After talking with Maria and Alejandro, followed by a thirty second phone call, and apparently we had a guy picking us up at the airport for the next day. We did not know who, but apparently their friend, family member, and go-to-guy was going to pick us up and show us some of the sights around Mendoza for the next few days.
Well, go-to-guy may be an understatement as Pablo, or “Gator” as he is known, turned out to be the game changing play in our trip. Gator met us at the airport ready to take on the world. He spoke only a few words of English, but with Patrick’s spanish expertise we had no problems communicating as Gator’s gregarious demeanor and enthusiastic inclination to assure our experience was unique made conveyance tantamount as a smile explains more then words can reveal.
After picking us up at the airport, Gator drove us to the Hotel Villaggio in the heart of Mendoza so we could get settled in. A quaint and contemporary boutique hotel, where yet again our accommodations were far more then we expected. Wood floors, white linens, and a complimentary bottle of local wine greeted our astonished unanticipated skier expectations. For the next two days we traveled around parts of Mendoza that I am pretty sure only the locals and those whom live on the particular streets even know exists. We experienced a local tour that some spend years trying to explore. A morning at the Rutini Vineyards followed by a trip to the Termas Cacheuta hot springs based in the foothills of the Andes mountains made for the perfect Mendoza Experience. We met prominent Bodega architect, Eliana Bormida, who gave us the inside knowledge on vineyard design and the day finished with Gator himself inviting us to his house for dinner. After sampling local meats and vegetables until we insisted we could eat no more, it was clear that we had met the most kind person in the world. Gator did all the bargaining, guiding, and inner working of our trip for us. Most of all, he took a compassionate interest in our wellbeing having never met us before. The friendliness of the Latino culture came shining through and we felt at home, even in this strange land.
Tomorrow we take off to Las Leñas. 5 hours and we hope the weather is a little more like winter because Mendoza was beautiful this time of year, 85 degrees and full of sun. We hope there is snow on the horizon, and maybe Casey will shave soon, we hope.
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