Wine Country

After a 14-hour bus ride from Buenos Aires, I arrived in the City of Mendoza, Argentina bright and early this morning. The bus was a "cama suite" which means there were only four seats (that turn into full beds) on the first floor. In addition to having a bed with blanket/pillows, they give you hot meals and open bar for the entire trip!

Upon entering Mendoza, the backdrop of the snow-capped Andes becomes noticable in the background. The city of Mendoza itself is very charming. There are only about 100,000 who live in the city limits and it is very walkable. My hotel is across the street from Plaza Independencia, which is the cultural and social center of the city. Two to three blocks from Plaza Indpendencia are four other plazas - Place Chile, Plaza San Martin, Plaza Italia, and Plaza Espana - each with its own unique statues and fountains. For lunch, before my wine tour and after spending a few hours exploring the city, I settled on La Marchigiana. This restaurant got rave reviews by a number of travel web sites, so I couldn't miss it. Well I wasn't disappointed. I started with fresh calamari (from Chile) sauteed in a lemon sauce, followed by mouth-watering lasagna type of dish stuffed with seafood.

After a few drinks tonight, I will head to bed early as tomorrow I head for a tour of the Andes and the highest peak in the Americas. More to come!