Lost in the Andes

May Blogs

Email Feedback

For todays update I thought it might be fun to give you some of the emails I have recieved as often the questions are similar. I have cut out portions of the emails in the interest of entertainment

Dear Mark,

Blog audit: 3 Blogs in March,5 Blogs in April,1 Blog in May …

Maybe we should count May’s empty wine bottles -JA

Hi Neighbors,

Hope this email finds you very well. Sorry for my late reply, I was in Brazil and returned yesterday.

You have chosen a great place to live, Chacras is incredible, and it has a special weather...... -AB

Hope all is well. How are things going down south? Please add me to your adventure list so I can follow your progress down there. -TB

Hearing from you two is NEVER spam silly goose!!! -GK

Just read your latest blog and want to say how much I enjoy reading your travel experiences. I forward them to ….. He has seen the Andes and South America, but this is the closest I will ever get to such beautiful scenes. -MP

Only you could describe a bus ride experience in such captivating language. Enjoyed it!! -KV

I love your updates as your adventure is an inspiration to me. Keep them coming. Take care! -GK

…. Welcome to Mendoza….I want to go and start my two year cycle tour. Please let me know … I will suggest a time/date and I´m only here for seven days more. Regards. C

Went to read your blog. Hopefully things are going well for you. You are probably eating some nice steaks and red wine for cheap, eh? Whenever I go to Argentina, my greatest pleasure is to eat and drink well for cheap. …. I'd like to be able to find a plot of land to build a vineyard some day -FC

We end our kid's soccer season with parents vs. kids (all 4 teams) - It's quite a show…..> We were playing about 10 V 10 so there were a few adults in reserve and many kids. Along about the 2nd quarter, I noticed the kid's bench was empty. You couldn't take 3 steps without being bombarded with kids…. - RH

Reviewed your "blogs" lately. Pretty,nice. However, I am quick to point out that the caption about "Time to stop and smell the roses"... I got news Mark - it tweren't no rose - it was a hibiscus. -JD

I am reading Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes where she and her husband bought an old property in the Tuscan area and slowly rebuilding it.. I read this book slowly, enjoying the beauty of the surrounding, the simple life and her recipes of foods found in her garden. -TT

Oh excellent! Felt like I was along for the ride lovely photos tks -CS

I read the blog from cover to cover... great to hear you are enjoying yourself. I love the tone and language of the blog. I am curious about the "rock and roll" spray paint...Best wishes, I look forward to the next details of you odyssey. -CR

I gotta tell U that U made me laugh so hard when U described the swirling trick with the wine in your mouth and going crossed eyed. I will probably read it everytime I need a good laugh I could so picture U trying it. Your web site rocks, hasta la vista Argentina. -CP

For the record i did not press the little x button..hasta luego-DM

I enjoyed the blogs. …. I think after work today I'll go buy a bottle of Malbec. Tell me if you have any favorites to suggest. Buenos dias, -BY

Hey, did you get my email? Answer me, you gunky. -DB

Men Outstanding in Their Field

Volcanoes happen. We didn’t make it to Patagonia as planned because of a small problem with the long dormant volcano Chaiten in Chile near Bariloche which picked the week of our trip to Bariloche to spew tons of ash across half of the world’s southernmost province. So we have continued to look at property and study the Argentina real estate process. One difference here is that the owner or his representative (not the real estate person) always meets you at the property and since we are looking at farm land we have met many men “out standing in their field”. I will describe the types of men we have met as way to update you on what’s up in the real estate market.

The first type is the Estados Unidos or EU (pronounced A oo). These are people from the US who fall into two categories; retirees and entrepenure developers. Hank* was an ex military man who is retired and moved to Argentina. He grows fruit trees on his 2 hectares and has the most impressively neat barns and workshops. I could learn a thing or two from him but then my friend M.V. has already tried to teach me about neat, tidy garages. Bob*, representing the second group, was a successful business man in the US and in Argentina and is now developing gated communities for grape growing for the “gentleman vineyard owner”.

The other type of men we met “out standing in their field” were Argentinean and fell into 3 categories. The first was the Entrepreneur who is buying, fixing up and selling properties. Alexandro* buys small fincas and builds beautiful owners homes on them. He was a kind man…a trait manifest in his love of animals. He had a large number of dogs living on his property that he had picked up as strays. Next were the Duenos (owners) embodied in Guido*, the grandson of an Italian immigrant to Mendoza. Guido lives in the local town and has a job inspecting the irrigation ditches of the country and then spends evenings and the weekend supervising the field workers on his 8 hectare vineyard. Lastly we met the Trabajador. These were the salt of the earth people who lived on and worked the land. It was from Pablo I learned that this galpon (tool shed) could be rebuilt but the tractor burned too much oil. And Juan pointed out the Alamosa tree where a man had hung himself many years ago and ever since mysterious lights sometimes twinkle in its branches at night.

As you can see I am doing my homework and learning. Each man I have met has taught me something. I want to be neat and orderly, successful on a business scale, kindly like Alexandro, hardworking like Guido and know the land like a Trabajador. One day I hope to be outstanding in my field, south of the Equator.

* names have been changed

Another Asada

These folks know how to have fun. We have been here six weeks and yesterday was the third holiday we have seen. So it was time for a Paseo(for definition see blog The Best Wine I Never Had) and an Asada(BBQ). This time we rode in a compressed gas powered Station Wagon filled with seven people and supplies. A thirty minute drive brought us to an olive grove at the edge of town with a sign CAMPING. Spread out under the trees were tables and chairs with grills for cooking. And not far away a futbol(soccer) field.

Of course I could not resist and so played my first game of soccer since I was a kid. It didn’t take long for my team realize how bad I was and so put me as goalie. Maybe the yankee can use his hands and I did, blocking many shots but unfortunately letting enough through for us to lose. One shot embarrassingly went between my legs. Did you know that every try at the goal ends up with a dive by the goalie and sudden jolt as you hit the ground. I am so sore today. After the game we ate and ate. We brought our assigned meat and so did everyone else so there was quite the variety.

Today was moving day and we love our new bungalow. Sure hurt loading and unloading suitcases though. We looked at another finca(small farm) this week and are planning a week long trip to Bariloche in Patagonia next week. We’ll take the laptop so I tell you about it as we head further South of the Equator.

Dear JA,

Quite right...not enough empties in May, I will redouble my efforts.

Dear AB,

I will always remember your kindness. You and the many Argentinans I have met here have made me feel very welcome

Dear TB,

Welcome aboard.

Dear GK,

Honk, Honk.

Dear MP,

I hope that one day not only will you be wrong but that I get to be the one to show it to you.

Dear KV,

Just get on the bus, Gus.