The city of Mendoza in western Argentina is known, if you have heard of it all, as the wine capital of Argentina, the Napa Valley of this country. With one million people in the entire metropolitan area it’s the fourth largest in Argentina. We aren’t there yet but we plan to spend next week doing good things in the city.
Like Napa Mendoza has rivals for grape growing and wine production in the country but it’s still the most famous and it is an obligatory stop for overlanders.
However we were parked next to Christoph and Monika yesterday in the lakeshore at the village of El Nihuil and it was not good for us. The sun was burning us up and there was no shade. The Germans are remote workers and depending a satellite signal for their jobs so parking unprotected suited them but we craved the shade of the campground back at Malargüe.
The thing is Layne has found a Michelin starred restaurant she wants to have lunch at and there is also a cooking class she wants to attend. Add in a couple of wineries anfd an olive oil producer and there fire we have a bit of a schedule forming.
We decided the lake shore was too much for us and after one last walk we packed up and pulled out.
Argentina has a number of stray dogs and they live in the streets attaching themselves to passersby. I carry extra dog food for them always but I miss Colombia and Chile which don’t have this stress for me. I would adopt them all. They aren’t as wretched as many dogs in Mexico but I think all dogs deserve love. Rusty disagrees vehemently and Layne calls him a MAGA dog because he’s got his and doesn’t like to share.
He doesn’t walk so far anymore but when he gets annoyed at me feeding the strays he stalks off and challenges me to follow him as he pretends to ignore me. The make up belly runs confirm his ascendency over me and I know I am putty moulded by his emotions. It’s not easy.
We said goodbye and drove through the village back to the highway. They are going back to Austria, Monica’s country, and Munich where Christoph is from and spend summer with their families returning to their big white Unimog in September, which vehicle they will leave in a garage in Uruguay. We may see them in Brazil.
Rusty won’t travel in his bed but he cherishes the opportunity to sleep there between journeys.
It’s only about 80 degrees by day but it feels hotter but it also drops forty degrees at night so it’s a very arid desert climate here. It looks pretty desertlike too.
It was a two hour drive back to town and we stopped at the Vea supermarket for perishables and the made a beeline to the campground.
Rusty was glad to be back as were the campground dogs as they knew I am good for some meals while here.
And there’s hot showers, electric plug ins and lots of lovely shade. The Starlink signal isn’t great but we are happy to be here for a few days. Then Mendoza then back to Chile.
Meanwhile like our color coordinated neighbor it’s time to rest and relax.
