After our delightful 23 hour bus ride we arrived in Mendoza, and found the heat of the nearby desert. We stayed in a lovely hostel with its own grape vines, small swimming pool, and rooftop kitchen for a few days while we explored the city and surrounding vineyards and mountains. The city of Mendoza has large tree lined streets fed by small canals on each side as the city was basically built in the desert. It cools the whole city down while making every shaded street seem more welcoming than the next. We had some more excellent mint chocolate chip gelato, which is the only necessary flavor in our world.

We strolled around the expansive Parque San Martin, which has hundreds of non-native trees and plants that seem to live peacefully. Along the way we were followed by two stray dogs for over two hours that we promptly named and were able to call on command without problem. We gave them nothing, but they loved us. They followed us 8 blocks into town stopping whenever we turned around like we couldn't see them and darting through traffic all the way to the gelato shop where we were able to escape out the side door eventually. If we could each travel with a dog, we definitely would have taken them home.

The next day we explored several of the local vineyards that Mendoza is famous for including a giant factory, a small organic winery, and another mid-size family run winery that had oil being drilled out of the ground not 100 ft away (not ideal). Anyways the organic wine, Cecchin, blew us away, and though we may be able to get it in the US, it's sad to know we only pay $6 per bottle in Argentina.

The next day we experienced the gaucho side of life in Argentina a bit by taking a horse ride through the lower Andes mountains finishing off with an open fire barbecue and wine. We actually got to corral the horses that were wandering out in the mountains galloping to flank the horses on all sides to put them on the path back to the ranch. I felt some enhanced sense of manliness except for the aching pain of the saddle under my legs that left me hoping I was still in fact a man.