So I survived the 11 hour overnight bus to Mendoza. My friend Kate recommended Hostel Lao there. I loved Laos the country so I am already a fan just on the name. The hostel has a real homely feel about it. The brekkie is amazing and involves organic homemade jam?! I'm sold.
This afternoon I mosey through Mendoza then hit the park. Judging from the map (no geography quips here please) the park looks the same size as the city. It has these huge golden gates and I feel like a princess entering a castle. The park is bloody massive but its ruined by loads of roads running through it. It feels like Centre Parcs but the cars don't have a 10mph speed limit so I can't find anywhere to sit that doesn't feel like I've perched on the grass verge of the M25. I managed eventually and collapse in a heap and sleep, very productive.
Back at Hostel Lao I actually meet people. That's right plural, people!!!! Everyone is really friendly and speaks English. I meet this Dutch guy Pieter and half an hour later I offer to cook tea for him and feel right at home - sorry to my flatmate Tony if you're reading this surrounded by take away boxes.
The hostel has free red wine, yes you read that right FREE WINE, so I have my first taste of wine in a while. People are playing drinking games and an Irish guy, Rowan, is smashed and he spills red wine all over my nice new Billabong hoodie. Aghhh. Not a big deal but I only have two jumpers so I can't afford to ruin them as I'm heading south so it's only getting colder. His girlfriend Krista is dead nice and helps me clean it. I go to bed though as I'm in a rubbish mood now.
Day 8- Viernes
I had an awful night sleep thanks to a Chilean guy snoring ALL night. Now we've all heard people snore, its pretty irritating. But this wasn't your average snorer. It was what I can only describe as a dinosaur giving birth. The only time he stopped was to fart. I remembered I had ear plugs I'd nicked from when I visited the recycling factory (my job is class I know) so I manage to get a few hours kip and others in my room put their iPods on. I chat to Mike, the owner, who was on night shift, he thought someone was ill and was ready to call an ambulance, I wish he bloody had.
Last night I heard a couple Rob and Helena are going wine tasting so I ask if I can tag along. We get a bus out of town and hire bikes to visit the wineries. The first one we end up having lunch first, delish and very wise. This guy Pol shows us round the winery and we try a LOT of wine and he talks a LOT. He's a nice guy and wearing a very bobbly jumper and wellies, he's pretty fit too but he takes wine so seriously I fear if I tell him last night I drank wine out of a mug and Rowan out of a bowl he may cry. We are in a cellar for what feels like an eternity and Rob and Helena get into this deep conversation about wine and consumerism. Its really interesting but I don't contribute much as I'm so merry and I'm more worried clutching onto my big wine glass so long my hand has turned into a claw.
By the time we leave it's 5pm so me and my claw and Rob and Helena skip the next winery and cycle to this little shop where we try lots of savoury dips with bread then homemade jams which soak up the wine a bit. We try a few shots that are quite sickly and topped off with a sip of absinthe I'm thinking the bus trip back will be interesting. It's fine though and all in all a cracking day. Helena and I swap blog links and now I've read theirs I'm embarrassed as its a lot more informative so I apologise if anyone was expecting Bill Bryson and got Karl Pilkington whoops!
Back at the hostel I sober up as I can't handle my drink and a few of us are hitting the toon!! We leave at midnight and it's just me, Pieter, Rowan and Krista. I've barely taken a breath and Rowan is ordering "Quatro tequilas!" I can see this is going to be messy. We end up hitting a club that makes Infernos look classy. The lads leave before Krista and I and (she will hate me for this but none of you know her so I hope she won't kill me!) at the point where she takes her top off and dancing in her bra I think it's best we leave. We've had a good night but I hate the people in the club and even on my way out this guy tried to grab me and kiss me, I shove him off but I feel totally violated and am seconds away from going ninja style Soph on him. Most Argentineans I've met are dead nice so I think we've just hit a bad club. We get in at 6am and I feel like a total rebel, don't think I've stayed out this late since 2008. The dinosaur snorer is going to have a tough job waking me now.
Day 9- Sàbado
As you may expect I didn't do a whole lot today. It was about 26 degrees so I just chill outside and read for most of the day as my head felt like someone was smashing a pan against it. I tried to work out where I can go in Argentina as this country is too big and I don't have the time or money to do it all, internal flights are £300+ so it means busses which also aren't cheap (£60-£120) and take forever. I'm gutted I don't have time or dollar to do Patagonia properly so I'll just have to come back!
An Argentinean guy does an asado (barbie) in the evening. I haven't actually had any steak in Argentina yet which I know is like going to the UK and not seeing rain. We all sit on a big table outside, the asado is absolutely incredible. I have so much fun, there are no pretentious travellers (we all know the sort of divs I'm talking about) and we chat about all sorts from religion to 50 shades of Grey.
I eat so much I'm so full and break into a meat sweat.
Day 10- Domingo
I am heading south to Bariloche tonight so it's my last day in Mendoza. I went for a run this morning before I checked out and I died doing 20 press ups I feel so out of shape already. I want to explore the park more and climb up this hill to Cero de la Gloria (some big monument). I ask a German guy Michael and Pieter if they're game so we go to explore. We walk for ages in the park and the hill takes about half an hour to walk up. I'm grateful of some exercise especially as as I've eaten so much bread and pasta on this trip anyone would think I was fattening up to hibernate for winter. The views on the way up are better than we expect, and on the other side of Mendoza you can see snow topped mountains. When we finally reach the top we're surrounded by trees so you can't see anything which is disappointing but we have ice lollies which make up for it. Its windy (hace viento!- check my spanish out) and a cotton skirt probs wasn't wise as I'm close to flashing someone. My hair is so long and big it has taken on a life of its own and I look like a white Diana Ross tribute act. After, we walk to the lake and collapse on a bench. Then we go eat some very late lunch I have a salad to curb me getting scurvy. Ace day. I should maybe apologise on behalf of anyone British though as they think all British people are blunt instead of just me. I tell them about these mini action men I saw at the hostel, they think I'm hilarious then we get back and they know exactly who I'm speaking about. These two lads who are tanned, quite small but have some serious jaws and muscles going on. They're Swiss, Mathias and Lucas, I donate them my orange juice and Michael an onion and a tomato as I'm leaving soon, who says I'm not generous?!
I'm off tonight on a 21 hour bus journey south. I'm sad to go as I've loved this hostel but excited to go to Bariloche.
And the bus journey... I get a cheeky little tray of bread, bread, bread, more bread... And cake. If I get back to London and someone offers me their seat on the tube I wouldn't be surprised.
Ps I have NO idea how these posts are getting so long. Blame the long bus journeys.
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