We turned up at Hostel Lao in Mendoza which quickly became one of our favourite locations we'd visited so far ! We made the decision to stay for 5 nights (more than most) with the idea of chillaxing before the heavy trekking begins. We've made lots of new friends with fellow travellers & also with the staff who would pretty much bend over backwards to help you with anything, including the two dogs Bambina & Astor. It also had lots of hammocks & relaxing seated areas to chill in & we made full usage of the sunny garden & swimming pool to boot. Fay loved it cause it'll be the last time she can sunbath in South America! Mendoza is best known for its wine making. So out we stepped for our first day - The Vineyard Tour! With Ben & Jen a nice couple from Nuneaton, we hired our bikes & off we rode for the free wine sampling. The tour was great. We only paid 35 pesos (£6) each to hirer the bikes which included entry to 4 different Wineries. I'm not a red wine fan at all.... until the first winery where we had to taste 3 different wines (all red) We smelt, we swilled, we gargled and we swallowed, mmm.... a fruity oak taste echoed my pallet!! By the the 4th winery we were pleasantly merry attempting to cycle back, with red lips and a cheshire smile. Another nice day was at the National Park - San Martin. We took a beautiful slow stroll around the lake, where the ducks and flamingos were diving & the sun blazing. With a zoo & a couple of football stadiums you start to realise how huge this park actually is! We found a nice spot for a picnic which then encountered fighting off all the local stray dogs.... who just love cheese & ham!! All we missed was a glass of Red, but we made up for that back at the hostel where they generously give all guests free wine! I knew it wouldn't too long before Fay put her organising hat back on. So to finish off this cracking week, Fay & I hosted a Flaming BBQ for the whole hostel. (with Fay giving the orders not only to me but everyone that wanted to help ha ha) Team FEAST were in action!! East as East created a few DRINKING games etc... i wouldn't be East without a game or two!! ha ha! Ive now become a red wine expert. Yes i know... i used to hate red!! but now.... im drinking Argentina dry!! ha ha. With our walking boots on & the laces tied we head south to Bariloche for a few days of Mountain Trekking...