A five litre jug of wine can be had in Argentina's wine growing capital, Mendoza, for between five and six dollars. Many of the town’s restaurants have fixed price menus. Your choice of beverage is soda pop, water or wine. Coffee is extra. Massive tall trees line the streets that bring tourists from far and wide to tour the area’s bodegas, or wineries. Ellen and I had never visited our own wineries, in the Niagara region, so it seemed like kind of a silly idea to do it in Argentina. We took a pass.

Most people rave about tranquil Mendoza. I heard some even say that they planned to make the twelve hour journey back from Buenos Aires for a second visit. It does have some great little parks to while away your day. And there are the trees. And the wine. Okay, I don’t understand why anyone would spend twelve hours on a bus, to go back a second time. The country of Argentina is full of both trees and wine. And every city has its parks. For us, a two night stay en-route from Santiago, Chile to Buenos Aires, was at least one night too many. Even the young desk clerk at Hotel Abril wished she was going to Buenos Aires with us. Mendoza is just a little bit too, yawn, sleepy.