from Sept 28 - 3 oct 06
We checked into our prebooked hostel around 8pm. This whole ida of pre booking hostels via internet is all a bit foreign to me.. I am so used to being bombarded by touts at bus stations, haggling like hell, then being taken to the door. It seems that might be a thing of the past. there were no touts at all! We had prebooked (to avoid any hassel at the border) at Hostel Lao.
This was done via hostelworld.com... a little tip we discoved by fluke... enter ¨1234¨when they ask you for a membership number and they dont charge the $2US booking fee.. tehee
Anyway, the place was run by a pleasant young couple, him English. This meant i could actualy ask him questions directly instead of relaying them thru Sara (which is already driving me mad..) I found it quite interesting that we were locked in thru 2 doors/gates, and had to ask to be let out each time we went to leave. Again, all the windows in town had bars over them too.
Feeling quite alive we went out for a drink. There were pubs everywhere! Full too. So much for any economic depression in Argentina! All young people, enjoying the warm eve air and cheap beer. (I´m going to like it here, I can tell already..) Quite amazed at how late everybody drinks and eats here though, dinner was still being served to punters at 2.30am! It was only the next day we realised that Argentina is an hour ahead of Chile and our watch had been out. It was actualy 3.30am and dinner time!
I am always interested in the flow of local money when I travel. For better or worse, it does make the world go around, and trying to understand a local economy is really trying to understand the driving force of any nation. Last night the bars were full. But the next morning we passed an ice cream shop which was conducting interviews. It was literaly teaming with young uni aged kids trying to get that lucky break. They all looked pretty anxious to be the successful canditate. It reminded me of how difficult it was to get a job in NZ in the early 90s, when i was that age. Oh how things have changed!
Mendoza again struck me as modern and easy, not too unlike NZ. The key thing I noted was the impressive irrigation system that keeps the city so green, despite being in the middle of the desert. This involved open waterways, like mini canals along every street. They were maybe 40cm wide and 60cm deep, but I couldnt help but think that such a sytem could never be used back home or in Europe. Some drop kick would trip into one, stub his toe and blame the council for negligence. In Europe the same git would successfully sue the council for millions. I like being in places where you actualy need to use the slightest bit of common sense..
The next few days we went biking thru the local wineries. Mostly Malbec, a varietal not that common in NZ.. and for good reason in my opinion. Think an aroma of tar, charcoal, wood, ash, and a taste to match. I think I´ll stick to Pinot noir when on the reds in future.
The size of the tastings deserves a mention too. Back in NZ you get a taste. Literally. Here, they fill your glass half up. This would be great...if the wine was nicer.. oh well
The food here is simple, ie MEAT. The concept of vegetarians (aka ¨weirdo´s¨) is clearly unheard of. There is meat in EVERYTHING, and quite frankly I´m not complaining. The real highlight was an all you could eat resataurant, where several beasts were cooked right in the front window for all to see. For less than $6NZ you could (and I did) eat till it hurt, and then go for pudding too,which I am sure had beef in it somewhere.
the local zoo was a surprsing highlight in Mendoza. There were some cool local animals, and it was very well stocked with at least 4 of any given species,including those from far away. Tucans, Pumas, Armadillos, Condors, monkeys, Lions and elephants. I particularyly liked the 2 hump camels from central Asia. A lot more expressive than ol 1 humps from Egypt and India.... See what I mean?
No comments:
Post a Comment