Mendoza Argentina
Well here I am in the city of Cordoba Argentina after spending a week of quality time in Mendoza. Mendoza is a thoroughly modern city of 140,000 people in Central Argentina near the Chile border. Its main claim to fame is the excellent quality of the wine bodegas here and in the surrounding areas. Most especially in the unbelieveable quality of wine they are making from a rather obscure grape varietal called Malbec whicch is a red wine grape that originates in Bordeaux France.It is also a well known place to mountaain climbers, rock climbers and trekkers from all around the world as here are to be found the highest mountain peaks in all the Americas. Mount Aguaconda is the tallest mountain in all the world except for those of the Himalayas. I passed within a few dozen miles of this mighty mountain on the journey from Santiago Chile to Mendoza, and I can testify that it is amagnificent sight. Truly awe inspiring and I was reminded of the way I felt when the clouds parted and I got to see Mt Cook in New Zealand in all its awesome glory.
I spent on of the most relaxing days of my journey at the wonderful termas de Chueleta. These are beautiful hot springs only 35 kilometers from Mendoza. I went there with a road buddy, a very special woman named Lisa from USA who is a Doctor of psychology, in a recent previous life in Montana. We had some very intersting conversations about life on earth and ANGER and the role it plays in my inner journey, and how I deal with my ANGER at the things I think are wrong with the world.
I feel as though I may have made some progress in my work. Perhaps a stumbling stone has been cleared from my path. Time will tell. Thank you Lisa...
Mendoza is just a beautiful small city with lots of excellent little theme plazas. They are scattered all through out the city. My favorites were the plaza de Indepencencia. the Plaza de España and the Plaza de Italia. All have lovely fuentas de aguas and manicured lawns and old oak trees and lots of benchs to sit on and people watch. Just near my hostel was tahe parque central which is a few hundred acres of wooded hills and trimmed lawns and walking and jogging paths and lots of old trees and a man made lago. There is also a zoo there but I chose not to visit it.I have been already to a lot of zoos... I spent 3 days doing little more than lounging around the swimming pool at the Point Break Hostel and soaking up sun and warmth while taking an occasional plunge in the pool and a quick swim. WAtched Chelesea get beataen by Munich and Boca Juniors dismantle the first place Rosario Central futbol club. Yeeahh Juniors!!!
Read a great George Orwell book called "Down and out in Paris and London" all about being poor. Very thoughtful and enlightening.I love the way Orwell wrote on the human condition and the human spirit.
Mendoza is the kind of city I believe I could settle down in some day. It has a very liberal attitude. It has two synagogues and many yoga centers and a buddhist temple just on the outskirts. It even has a couple of vegetarian restaurants, quite extraordinary for Argentina.
While I was hangin out and enjoying my life in Mendoza one of my closest friends over the last 20 years had a terrible near death experience in San Luis Obispo and suffered a near fatal kidney failure. I was reminded through him of how delicate a balance we all tread between this life and the next and I am grateful that the Godess chose not to take RB from us at this time. I am just not preopared to be in this world without such a wonderful friend at this point in time. I am happy to say that he seems to be on the road to recovery and for this I am unabridgedly grateful. Who says that prayers go un-answered?
So here I am in Cordoba about 700 kilometers north of Mendoza on my way to Bolivia. This is my first day here in Cordoba a city of about 1,400,000 people. It is a cultural and historical center here in Argentina and there is a lot of colonial architecture still intact and a lot of old catholic missions.
The childhood home of Ernesto (Che) Guevera is only about 30 kilometers from here and tomorrow I will go and visit his old home and pay my 3 pesos and take the tour.I will probably be here for 3 or 4 days and then head off to Salta which is about 900 km north of here and only 100 km or so from Bolivia. Salta is famous for beautiful dessert landscapes of intense colors and huge natural salt flats. I will write my next travel blog from there.
Peace to all of you.
I spent on of the most relaxing days of my journey at the wonderful termas de Chueleta. These are beautiful hot springs only 35 kilometers from Mendoza. I went there with a road buddy, a very special woman named Lisa from USA who is a Doctor of psychology, in a recent previous life in Montana. We had some very intersting conversations about life on earth and ANGER and the role it plays in my inner journey, and how I deal with my ANGER at the things I think are wrong with the world.
I feel as though I may have made some progress in my work. Perhaps a stumbling stone has been cleared from my path. Time will tell. Thank you Lisa...
Mendoza is just a beautiful small city with lots of excellent little theme plazas. They are scattered all through out the city. My favorites were the plaza de Indepencencia. the Plaza de España and the Plaza de Italia. All have lovely fuentas de aguas and manicured lawns and old oak trees and lots of benchs to sit on and people watch. Just near my hostel was tahe parque central which is a few hundred acres of wooded hills and trimmed lawns and walking and jogging paths and lots of old trees and a man made lago. There is also a zoo there but I chose not to visit it.I have been already to a lot of zoos... I spent 3 days doing little more than lounging around the swimming pool at the Point Break Hostel and soaking up sun and warmth while taking an occasional plunge in the pool and a quick swim. WAtched Chelesea get beataen by Munich and Boca Juniors dismantle the first place Rosario Central futbol club. Yeeahh Juniors!!!
Read a great George Orwell book called "Down and out in Paris and London" all about being poor. Very thoughtful and enlightening.I love the way Orwell wrote on the human condition and the human spirit.
Mendoza is the kind of city I believe I could settle down in some day. It has a very liberal attitude. It has two synagogues and many yoga centers and a buddhist temple just on the outskirts. It even has a couple of vegetarian restaurants, quite extraordinary for Argentina.
While I was hangin out and enjoying my life in Mendoza one of my closest friends over the last 20 years had a terrible near death experience in San Luis Obispo and suffered a near fatal kidney failure. I was reminded through him of how delicate a balance we all tread between this life and the next and I am grateful that the Godess chose not to take RB from us at this time. I am just not preopared to be in this world without such a wonderful friend at this point in time. I am happy to say that he seems to be on the road to recovery and for this I am unabridgedly grateful. Who says that prayers go un-answered?
So here I am in Cordoba about 700 kilometers north of Mendoza on my way to Bolivia. This is my first day here in Cordoba a city of about 1,400,000 people. It is a cultural and historical center here in Argentina and there is a lot of colonial architecture still intact and a lot of old catholic missions.
The childhood home of Ernesto (Che) Guevera is only about 30 kilometers from here and tomorrow I will go and visit his old home and pay my 3 pesos and take the tour.I will probably be here for 3 or 4 days and then head off to Salta which is about 900 km north of here and only 100 km or so from Bolivia. Salta is famous for beautiful dessert landscapes of intense colors and huge natural salt flats. I will write my next travel blog from there.
Peace to all of you.
posted by Rambling Robert | 11:54 AM
1 Comments:
Remember us, from Trawangan Beach Club/Indonesia? The Dutch couple who love hardhouse and travelling? Yeah, that's us!
Love to read your travel stories!
We can't help it but we are getting more and more jealous every day ;) But we're so happy that you're having a good time. Reading your adventures remind us of our own 'bon temps' a year ago. Been back now for quite some time..and we cannot wait to leave again..Enjoy your travellings and hope to see ya back one day!
Diana & Etienne (MagicSjeup)
Holland
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