Jan 5th – Jan 11th
Tafi Del valle - Mendoza:
Tafi Del valle - Mendoza:
After Cafayate, there is another village that is not to be missed on the Route 40, Tafi Del Valle. We convinced Steven and Allard to join us there. It is only a few hours of bus from Cafayate, through a wonderful route that continues to Tucuman and then Patagonia. We arrived in the prettiest bus terminal so far in our trip; it looked like a Swiss chalet. From that moment on, we knew that it was going to be a nice place to stay. Indeed, it is magic, surrounded by very green mountains and full of charm.
We found a hostel in the center for the night and after we went to eat our first Argentinian cabrito (goat) that everybody talks about. To be honest, it is not as good as steak (bife de chorizo). The next morning, we walked around this very small place and looked for some activities to do. It was so hot out there that we had no strength to move, especially after the bad night we had. The boys were leaving that same night to Tucuman but we decided to treat ourselves to a nice room in one of the oldest farms of the village. We spent the whole afternoon relaxing in the garden with the lamas and looking at the mountains enjoying our picnic.
Sorry but we do not have pictures of Tafi, the photographer was on vacation!
Maria and I had a very good night, finally! We took a bus the next afternoon to Tucuman and from there decided to leave that same day to Mendoza, where we were meeting Steven, Allard being on the road to Iguaçu.
Two hours of bus to Tucuman and then 13 hours to Mendoza is a long way from Tafi Del Valle to Mendoza. This is the reason why we decided to travel overnight in first class, this means on a 180 degree bed! It was so pleasant to finally be able to sleep comfortably in a bus!
We loved Mendoza from the first minute we arrived. It looks like a city in South of France: warm, lively, big avenues with huge trees and lots of parks. We stayed there for 4 nights and we came to the conclusion that we could possibly live there.
Our first day, we met with Steven and walked around the shops and parks organizing our next day journey through the vineyards. The next day, we took the local bus to Maipu, neighborhood of Mendoza, with Steven and an Ozzie couple (Louise and Daniel) we met in Cafayate. The purpose was to reach Mr. Hugo, a bike renter, and ride across Maipu. What a nice day we had, from bodegas to olive factory … We tasted a lot of different wines and rode the whole day to come back to Mr. Hugo’s shop and enjoy a last glass of wine with all the people we met, a German, an English, another Ozzie couple (Amy and Andrew). We all went back to the city and ate in the park. 
The day after, Maria and I rested well and walked a bit more through the city. The goal of the day was to decide if we were going to Bariloche or straight to Buenos Aires. We decided to go to BA and leave Bariloche and the South of the country for our next expedition because it would add to much bus to our trip, in total +/- 50 hours more! That same day we also subscribed to an excursion the day after. We went by bus through the landscape of Mendoza, the ski resorts, the Puente Del Inca, the Christ that separates Chile and Argentina, the Aconcagua mountain (highest of the continent 6850 meters) and other wonderful sceneries. To tell you how beautiful it is, this is where the movie 7 years in Tibet was filmed. For more details, please see the pictures. 
On Monday, our last day in Mendoza, we met Picky and Lino, cousins of Gerardo from his mother’s side of the family, for lunch at their beautiful house. Picky prepared a traditional Argentinian lunch; milanesas, pure de papa and empanadas, so good! We talked for hours and swam in the quietness of the Lujan de Cuyo neighborhood. In the evening she dropped us off at the bus station. It is time to explore the big city of Buenos Aires! 
