San Juan

I arrived in San Juan after a relatively short bus ride through the desert from Mendoza. San Juan is a nice enough city, though a complete ghost town on my Sunday arrival. I can sum it up as a sort of poor mans Mendoza as it has a similar modern grid layout with wide plazas and streets (though less trees) also due to the history of earthquakes in the area. It just didn't exude the same charm that Mendoza had, though I may have enjoyed it more as nobody nicked any cash from me this time around. I spent a few days relaxing at the various cafes and convincing less then thrilled cafe patrons that we should watch 4 hours of American Football as I continued to wait for the New England Patriots imminent collapse. I gave the waitress a ten peso tip for her troubles and she gave me a hug. High rolling with the ten peso tips i guess.

Crossing to Argentina near Portillo

After a few days of soaking in the city I went to a great wine museum/vineyard that included an oak barrel that held a ridiculous amount of wine whose number I forgot. I due remember that on the inauguration of the cask however the owner through a dinner party inside it with 80 of his closest friends. I also zoomed through some nearby badlands that surrounded an alpine blue manmade Ullum Dique that was great for a day of swimming and hiking. With the beginnings of a nice tan I hitched my way back into town and prepared the leg of my next journey, a night bus up to the northern Argentine city of Salta.

Ullum Dique

Ullum Dique 2

San Juan Badlands