Wine region Mendoza and the gateway to Patagonia

After visiting Santiago together, our paths temporarily separated for a few days. I, Carole, was drawn to Argentina to visit the country's largest wine region - Mendoza - which is world-renowned for the Malbec grape variety. I went on a bike tour and visited three wineries, learning fascinating things about the wine production process. During the tastings, I was able to personally confirm its quality.

Since Mendoza was my first stop in Argentina, I had to adjust to the Argentine way of life. Here, everyone takes a siesta from 1-5 PM, and practically all shops are closed during that time. Dinner is usually not served before 9 PM.

Argentinians love their old cars. It doesn't matter if they're falling apart or missing parts. What wouldn't pass a vehicle inspection elsewhere is proudly driven on the streets here.

Eventually, I continued my journey southwards to Neuquén, which serves as the gateway to Patagonia, and Junín de los Andes. The landscape here has many similarities with Switzerland - everything is green, with lots of forests, hills, and mountains. Clear rivers flow through the landscape, and life is much quieter than in the bustling city of Santiago, for example.