Packing food and getting ready

Heidi is in Mendoza finalizing the food packing and making certain that all of the logistics for their trip are organized. Saul and David are also in town, and are out and about on a tour of some local vineyards. Claudio is arriving today and the whole crew will go out for a nice welcome dinner this evening.

Mendoza is a great place to spend a couple of days before and after working hard on a big, cold mountain. The streets are wide and lined with enormous shade trees which are irrigated by a series of canals that run along each side of the streets. There is little hustle and bustle in Mendoza, and shops close for three hours each afternoon for siesta.

Sidewalk cafes provide enjoyable spots to kick back at lunchtime and eat a Barros Jarpa (grilled ham and cheese sandwich) and wash it down with an icy cold Cerveza de los Andes. As the sun sets, the pace picks up a bit and the Mendocinos start to come out for strolls in the numerous parks. Bistek (steak!) is the king of dinner time in Mendoza, and there are numerous world-class steakhouses throughout the city. Ask any Mendocino and they'll tell you that if you're going to eat a big steak, it's just not healthy unless you wash it down with some of the local vino tinto. Mendoza is world-renowned for its Malbec, a grape imported from France decades ago, which thrives in the hot, dry climate of the high desert.

Suffice to say, the team is doing just fine and is probably getting a bit antsy to hit the trail after a couple of days of life in Mendoza!