9 - 12 November.
Having spent a lot of my time in South America at altitude I hadn't had to worry about mosquitoes for my entire time here - this is a nice relief, although something which has lulled me into a false sense of security.
Mendoza is a lot lower (746m, according to Wikipedia) and as the first night here was cold they didn't come out. On the second night things had warmed-up a lot (it had been a warm, dry, day, the exact opposite of Sunday when I arrived).
Oh how they chewed me on the 2nd night - I was bitten all over my hands, arms, legs and even a couple on my head (makes shaving fun).
My third night came with a liberal amount of bug spray over my body, something my fellow room-mates did too (one of which has also been chewed on the 2nd night). No new bites, but the existing ones are itching like crazy - far worse than the mozzies from Central Asia ever managed.
Pro tip: spending time in Mendoza - bring good bug spray. The locals recommend something called "Off".
15 December 2013
14 December 2013
The Vines of Mendoza
9 - 12 November.
Mendoza, Argentina, is a place I added to my list back in Kyrgyzstan, based on recommendations from a lot of the people I was travelling with at the time - a few days of excellent wine sounded good. Having spent a few days in Mendoza, it is good.
The journey here from Santiago, a place I'd stayed overnight having left San Pedro, was a simple 8 hour bus ride over the Andes, which makes for some stunning views - it is well worth doing during the day if you like mountain scenery.
Mendoza itself is a fairly small city, but one with a nice feel about the place. A pleasant place to spend a few hours walking around, although having arrived on a Sunday I found that it, like a lot of the rest of South America, is closed on Sundays. It is also likes a siesta - so everything is closed in the afternoon too. As with the rest of South America - do stuff early, nap in the afternoon and then go out again. Or, if you are like me, forget this on a regular basis - have a lazy morning, "discover" that everything is closed mid-afternoon and then have a lazy afternoon too (I've read a lot in South America, which is no bad thing) and then cram too much in to the afternoons and evenings.
Whilst there are many things to do in and around Mendoza (rafting appealed, but I was saving that for Pucon), the main reason for visiting the area is wine. Lots and lots of amazing wine.
The two traditional methods of touring the wine region is either with some form of organised wine tour (driven from place to place, look around the site, try wines, etc) or a self-propelled tour, by bike.
I had wanted to do a nice wine tour, such as Trout & Wine which has an amazing reputation, visiting some of the better vineyards and trying some of the nicer wines, but it was only when I was in Mendoza did I discover just how expensive they were (the wrong side of $150 for a 1 day tour). I could have coped with about $100, but $150 is just too much for tasting a few (very nice) wines and having (what the reviews all say is) a very nice lunch
If I were in Argentina for a short break (a few weeks) - and given how little I've seen of the place, how much I've enjoyed what I have seen and what I've been told by others, I want to return - I'd happily budget for doing a couple of nice tours; not an option for me at the moment.
Part of me fancied the bike & wine option, but having not ridden a bike for the best part of 20 years drink-cycling my way around Mendoza seemed a little "interesting".
(side note: I actually tried a bike for the first time in about 20 years in San Pedro - I borrowed the one Petra had hired for the afternoon for a few min - and much to my surprise you really don't forget how to ride, even if I was a little wobbly.)
I found reference to The Vines of Mendoza and it looked interesting - it gives you the ability to sample various wines at various prices from many different vineyards, without having to travel very far, and whilst being educated by staff who really know there stuff. Their online reputation is excellent (see this, for example).
I spent Monday night there, sampling 4 good wines and 1 which was absolutely stunning - it is up there with Diemersfontein Pinotage, which is no faint praise from me. I wanted to be able to afford to import a case or three, but the total cost of doing it ended-up at around £50 per bottle - totally unaffordable. I'll be doing my best to track it down at home - it is stunning.
For those interested... Pulenta, 100% Gran Cabernet Franc, 2010. The irony of going to the home of Malbec and falling for a Cab Franc isn't lost on me.
Tuesday, my last day in Mendoza, was an easy day of another Meat Coma and a return to The Vines of Mendoza for a sample of another 5 great wines, which thanks to Ezequiel (the guy who runs the tastings) being a nice guy turned in to 7 great wines. Whilst the 7 were good and some were very good, none touched the Cab Franc.
As much as I would like to ship many cases of the Cab Franc home, I just can't. I can, and did, take one bottle with me back to Chile; something to enjoy whilst in Pucon with Gil. Buying the wine also allowed me the opportunity to do something I get a slightly odd kick from - mess with people.
