La Vida Errabunda

The sun was warm as we got off bus #10 at el camino de vino the wineries of Maipu, just outside of Mendoza. It was shaping up to a summer day, despite the fall season. Nobody in their right mind would bike from winery to winery in Napa Valley. But in Maipu and the carefree mind of Argentina, why not? We rented our bikes with baskets before noon, and started off with map in hand and plan in mind. Our first winery included free wine. The wine was perhaps the worst thing to ever to touch my lips; I don't think it was even worth being free. But the winery was pretty and included a tour of fabcrica de vino wine factory. Copa gratis In the dry desert of Mendoza, olive grow aplenty. The olive oil farm we went to included not only plenty of delicious oils and tapenades, but also liqours. We tried some absinthe, which brought tears to eyes and cleared sinuses. Absinthe flames We road the long journey (about 8 km) up to Di Tommaso, a beautiful family-owned winery....

Cielos con sol, alergias malas y muchas fuentes. Sunny skies, bad allergies and many fountains. Our Media Trip to Mendoza was part of our program, meaning Carolina was coming with us, a nice hotel, and planes. Oh, the luxurious ways of traveling. We landed in the desert of Mendoza in early afternoon. It hardly ever has rain, which makes it perfect for growing the Malbec grapes. It was a clear day, but not refreshing. As soon as we got to the hotel, we already noticed problems with our allergies. The city has many trees to try and help the problem, but our city bodies just couldn't handle all the fall air. After check-in and a rest, we went to the media conglomerate for a tour and meeting, Diario Uno. It is made up of a daily newspaper, an online version, a TV station and a radio station. We discussed the media climate in Mendoza, which is relatively free of the controlling government advertisements. It was the most zen building I have ever seen for a newsroom and very pretty...

Back in Argentina meant recovery time from the wild, untamed Bolivia. SLEEP. SHOWER. WARM BED. That may seem basic, but those were not existent during our trip.  The first day, after SSWb, we headed to the infamous museum with momias . Inca mummies. The Museum of High Altitude Archaeology has an entire exhibit dedicated to three frozen Incas, perfectly preserved due to the extreme cold and high altitude at Mt. Llullaillaco (22,000 feet). They were discovered in the late 1990s. It surprised us that the "Inca Trail" extends through northern Chile and Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru. Only one of the three frozen children is displayed at a time due to the religious context, respect, and controversy. It was amazingly intact- hair, teeth, and skin. Saturday was outdoor day. Salta is surrounded by beautiful mountains, so we headed for the nearby Quebrada de San Lorenzo. We decided to fill up on some delicious regional goat cheese, bread, and salami before he went. Full an...

I have always wanted to walk on clouds. They are fluffy, beautiful, and possess something instinctively poetic. At the Salar de Uyuni, where the sky and the ground meet, not only did I feel like I was floating on a cloud, but it looked like I was. We woke up early and scuttled out of Uyuni, heading straight for the promised land. I had a splitting migraine, so I curled up in my seat and ignored the world until our driver said " Chicos, estamos aqui You guys, we are here." My eyes fluttered open to see the low light over the land. On one side the sun was rising; the other, the moon was setting.   From dark to light We ventured out and because the Salar was mostly covered with water due to the rainy season, my feet instantly froze in the cold morning. I withstood the pain to take in the absolute wonder of it all. The rising sun was breathtaking with the Salar's blue hues. Puddles on the Salar We kept going until we reached a dry place and a Sa...