Province of Mendoza

The journey to Mendoza lasted an endless 27 hours. It is worth mentioning that the seat next to me remained empty throughout the entire trip, so the ride in the cheap seats was somewhat bearable. While the bus crew changed several times, I was probably the only idiot who traveled the entire route of about 1,500 km. The bus then continued further north to the province of Salta, which meant another 1,300 km. It is simply fascinating how long distances can be covered here by public transportation without having to change vehicles, and that's not even the end of it.

Mendoza is one of the world capitals of wine and the province is the most important wine region in Argentina. Due to the mild climate (lots of sun, little rainfall), grapes for red wine thrive here, and the most famous wine in the region is probably Malbec. Even as a non-wine drinker, I have to say that this wine really brings an excellent taste to the receptors. Excellent and unexpected. ;)

The city itself is very calm and relaxed, unlike the South American metropolises I visited before. Here, you can stroll through the city center with your phone without worrying about someone trying to steal it. There are various parks in the city center, mostly square-shaped and inviting for relaxation. In addition to recreational purposes, they mainly serve as a prophylactic protection for the population. In 1861, an earthquake almost completely destroyed the city, and after the reconstruction, these open spaces were left in the city center so that people would have enough undeveloped areas to escape to in case of another earthquake.

I used the overall relaxed atmosphere of the city to recharge my batteries. After all the impressions of the past few weeks with almost daily highlights, I really needed a break to process everything. It's not that easy to absorb and sort such experiences when you're constantly on the edge for long periods of time, so I had a major drop in energy level after arriving in Mendoza. It was in the basement, and the threshold for taking in new experiences was far exceeded. Of course, this is nothing unusual on a long journey, the art is probably to recognize when it's time to take a break. And that time had definitely come, and Mendoza was a good place to completely unwind. For a few days, I did nothing at all, the activities were limited to walks in the city center and eating. Otherwise, it was standstill. Sorting things out and definitely not making any plans. Because that is always associated with emotions and an inner restlessness that arises when you have a thousand new thoughts in your head that drive you again.

After the days of rest, Kevin and Andrea arrived in Mendoza and we had a good time. Restaurant visits, asado at their apartment, some activities in the city center, and football. It was the perfect way to get back in the mood for more demanding and exciting activities. I must mention that I experienced one of the best games of my entire journey in the highest Argentine league, the Clasico and city derby between rivals Rivadavia and Godoy Cruz - a first-rate spectacle. It's absolutely crazy to see the way the support from the stands is celebrated here. Multiple choreographies, smoke, an incredible volume, and people on all kinds of structures in the stadium. They climb several meters high fences, overcome barbed wire, remove barriers, and every face shows absolute dedication and enthusiasm for their own club. Although the icing on the cake in the form of goals was missing, it was still a feast for the eyes and ears.

My energy level gradually increased again, and after meeting a group of Argentinians at a bar, I could no longer resist their invitation to visit the beautiful countryside around Mendoza. What incredibly nice people. I was picked up directly at my accommodation several times, and we went to the outskirts and mountains of the city, the South American Cordillera and the Andes. The barren landscape and the many vineyards on the slopes and even in the lowlands create a beautifully colorful picture, especially at this time of year. And the sun practically shines all the time, so you never feel like it's actually winter in the Southern Hemisphere.

During my time here in Mendoza, I once again noticed the incredibly positive attitude of the Argentine people. With an inflation rate of over 280%, hardly anything works except for local transport, and supermarket prices are above average for Central Europe. The economy is continuously deteriorating, and yet the people are so amazing. Rarely have I experienced such a solidarity among the community. It feels like no one is left behind, and even the biggest letdown is taken with humor. In general, people here make fun of their own situation, with a bizarre and very warm black humor. When you question that, they will immediately tell you about everything that still works and how great it is. It's amazingly positive and fascinating. Socially, we can really learn a lot from here. This somehow reassures me every day. In general, this is an experience I have made on my travels: the more crisis-ridden the country, the warmer the people. But what I have encountered here in Argentina is somehow on the next level when it comes to this topic.

To celebrate the May Revolution Day (Dia de la Revolucion de Mayo) on May 25, 1810, one of the most important holidays in Argentina, I went on a trip to one of the suburbs of Mendoza. People gather in various venues (in our case, a nursery) to celebrate the day. There is relaxed music, good wine, and Locro, a stew made from corn, chorizo, vegetables, and beans. A real delight, which is typically served only on this special day in Argentina. Delicious and a very relaxed day among pleasant people.

Afterwards, I had another wild experience at the Estadio Malvinas. The planned visit to the game between Godoy Cruz and San Lorenzo was overshadowed by severe violence within the Barra of the home team. In the first half, the game was repeatedly interrupted because various projectiles were shot onto the field and the surrounding sections. During halftime, I asked locals for information and they told me that this was a conflict between two factions within the Godoy Cruz camp and that it was supposedly about succession in the city's drug business after the imprisonment of the actual leader of the gang. I was also warned that the unrest in the stadium was probably just the tip of the iceberg and that I should be careful. The second half lasted only a few minutes and the game was eventually abandoned as the violence within the group escalated further. The cops eventually cleared the section, there was no chance of resuming the game, and rubber and buckshot were fired. There was absolute unrest in and around the stadium, and when I finally wanted to leave the scene, several security personnel roughly told me that I should go back to the safe press area of the stadium. The surroundings of the stadium had turned into a kind of battlefield by then, and there was also live gunfire. Absolutely wild scenes but only loosely connected to the actual sport of soccer. I followed the recommendations and observed the commotion from a safe distance. After the excitement subsided, I finally left for the city center via Uber and cooled down the experiences with a Fernet con Coca.

There was quite a lot going on towards the end of my stay in Mendoza. Leaving the city and especially leaving this amazing country was not easy. First, the pass to Santiago was closed for several days due to heavy snowfall, and then I had a hard time separating myself from Argentina. Several times, I postponed my departure by one day to spend some more time with the people I had grown fond of and absorb the pleasant atmosphere of the city. But at some point, the time for departure finally came. I made sure that the mountain pass was passable, bought a bus ticket on a whim, and finally sat in the bus to Santiago - an extremely difficult farewell, but also a departure for new adventures - Chile, it is your turn!