Santiago from the Ritz Carlton

After almost two weeks in Argentina, we noticed a gradual change as we approached Santiago. It is a bigger city, with more infrastructure, more high rise construction and more going on than Buenos Aires.

By comparison, Buenos Aires is somehow exotic and maybe stuck in a time warp. Santiago could have been in Denmark or Sweden, clean modern, well into the 21st Century and not the least bit exotic.

Chilean Vineyards

After all of our explorations of Argentinean vineyards we had to spend a day in the Chilean equivalent. The Chilean wine regions are spread out up and down the long valleys between the coastal range and the Andes. We visited a couple that were picked for their proximity -  less than 2 hours out of Santiago on the way to Valparaiso. What can I say. These were good, not as memorable as the best of Mendoza, but a nice afternoon. And the infrastructure is there – a good wine country restaurant with Chilean seafood instead of Argentinean beef. Its all good. And now we have to get to the airport for the long trip home.

Between Santiago and Valparaiso

Four Hour Drive to the Chilean Border

It is a four hour drive from Mendoza to the tunnel that marks the 11,500 foot border between Argentina and Chile, usually plenty of time for the snow to be cleared from the tunnel entrances.

The drive is spectacular. It was fall in the Andes and the most visible color was the orange yellow of the tall Lombardy poplars along the roadside.

It Snowed Overnight

The snow on the mountain tops set off the roadside trees. It looked like this for miles. This drive is one of the best parts of the trip – much better than flying from Mendoza to Santiago.

Alongside the Highway to Chile

Mount Aconcagua

There were no memorably steep hills on the way to the border, just a steady climb for mile after mile. But we knew we were getting up there. We had a couple of climbers in our group, along with our guide who pointed out Mount Aconcagua in the distance. At 22, 500 feet plus, it is the highest mountain outside of Asia.

Mt Acongogua behind the clouds

Crossing the Border

The border crossing between Argentina and Chile is not exactly like going between the US and Canada. Chile is very fussy about any possible agricultural pests. They have no hoof and mouth disease, mad cow disease, med flies, grape destroying phylloxera, etc. and want to keep it that way. With the Pacific on the South and West, a big desert in the north, and the Andes in the East, they are effectively isolated and take advantage of this to inspect whatever crosses the border, slowly. We had to give up a couple of sandwiches which were smoked meat, therefore suspect and gone.

High Altitude Border

32 Switchbacks to Chile

Mendoza, a city of 100,000 or so, is the capital of Mendoza, the province which is the location of most of Argentina’s wine industry. It takes a while to get there from Bariloche, there are no direct flights. We flew back to Buenos Aires and, after a few hours in the airport, got on another big plane to Mendoza. Distances are daunting here – like connecting between cities in the Western US – and driving is not a great option.

The Next Napa

Mendoza is not quite Napa Valley, but it is on its way. We stayed at a very modern Park Hyatt across from a major square in central Mendoza. The place seemed busy, with good restaurants and a bit of business activity centered on the wine industry. For some of our group the city tour lead to shopping and some high end momentos of the trip. Some of us opted for a long nap.

Our Favorite Wineries 

Benegas Lynch is one of the first wineries in the region – making Cabernet Franc from 80-year old vines. Their adobe building is historically significant as the owners are credited with bringing the first French grapes to Argentina. The original irrigation system was in full force when we visited, giving some perspective on the 80 year history. 

Starting Point for Argentina's Wine Industry

The Original Irrigation System

Bodega Catena Zapata also lays claim to pioneering work in developing world class Argentinean wines, particularly for pioneering high altitude vineyards. The original Catena was a faculty member at UC Berkeley for a number of years and no stranger to the Napa Valley. He came home to build a distinctive Mayan style showroom and winemaking facility that is one of the best attractions in Mendoza. And it doesn’t hurt that their best wines get ratings in the mid 90’s from Wine Spectator.

Bodega Catena Zapata

Fall Colors in the Catena Zapata Vineyard

Achaval-Ferrer

This was, by our tasting, the best wine we found in Mendoza. Wine Spectator agreed, giving ratings in the high 90’s to some of the Malbecs that we got to try.

It is about the wine. The tasting room and vineyards are off the beaten path and unspectacular, but well known to serious wine buffs and collectors. We got the insider’s perspective from a vacationing Californian who had spent a few years in Argentina starting one of the mobile phone systems in the country – and developing an expertise in the best the region has to offer. Between he and the expert staff, this afternoon was memorable.

Llao-Llao

From Our Window

Bariloche is Argentina’s Lake Tahoe. Lot’s of lakes. Mountains high enough for skiing and lots of snow each year. The steep pitched roofs on most of the buildings tells you all you need to know about the peak snowfall.

Fly from BA to Bariloche

Agrentina has a lot going for it, but apparently good roads connecting BA with the interior is not on the list. Landing in Bariloche with 300 or so other sholder-season travelers tells a lot. The landscape around the airport is borderline desolate. Rocky, with not much growing on it. There are no farms or roving cattle in sight. (That’s all in the Pampas, north of BA).

If there is a road headed east to the coast, it is a rugged one. A 1000 mile hour drive we were told. But there are plenty of flights, especially in the winter ski season.

BA felt Spanish and Italian. A Mediterranean lifestyle. Bariloche is German, Austrian, Swiss. Very Alpine. The outdoor living, the lakes and hiking trails must have made central European immigrants feel at home in the big wave of European immigration around WWI. And there are more than enough places with serious custom made chocolate to demonstrate Swiss roots.

