The bus ride into Mendoza was very comfortable even if the lady who served us our dinner on there bus didn't smile once in the whole 10 hours.
First impressions are that it's nowhere near as hot in Mendoza as it was in BA. The hostel is nice where we are staying and we have met some friendly Israelis who are doing a similar route to us.
The next day we went white water rafting, it being summer means that the water level is a bit lower but that means that the rapids are faster but you don't get as wet. But that didn't really matter because we got soaked, but it was so much fun.
We did this on Sunday forgetting that South America pretty much closes on a Sunday so when we got back to Mendoza we realized that there was nothing open, but we asked and found somewhere where we could buy some dinner. Crisis averted.
Being in Mendoza it seems rude not to visit the wineries in the local area and get some free tasters with the wine tour. So me and Sarah and the Israelis got on the bus to visit Mr Hugo, a guy that rents bikes. He was very friendly and we got a map and went to bike to the winery furthest away and then we would make our way back visiting other wine places on the way. On the way there Ben got a puncture in his tyre and he had to knock on a strangers door and ask to borrow their phone to call Mr Hugo to get a new bike, after Mr Hugo delivered the new bike we were off again to our first winery. Here we got to taste Malbec, Cabernet and a white wine called Torontes. All were delicious. After we biked to another winery and then to a beer garden for lunch and some beer and then to a olive oil factory. Where we got to try different olive pastes that they make along with marmalade and liqures, then it was time to head back, when leaving Mr Hugo's shop he gave us a bottle of wine each, a very kind man indeed. And on the way home we got off a stop too early on the bus and we had to get a taxi into the centre of town.
Next off we are off to Salta to ride horses and be on the pampas.