There is a certain stereotype of people who go to nice wine tastings and it would be fair to say I'm not it; when in full backpacker mode I certainly don't look like it, not that I look any more like it most of the time anyway.
So picture the scene... you are sat in a nice wine tasting place, looking like the type of person who goes there, when in walks a dirty backpacker - it would be fair to say my shirt was probably a day past when it should have been in the laundry - who is carrying two bags with him (see this picture, although the hat is now lost :-() who has just had a warm greeting from the guy on the door and an even warmer greeting from the guy who runs the place and one of the other staff.
Imagine your further surprise when the guy who runs it grabs you some water (I'd just walked with my packs from the hostel and was obviously a bit hot & sweaty) whilst the waitress thanks you for her present (it's her birthday and she joked on Monday night that I should bring her cake - so I did) and offers you a drink, on the house.
Imagine your shock, being the person I sat next to, the type that looks like sitting next to backpackers happens to someone else, when a glass of wine is brought to me before I can even ask for what I want and it is very obviously my favourite - the wine I'd gone to buy.
I then proceeded to sit there, enjoy my wine, chat with the waitress. Sadly the wine ended and I had to find a cab - one was called as it is a lot easier. The taxi arrives and there is a round of warm goodbyes from all.
I do wonder what those sat around though as the whirlwind of oddness passed through. Based on their looks, bewilderment I suspect.
I do get a rather twisted kick from watching the reactions from those around me when I do stuff like this - see Sushi in Cape Town, for example.
Mendoza, Argentina, is a place I added to my list back in Kyrgyzstan, based on recommendations from a lot of the people I was travelling with at the time - a few days of excellent wine sounded good. Having spent a few days in Mendoza, it is good.
The journey here from Santiago, a place I'd stayed overnight having left San Pedro, was a simple 8 hour bus ride over the Andes, which makes for some stunning views - it is well worth doing during the day if you like mountain scenery.
Mendoza itself is a fairly small city, but one with a nice feel about the place. A pleasant place to spend a few hours walking around, although having arrived on a Sunday I found that it, like a lot of the rest of South America, is closed on Sundays. It is also likes a siesta - so everything is closed in the afternoon too. As with the rest of South America - do stuff early, nap in the afternoon and then go out again. Or, if you are like me, forget this on a regular basis - have a lazy morning, "discover" that everything is closed mid-afternoon and then have a lazy afternoon too (I've read a lot in South America, which is no bad thing) and then cram too much in to the afternoons and evenings.
Whilst there are many things to do in and around Mendoza (rafting appealed, but I was saving that for Pucon), the main reason for visiting the area is wine. Lots and lots of amazing wine.
The two traditional methods of touring the wine region is either with some form of organised wine tour (driven from place to place, look around the site, try wines, etc) or a self-propelled tour, by bike.
I had wanted to do a nice wine tour, such as Trout & Wine which has an amazing reputation, visiting some of the better vineyards and trying some of the nicer wines, but it was only when I was in Mendoza did I discover just how expensive they were (the wrong side of $150 for a 1 day tour). I could have coped with about $100, but $150 is just too much for tasting a few (very nice) wines and having (what the reviews all say is) a very nice lunch
If I were in Argentina for a short break (a few weeks) - and given how little I've seen of the place, how much I've enjoyed what I have seen and what I've been told by others, I want to return - I'd happily budget for doing a couple of nice tours; not an option for me at the moment.
Part of me fancied the bike & wine option, but having not ridden a bike for the best part of 20 years drink-cycling my way around Mendoza seemed a little "interesting".
(side note: I actually tried a bike for the first time in about 20 years in San Pedro - I borrowed the one Petra had hired for the afternoon for a few min - and much to my surprise you really don't forget how to ride, even if I was a little wobbly.)
I found reference to The Vines of Mendoza and it looked interesting - it gives you the ability to sample various wines at various prices from many different vineyards, without having to travel very far, and whilst being educated by staff who really know there stuff. Their online reputation is excellent (see this, for example).
I spent Monday night there, sampling 4 good wines and 1 which was absolutely stunning - it is up there with Diemersfontein Pinotage, which is no faint praise from me. I wanted to be able to afford to import a case or three, but the total cost of doing it ended-up at around £50 per bottle - totally unaffordable. I'll be doing my best to track it down at home - it is stunning.
