Week 6 Argentina: The land of free rein and lots of beef.

               Mission of the weekend: get outside of Chile for a few days.  Friday morning was woken by my 6:30 am alarm to catch the 8:30 am bus to Mendoza, Argentina.  There was much anticipation as to what the other side of the Andes was like.  After strict advisement to travel during the day to Mendoza (I usually prefer the overnight bus so I can sleep) I hopped on a minibus and was ready to do my sightseeing.  The route from Santiago to Mendoza goes through the Andes Mountains.  Crossing the Andes isn’t as easy as crossing the street.  The incredible journey up the mountain was filled with many twists and turns uphill.  The sights were phenomenal.  I looked around me and I was literally surrounded my snow covered mountains.  There was nothing in sight but rocks, streams of the melting snow, and gigantic mountain tops in every direction. 

                After the epic 3 hour stop at customs (there is a serious lack of efficiency in these countries), we finally made it across the border.  First thing on the agenda was to find some food.  It was 7:45 on a Friday night and finding a place to eat was difficult.  Not because all the places were packed, but because most don’t open for dinner until 8:30!  Welcome to Argentina where they don’t eat dinner until 10:30pm, don’t go out dancing until 2:00am and don’t go back home until the sun is out.  I love finding out the little quirks of a culture.

                Day 2 of Argentina was filled with a wine and artisan tour.  I went to four different ¨bodegas¨ or wineries to taste more than just some good wine.  The first one was filled with chocolates (yes I tried to taste one of each) and flavored liquors.  The second and fourth were the traditional wines.  And the last (but definitely not least) was at a factory that makes olive oil.  Being a good Italian, I know what real extra virgin olive oil tastes like.  I don’t make my garlic bread with that other stuff and I certainly wouldn’t dress my salads with anything less than the best.  I will admit that this olive oil was exceptionally delicious.  There were different flavors poured over bread and decorated with the occasional sun dried tomato.  I was in all my glory.  The samples even convinced me to buy a bottle of this aciete (oil) with a hint of basil. Can’t wait to try it out this week!

                The day of wining was paired with a night of dining.  Although I’m not a huge red meat eater, I could not pass up trying one of Argentina’s famous steaks.  Dressed with a mushroom sauce, and cooked medium rare (a bit too rare, but still delicious) this steak was a little piece of red meat heaven in my mouth.  The Argentineans did not disappoint with the spread of food that was on our table.

                The next day consisted of an hour drive towards the mountains, horseback riding, and more beef.  It’s amazing how the view of the mountains in the distance never gets old.  Every time I’m in a car or on a bus I’m continually in awe.  This phenomenon was intensified as I climbed on my horse, Domino, and trotted through the trails of a small mountain.  Now I’m definitely not an experience horseback rider, so at first it was a little scary.  I was told I needed to drive the horse like it was a car.  I didn’t listen very well.  At first I sort of let the horse do what he wanted, after all he was the one doing me the favor.  Then after the galloping started and I almost fell off, I thought it would be best to show a little more authority. 

When we were done riding the horses, the trainers set them free into the mountains to go grave and sleep for the night.  I couldn’t believe it when our guide told us that the horses live in the mountains, and they just use them during the day.  I found it incredibly gratifying that these animals were treated with the dignity and given free rein as to where they want to go.  I was told that’s the Argentinean secret to their good beef. They allow their cows to graze and wander where they want, as opposed to living in a barn or being fenced in.  In the end I wouldn’t exactly say the cows are treated with complete dignity, since they are often seen on dinner tables around the world, but they freedom is definitely respected.

                On that note, the horseback riding was followed by “un asado” (a barbeque with out the BBQ sauce).  More beef, chicken, and sausage.  I preferred diving into the bowl of a fresh tomato, pepper, and onion mix with the homemade fresh bread.  The meal was followed by a guitar serenade from our guide.  We made it just in time to take the 10 pm overnight bus back to Santiago.  This weekend of good food, drinks, and horseback riding will not be forgotten any time soon.  I’ll be leaving this Thursday (Oct 7) for my Bolivian adventure…much more to come from South America.