Category Archives: Argentina

Friday, Feb.6, 2015 Last sips of wine Since we must continue our journey tomorrow, today was our last tasting opportunity. We made an appointment to visit the Norton winery and taste sparkling wines at 11 am. After several wrong turns, we got onto the big highway (40), and made our way to Norton without muchContinue reading “Last Sips of Wine, Feb. 6, 2015”

Wednesday Feb. 4, 2015, 32 C (89F) It doesn’t feel as hot as 89, probably because it was overcast most of the day. We decided to visit the thermal springs in Cacheute, outside Mendoza. When we arrived around noon, the place was packed with hundreds of cars and people. After a walk around to lookContinue reading “A subterranean winery with a Latin name–very archaeological.”

Feb. 3, 2015 continued We did not have a reservation for the Vistalba winery, but it was near Kaiken, and we  met the bicyclists there, too. We did not take the tour, having just toured Kaiken, but we joined the group for tasting in the cellar where they’ve got a high-ceilinged room exposing one wallContinue reading “Vistalba, Decero wineries”

On our way in and out of wineries, we saw all these birds. It was great! Big day for Wine. Fist stop was Kaiken, in Lujan de Cuyo, where we joined about 8 other people for an English language tour. Very nice tour, lovely grounds, nice group of people from 2-3 different tours. Five wereContinue reading “Lujan de Cuyo near Mendoza–Feb. 3, 2015”

Today was a planning day. We called Carolina at 9 am. She came over and we discussed moving downstairs, parking the car in the garage space at the apartment rather than down the street and finding a dentist to glue Jonathan’s broken crown back (no more caramels). Fortunately, Carolina arranged a dentist appointment for 5Continue reading “Getting Started in Wine Country”

You all know that I love parrots, so it was a thrill to see parrots perching on the power lines, flying around in groups. These are burrowing parrots.  They looked black, but they are really dark green, with blue on the wings, orangy underparts, and a red chest spot. A scholarly article suggests that theContinue reading “Parrots in the wild!”

Why does Argentina have excellent infrastructure for transportation? With the exception of the vacation crowds in Valle Hermosa at the start of our trip, the roads have been in good condition and with light traffic, to none at all. Why does Peru have one speed bump per kilometer between Puno and Desaguadero (! There wereContinue reading “Mendoza, Wine Capital of Argentina”

On the way into San Juan, we stopped at Vallecito, home of “La Difunta Correa”. The story goes that in the mid 1800s, Sra. Deolinda Correa followed her husband as he went off to battle, impressed into service as was common at the time. Sra Correa died of thirst on the trail, seeking her husband,Continue reading “La Difunta Correa shrine, Ischigualasto, and Chilecito to San Juan, Argentina, Jan. 31, 2015”

Motorbikes and scooters are very popular in Chilecito, and many are driven by women. This seems to bring up a new problem. We saw a woman driving a motorcycle with one hand while holding a sleeping infant in the other. We saw a man driving a motorcycle with a small child behind him, then theContinue reading “Chilecito Day 2, Jan. 30, 2015”