For those interested... Pulenta, 100% Gran Cabernet Franc, 2010. The irony of going to the home of Malbec and falling for a Cab Franc isn't lost on me.
Tuesday, my last day in Mendoza, was an easy day of another Meat Coma and a return to The Vines of Mendoza for a sample of another 5 great wines, which thanks to Ezequiel (the guy who runs the tastings) being a nice guy turned in to 7 great wines. Whilst the 7 were good and some were very good, none touched the Cab Franc.
As much as I would like to ship many cases of the Cab Franc home, I just can't. I can, and did, take one bottle with me back to Chile; something to enjoy whilst in Pucon with Gil. Buying the wine also allowed me the opportunity to do something I get a slightly odd kick from - mess with people.
There is a certain stereotype of people who go to nice wine tastings and it would be fair to say I'm not it; when in full backpacker mode I certainly don't look like it, not that I look any more like it most of the time anyway.
So picture the scene... you are sat in a nice wine tasting place, looking like the type of person who goes there, when in walks a dirty backpacker - it would be fair to say my shirt was probably a day past when it should have been in the laundry - who is carrying two bags with him (see this picture, although the hat is now lost :-() who has just had a warm greeting from the guy on the door and an even warmer greeting from the guy who runs the place and one of the other staff.
Imagine your further surprise when the guy who runs it grabs you some water (I'd just walked with my packs from the hostel and was obviously a bit hot & sweaty) whilst the waitress thanks you for her present (it's her birthday and she joked on Monday night that I should bring her cake - so I did) and offers you a drink, on the house.
Imagine your shock, being the person I sat next to, the type that looks like sitting next to backpackers happens to someone else, when a glass of wine is brought to me before I can even ask for what I want and it is very obviously my favourite - the wine I'd gone to buy.
I then proceeded to sit there, enjoy my wine, chat with the waitress. Sadly the wine ended and I had to find a cab - one was called as it is a lot easier. The taxi arrives and there is a round of warm goodbyes from all.
I do wonder what those sat around though as the whirlwind of oddness passed through. Based on their looks, bewilderment I suspect.
I do get a rather twisted kick from watching the reactions from those around me when I do stuff like this - see Sushi in Cape Town, for example.
13 December 2013
Travel Tips: logout
I'm going to write a detailed post about reducing risk when using random computers whilst travelling - simple measures which you can take to protect you and your data. Until then one very quick, very simple and very important one.
Use the logout button.
If you are using a public computer to access the likes of e-mail and Facebook then make sure you use the logout button once you are done. I have seen it all too many times when people don't - I've sat at computers where I've found people signed-in to Chrome/Gmail/Facebook, giving me them access to a lot of stuff I suspect they don't want me or anyone else to have access to.
Use the logout button; wait until it is confirmed you are logged-out (e.g. back at the login page) and then close the browser (i.e. close all the browser windows for that browser). Congratulations, you are now less likely to have opened-up your life to exposure you probably don't want.
You should also consider the use of the "private browsing" mode in most (all?) modern browsers, as this helps prevent leaving your "trace" on the computer - just remember to close the browser after.
Use the logout button.
If you are using a public computer to access the likes of e-mail and Facebook then make sure you use the logout button once you are done. I have seen it all too many times when people don't - I've sat at computers where I've found people signed-in to Chrome/Gmail/Facebook, giving me them access to a lot of stuff I suspect they don't want me or anyone else to have access to.
Use the logout button; wait until it is confirmed you are logged-out (e.g. back at the login page) and then close the browser (i.e. close all the browser windows for that browser). Congratulations, you are now less likely to have opened-up your life to exposure you probably don't want.
You should also consider the use of the "private browsing" mode in most (all?) modern browsers, as this helps prevent leaving your "trace" on the computer - just remember to close the browser after.
12 December 2013
Salt Flats Tour pics - day 1
A few pictures from day 1 of 4 of my tour through the Bolivian salt flats.
The first stop on the trip was to see views like this - I knew I was in for a very happy time.
A few hours latest and a quick leg stretch.
A small village in the middle of nowhere where we stopped for lunch.
The houses were all made of mud bricks.
To say it was remote doesn't begin to cover it. The building on the left is the school.
It did have a church though - which isn't a surprise.
Another big landscape.
