biking in Urg;  much different in Argentina where I will only bike in bike lanes or well established bike routes (feels too dangerous as one Uber driver confirmed-  "People get killed on this road biking" he said

~While I love Argentina, it does not always feel safe.  Uruguay feels different and safer (mainly talking risk of theft)

I arrived in Bariloche and decided to hike this ski mountain called Cerro Catedral about 30 minutes from town-

In addition to the beautiful views of the huge lake Huapi, it has great views of volcanoes (some of which are in Chile)-

The hike offered much of the usual arid rocky peaks typical of much of Patagonia.  If you like texture in mountains-

During my hike to an area rarely visited, I encountered an obviously professionally outfitted and experienced climbing group lead by an intrepid guide in pink crossing a glacier-

Everywhere I go in Argentina I act as "Man on the street" (or man in the Uber, or man on the mountain, or man in the hotel....) and ask about Argentina's new Libertarian El Presidente, Javiar Melei.  Using my well honed reporter skills, I ask "How do you like Melei?" or approaching the matter from an entirely different angle "What do think of Melei?"  He represents a dramatic change for Argentina, proposing to reverse the socialist tilt of the Peronistas who have mostly ruled Argentina for the past 80 years or so.  

The answers to my skillful questions have been fascinating and have varied from "I am hopeful but am a bid afraid" to "I don't like him" to "We needed to change from the past 80 years" to "I don't trust any politicians" to "I love him".  But with just one exception, everyone seemed to either like him or were at least willing to give him a chance and see how he might do.  I get the feeling overall that he is popular, at least at the moment.  Interestingly, I found the young people I asked tended to be the most supportive.  Here is a couple who said they loved him-

Tough to beat the beauty of Bariloche with its combination of huge lakes, stark peaks and snow capped volcanos-

A No Tour, Tour; Canadians in Uruguay

 For those seeking a short summary of my biking and wine tasting day in Uruguay (ie everyone), it might be summed up:

  a bus and taxi ride where taxi only took cash and I had none (other than a billion AR pesos), to biking and wine tour start, a tour that consisted of one rusted bike with broken gears with no guide,map or app ( or cell service), a solo ride to nowhere thru the Uruguayian countryside in the 96 degree scorching sun, a stop at a winery where  I met a delightful Canadian couple and where the owner disappeared for 45 minutes in the middle of the tasting, a ride back to meet the no guide/guide, a return taxi to catch the bus, a lost cell phone, a missed bus, a return taxi to winery (same taxi fortuitously), a found cell phone (in said taxi), a slap on the back of the taxi driver, a made bus and a calm dinner back in Colonia (90 minute bus ride).  All in all, a typical Ken Kaulbach travel day in South America.

My biking tour started out weaving in and out of traffic on heavily trafficked roads--

And I found myself heartily welcomed at the first winery  i serendipidously discovered on my one man unguided and unmapped tour-

Leaving aside the 95 degree heat and 100% humidity, the had its pleasant moments where I saw quite a few farms, including one with horses, cows and sheep all aligned in one photo

But I discovered that many farms still cling to the old and ancient methods of their forefathers and are but little removed from the horse and plow with very little mechanization or modern techniques-

At the 2nd slightly more welcoming winery (they let me taste for a considerable fee), I met a delightful Canadian couple who were also biking thru the Uruguayan countryside in search of wine tastings-

At this winery, they made you pour your own wine from the barrel to save on tasting labor costs-

On my way back to the original winery where the guide resided in relative comfort in the shade, I found myself suddenly in Austria (onion domed churches being the style there)-

But I, with my new Canadian friends (we enjoyed each other's company at 2 wineries), did taste a number of Uruguayan wines.  Tannat is their signature grape and I had never had it.  Well, I don't think Bordeaux or Napa have anything to worry about just yet, but I found it interesting- quite tannic and earthy.  They make a lot of rose from it and that was pretty good.  

In any case, I finished up and-- as alluded to above- took a taxi back to get the bus back to Colonia, but discovered my cell  phone missing when I  got to the bus terminal. I called to take a taxi back again to the winery, but as mentioned, when the taxi driver returned (same one), I found my phone in the back seat and so was able to catch the 5pm bus back as planned, just in the nick of time.  You have some luck if you are me.