Hola from Argentina! The gringos have arrived for Vendimia (wine harvest festival in Mendoza)

After our 7 hr. bus ride on

CataInternationale, up the 27 curvos (switchbacks) to the Chilean Andes, over the border to the Argentine Andes with spectacular glimpses of Aconcagua (biggest mt. in SA. ... to my mt. climber friends.... "Let's do it!) we arrrived in Mendoza. Gustavo was not at the bus station to greet us because we arrived an hr. early. Bob talked the guy who sat next to us on the bus into letting him use his cell ph. Speaking Spanish would come in handy, but we wouldn't have all these "extra" fun experiences otherwise. ~!(: ) We are in our first vrbo.com (vacation rental by owner) condo of the trip. It's in a very quiet, nice neighborhood, but within close walking distance to all the wine tasting! After getting in, we walked to dinner and then for $5, we got to sample 8 different wines. To all of our wine drinking & steak loving followers: this is vino tinto/vino blanco heaven! The steaks we ate were marvelously juicy and tasty. There's nothing like grass-fed beef.