Travel Tips: Listen to the pro's
One of the best travel tips I can give, especially if you happen to be a touring musician (in North America) is this: listen to the pro's. Specifically - read, digest and strongly consider the advise from a friend of mine, a "tour manager for an always-on-tour indie musician".
See http://tourmistress.blogspot.co.uk/ for details.
See http://tourmistress.blogspot.co.uk/ for details.
10 December 2013
Dorm room etiquette
This is the first in a small series of travelling tips - little things I have learned or been taught whilst travelling, which I share in an effort to repay my debt.
Are you returning to your dorm room late at night - so late that some, maybe even most, would refer to it as "the early hours of the morning". You've had a drink or two, possibly; or maybe something more interesting.
You stumble in to the dorm room, having made a hash of getting the key in the lock, and turn the main lights on. You look around to find a room full of people who were up to that point sleeping (or in some cases, were sleeping to the point you started trying to unlock the door and who are now wondering if it is too late to start taking bets on if/when you'll manage to unlock it), and who are now trying to block the bright lights from their eyes.
Do you:
1) Realise your mistake; turn the lights off and work in the dark / by torchlight?
2) Leave the main lights on for 10+ mins and faff around with the stuff in your locker?
The correct answer is 1, of course; the all too common answer is 2. For those who stay in dorm rooms regularly this is about as surprising as death, taxes and having taxi drivers take the piss.
Dorm rooms are shared spaces and we all know that - if you sleep in them you accept that people will come & go at different time. Some will want or need to sleep late, others want or need to be up early - noises & light will happen at times you wish it didn't. If you can't accept this, don't sleep in dorm rooms.
Dorm rooms are shared spaces and as such we should all know better - coming back in to a dorm at 2am and turning on the main light is just dickish behaviour. Don't.
Consider the benefits of getting stuff out of your bag/locker before you head out - having everything to hand for when you return. Random nights happen, but honestly most late nights are predictable.
Consider the benefits of a torch when travelling, even if not camping - it gives you light to work by and keeps the room dark for everyone else. Bonus points for a torch which also has a red light, which is far better for dorm rooms and helps you keep your night vision. Head torches work best as it gives you free hands to actually do things with, although they aren't as suited to having in your back pocket for whilst wondering the dark, pot-holed streets of Samarkant, for example.
Are you returning to your dorm room late at night - so late that some, maybe even most, would refer to it as "the early hours of the morning". You've had a drink or two, possibly; or maybe something more interesting.
You stumble in to the dorm room, having made a hash of getting the key in the lock, and turn the main lights on. You look around to find a room full of people who were up to that point sleeping (or in some cases, were sleeping to the point you started trying to unlock the door and who are now wondering if it is too late to start taking bets on if/when you'll manage to unlock it), and who are now trying to block the bright lights from their eyes.
Do you:
1) Realise your mistake; turn the lights off and work in the dark / by torchlight?
2) Leave the main lights on for 10+ mins and faff around with the stuff in your locker?
The correct answer is 1, of course; the all too common answer is 2. For those who stay in dorm rooms regularly this is about as surprising as death, taxes and having taxi drivers take the piss.
Dorm rooms are shared spaces and we all know that - if you sleep in them you accept that people will come & go at different time. Some will want or need to sleep late, others want or need to be up early - noises & light will happen at times you wish it didn't. If you can't accept this, don't sleep in dorm rooms.
Dorm rooms are shared spaces and as such we should all know better - coming back in to a dorm at 2am and turning on the main light is just dickish behaviour. Don't.
Consider the benefits of getting stuff out of your bag/locker before you head out - having everything to hand for when you return. Random nights happen, but honestly most late nights are predictable.
Consider the benefits of a torch when travelling, even if not camping - it gives you light to work by and keeps the room dark for everyone else. Bonus points for a torch which also has a red light, which is far better for dorm rooms and helps you keep your night vision. Head torches work best as it gives you free hands to actually do things with, although they aren't as suited to having in your back pocket for whilst wondering the dark, pot-holed streets of Samarkant, for example.
7 December 2013
Salt flats pic
Just a teaser for the rest of the pictures I'm slowly working my way through.
Lots more to follow. Eventually.
(I am working through 1000+ pics just from the salt flats and ~7000 from the journey so far. Give me a while.)
Lots more to follow. Eventually.
(I am working through 1000+ pics just from the salt flats and ~7000 from the journey so far. Give me a while.)
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