Wine time

Trip Start Feb 10, 2006
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Trip End Feb 01, 2007


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Flag of Argentina  ,
Sunday, November 12, 2006

Oh my giddy aunt! Should be careful what we wish for eh? Thought it was Spring in Argentina but this is full on, faint-in-the-street hot! Being a desert I should have guessed really. Never seen a place cope so well with itīs desert status as Mendoza- every street is lined with huge trees providing constant shade and every tree is watered by ditches carrying snow melt gurgling and sploshing to the ever thirsty roots.

On the edge of the city is a massive park complete with very clean campsite. Forgot that campsites in Argentina double as barbecue party sights and are inundated at weekends with families cooking up huge steaks and gulping down copious amounts of wine and cola. Great atmosphere but very hard to find a quiet spot to put the tent up till Monday when the place was completely deserted. Woke to the incongruous sound of peacocks! Turns out there is a small zoo nearby Acongua
Acongua
 .

Pottered around the park and town and drank lots of cheap (and very good) wine. Finally plucked up the courage to get a haircut - picked the most posh looking place but still ended up with a bit of a hatchet job, canīt complain for two pounds fifty (four dollars) and I practically live in a hat these days anyway.

Met a guy from Belgium who told us heīd just been robbed near the bus station (which was where we were headed) - said they took everything, rucksack, wallet, money belt, passport, watch the lot! Nightmare - but was it true? Couldnīt see a bruise on him but surely he would have put up a fight? And no weapon was mentioned. I hate that we have become so cynical but tourists are just as likely to try on a scam as locals and weīve heard of a girl in Lima who uses just this story to make a living! He said the police were very unhelpful but we noticed he wasnīt carrying any documentation - surely they would have written a report at least so he could claim insurance? Arghhh, all very confusing. Just goes to show that you really are on your own if things go wrong overseas and it is worth having insurance and back-up plans, you canīt rely on strangers to bail you out.
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