Hotel Llao-Llao

We stayed at the famous Hotel Llao-Llao, a great lodge in what I would call the Adirondack style. It was a little more than a half hour from the town, overlooking one of the lakes. It must have been popular with President Eisenhower, who was photographed golfing there sometime in the 1960’s. At this point it is a family friendly place, fairly self contained with serious hiking trails, golf and, in season, fly fishing. 

The hotel is a comfortable place to hang out, with a nice lounge, Argentinian wine, a pleasant happy hour every afternoon and a friendly staff. Everyone enjoyed their stay here, but it felt like going back in time about 40 years. Some of that was charming and some was a signal that an update was overdue.

Hotel Llao Llao

A Busy Afternoon in Colonia

Fast Ferry for a Big River

 

 

 

 

With some early morning haze in the air, we were a little surprised to find out that the river between BA and Uruguay is too wide to see from one side to the other. The fast ferry, a serious vessel with capacity for hundreds of tourists and commuters and some number of cars and trucks, crosses the 25 or so miles in a little under an hour. And there is the excitement of customs and immigration control, which is all handled on the Buenos Aires side for both Argentina and Uruguay when leaving Argentina and on the Colonia side for both countries on the return. The crossing is part of the fun, comfortable, reasonably efficient and an opportunity to look up and down the river.

Colonia -A UNESCO World Heritage Site

Colonia is mostly for tourists. The dominant view is of the classic lighthouse. It is a walking town with a a ring of restaurants and “bistros” ringing the plaza. It comes across as a well preserved 100 year old with some decent photo galleries and shops. Its easy to have a good time here for a few hours, there are plenty of good photo ops and the adventure of walking along old cobblestone streets and walks. We even came across what looked like a moat and drawbridge as we approached the wall of the old city.

The Fast Ferry

The Old Port - Puerto Madero

BA from the Delta

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That Old River with the Color of the Lion

With these words Jorge Luis Borges defined the huge Río de la Plata. 

We left after an early breakfast to wind through Buenos Aires morning traffic for almost an hour before we got to our launch point for a day trip. Still called the “Tigre” for the jaguars that ruled the area a hundred years ago, the modern name is the ”Delta of the Parana River”, referring to the islands and streams that the Parana River has deposited over the years as it joins the Rio de la Plata.  

Welcome to Gato Blanco Ristorante

This is just far enough from the city to be relaxing, a different world with nothing taller than the treetops. We stopped at a great restaurant with a cruise up dock – I don’t see how anyone could get near this place by car. Exotic, but still comfortable. it made for a nice and very leisurely lunch

Buenos Aires by Water

Motoring back along the river you get a new insight on Buenos Aires. This is a seaport and the water approach proves it, with cranes galore and a long look at the skyline of the city stretched out for miles. This was a totally enjoyable, low key day.

  Tango For Tourists

 Learn the Tango Today

Buenos Aires has its own rhythm. Coffee and some exploration in the morning. For some people, a substantial lunch for the first half of the afternoon. A substantial lunch includes the Minimum Daily Requirement of Malbec and a meal that includes beef. Our group squeezed in tango lessons for 20, something that is readily available in the right sections of BA. This is just like the movies. The tango dancers dress in black and a little white. The guys look suitable macho and nimble. The girls are terrific dancers and a little dangerous with 4 inch stiletto heels and some very acrobatic back kicks.

And they got most of us up to try ourselves. With about a half hour of group lessons and a strong partner you could almost believe you could do the tango.

The Dinner Hour Starts at 9 or 10 or Later

The first couple of nights we went out to eat we wondered why the restaurants were almost deserted when we showed up. I took us a day or so to figure out that this was a Mediterranean lifestyle – 10PM  was a perfectly normal time for Argentineans to start thinking about dinner. Restaurants were just filling up when we were finishing our coffee and desert. There must be a late afternoon nap that is part of the lifestyle, because many of the people are just getting started when I’m ready to give up and go to bed around midnight.

It Must Be the Hat!

Start with Your Right Foot

We are on a first time trip to Buenos Aires, then on to Bariloche and Mendoza in Argentina, finishing in Santiago, Chile. We used a bunch of AMEX points to get the airfare from Delta, way better than paying cash. The flight was long, 11 hours from Atlanta, and the connections were exciting – there were enough thunderstorms in Atlanta that we weren’t sure we would make it. Our 4 hour Atlanta connection window shrank to an hour and a half, but we made it. So, once again, it pays to pad these connections on international flights.

This was an overnight flight, so we arrived a bit groggy. But we were in almost the same time zone – Argentina is on “bermuda time” – one hour ahead of the US east coast during daylight savings time.

The Alvear Palace Hotel

The business part of the trip took place at the Alvear Palace Hotel, which has to be one of the best hotels we have ever stayed in. It’s the prestige place in BA, on the main shopping street. There are concierges, waiters, even butlers looking to be of service. While it sounds a little bit “old line” – we found out it is be popular with the young and beautiful in Buenos Aires - models and people who like to be around models and can afford the tab.

Alvear Palace Hotel - best in Buenos Aires

The Alvear Palace hits the mark with all the extra things I need on the road. A good gym. A spa where you can get a massage after a long flight. And an excellent breakfast with plenty of good coffee.

Our Coach at the Ocean - Heading Home

Just another hour or two in the bus. We stopped in Salem and made sure that the witches were all still dead. And finished up in Boston where we went to the airport and back to Philly to rest up from our vacation.

Coast of Maine near Bush Compound

Day 7: North Conway to Kennebunkport 

We talked ourselves into the Wildcat Mountain gondola. Great view of Mt Washington and more red, orange and yellow leaves than I thought I’d be able to see. We drove through the countryside to Kennebunkport. There were no reported sightings of any Bushes, but we did get a good look at the family summer place – pretty nice.

Wildcat Mountain, NH in the Fall