As the empty baggage carousel came to a halt, our suspicions were confirmed: my backpack had not made it. The only piece of luggage on the whole flight not to arrive, impressively. With very patchy Spanish, we explained the situation and filed the necessary paperwork with the airline. From here, it would just be a matter of waiting.
We then dropped our remaining luggage in our Air BnB and headed into the centre of Mendoza, which was sleepy at lunchtime as locals took siesta. We had lunch in a popular bistro called Anna’s, strolled through the wide streets and pretty plazas, and when eventually shops reopened, I picked up a few things to get me through the next few backpackless days.
The following day, Stephen presented at a product event, the second event he’s participated in on the trip so far. We then spent the evening with some of his colleagues, who had plenty of winery recommendations for us around Mendoza.
On day 3 we moved into Luján de Cuyo, a small, sandy town located at the foot of the Andes and native home of Malbec. Here, we’d spend two days visiting various wineries in the region, as well as those in the neighbouring Uco Valley.
First on the list was Bodega Carmelo Patti in Luján de Cuyo, where the man himself proudly showed us around the grounds and offered a tasting in his office. Patti is famous for his personable manner and hands-on approach to winemaking (he carries out almost every aspect of it single-handedly), and he delighted in showing us his folder of newspaper clippings, particularly mentions of him in the Washington Post and Guardian.
Over the next two days, we sniffed, swirled and sipped our way across a total of eight wineries, taking in breathtaking views of the Andes and learning everything from the effects of altitude, climate and soil on the taste and quality of wine, to the correct way to hold it on your tongue while tasting.
On our last day, we visited Termas Cacheuta Spa, a thermal spa made up of stone pools of varying temperatures, and a mud bath. A very nice way to round up our time in Mendoza!
As for my bag, despite never hearing from the airline again, it did, miraculously, make its way back to me. At the product event Stephen was presenting at, we met a man whose sister-in-law happened to work for the airline. He messaged her about it and within hours she had sent us a picture of the bag and organised a driver to bring it to us. I have no idea where it was found or what happened to it in the first place, but all’s well that ends well.
Ar aghaidh linn 🙂
Las Aventuras de Stephen y Méabh 