Mendoza

Mendoza is most noted for it’s exceptional vineyards that are found just a few minutes outside the city. With it’s arid climate and antiquated irrigation system, the city of Mendoza is ideal for the creation of some of the best wine in the Americas and around the world. The vineyards come in all shapes and sizes. From the small family run establishment that only produces about 10,000 bottles a year to the more commercial institutions that produce about 300,000 bottles.

On my trip to Mendoza I was fortunate enough to visit a couple of vineyards by bicycle. As my friends and I passed by the beaten dirt path of Maipui, we could not help but smile as the sun’s rays stretched out through the Alamos and onto the flat terrain. The scenery was absolutely spectacular, and it was quite easy to get lost in the beauty of it all. The next day I boarded a bus with my friends and we took a small excursion to Puente de Inca and Cristo Retendor.

I was impressed by the vineyards but nothing could prepare me for the natural splendor of the mountains that surround the city. The mixture of different colors, geological surfaces and fauna was magnificent. As the sun began to rise the hues of the boulders began to change and soon I was staring at nature’s true beauty. As our group made it to the top of Cristo el Retendor, the temperature dropped. It turns out we were a couple thousand meters above sea level. Regardless, of the cold mountain chill that penetrated my flimsy sweater I was in a constant state of awe. Perhaps it was the thin atmosphere and lack of oxygen, but I felt a certain sense of spiritual calm as I was on top of the mountain. As the tourists scattered like ants to pose with the backdrop of Christ the Redeemer, I found myself alone wandering aimlessly where I shouldn’t have been. As I stared off into the distance, I glared directly at the peak of Aconcagua. It was at that moment that there was silence. No tourists, no tour guide, no motor running, no shuttering of the camera. Just the wind sternly brushing against my body and the quiet calm of the mountain. I could have died right then and there and I would have been happy. My brief experience with Nirvana quickly came to the screeching halt when my friends found me and told me we had to leave.

We soon found ourselves on a bus to Puente de Inca, or better said a tourist trap in the middle of no where. At one point in time it was an upscale hotel and thermal bath, but due to seismic activity everything collapsed and nothing but a church, rubble and large calcium deposits dominate the panorama. The Argentineans are able to capitalize on this “natural wonder” by having placed several artisan stands and a museum by the Puente. I was not taken aback. I took a couple of shots and went back to the bus that would take me back to the hostel.

Check out the pictures I took while I was at Mendoza:
http://gallery.me.com/lopezjo/100018