Mendoza is one of the places that I fell in love with while in Argentina. Surrounded by the Andes Mountains, this city is one for the books. It is a place to breath in the fresh air and experience the outdoors.

This past weekend I visited Mendoza, Argentina which is on the opposite side of Argentina. The seven of us from the University went on a long overnight 15 hour bus ride. We arrived Saturday afternoon to beautiful Mendoza. Our hostel had an extremely social environment. Everyone who stayed there came up to us and asked us where we were from and what brought us to Argentina. After settling in, we headed about 40 minutes outside the city and ventured towards the Andes Mountains. For about 2 hours we road on horseback through the mountains as

the sun was setting in the background. As I road on my horse I could not grasp how lucky I was to be here. After horseback riding, we ate asado, which is an Argentinian barbecue. Argentina is known for this type of meal and the tender meat. The food was absolutely delicious and everyone’s mouths were watering as the food was placed onto the table. We enjoyed a great meal and afterwards we had the opportunity to practice Spanish with our guide.

The next day, we went on a full day tour of 3 wineries in the Uco Valley region. This is a area southwest of Mendoza and is considered one of the top wine regions. We learned about the processes for making wine and how there are so many factors that effect the taste of wine, whether is be how long the wine has been sitting to the type of barrel the wine is being contained in. As we moved from winery to winery the view of the mountains got better and better, which I did not even think was possible. At the second winery we visited, we ate a four course meal that was one of the best meals I have had so far on this trip. As we waited for the bus to pick us up we sat outside and stared at the mountains. It was so picturesque that the Andes looked as if they came out of a painting. There were no noises except for the slight sound of the wind.

Mendoza was so peaceful in comparison to the hustle and bustle of Buenos Aires. Normally our group cannot stop talking when we are together, but while in Mendoza we constantly found ourselves silent and taking in the scenery around us.

About a week and a half left in Buenos Aires and I still have so much that I want to accomplish. I wish I had more time here, but I will have to make the most of it!

Chao!

Brittany