This post was not written by AI, but it may have been influenced by wine (winetelligence?).
I have an uncomfortable feeling when I hit the road alone again. When I say goodbye to my friends with whom I've gotten comfortable with after some time.
A week ago, that was the case. I said goodbye to two friends, travel partners with whom I spent most of my time and shared many experiences in the last month and a half. But every ending is a new beginning, they say. And every time you say goodbye, someone/something new comes into your life. A new travel partner, a new destination, a new culture, new traditions.
I realize now that these are all cycles of my growth. I find that I feel very good when I'm with like-minded people who already know me and know where to support me, and it's easy to be with them - it's a kind of bubble. It's more exhausting to be with new people you don't know and who aren't necessarily like-minded in every way. The latter is more work, but I need both to grow.
While I enjoy meeting new people and listening to their stories, it is much more challenging for me. It takes me some time to really feel comfortable and get out of my comfort zone. But when that happens, I ask myself if I do not want to hear new stories, learn about new cultures? Then I have my inner conflict. On one hand, I want to be in my room, reading a book, watching Netflix, working on my laptop. On the other hand, I want to be outside, trying different foods and talking to interesting people. That's exactly what a lot of introverts who travel around the world struggle with.
I was very relaxed last week in Buenos Aires, where I spent 2 months. You have everything within reach, I knew the city pretty well. And when I left, it was like a kick out of my comfort zone. I would have loved to stay longer, because there was still so much I wanted to do. But I was pulled into a different landscape, into a new experience. Suddenly, boom. Packing, heavy backpack on my shoulders, public transportation, plane, re-coordinating everything. I was not at all excited to leave. But when I actually arrived at my new location, Mendoza, that changed. I mean, you have mountains, wine, and good food. What's not to like? Part of the reason I traveled to Mendoza (besides the mountains and wine) is because it was my first time applying for a Workaway. It was something I had wanted to try for a long time, and now I finally had the opportunity. When it comes to giving back to local communities and having meaningful encounters with locals, this seems like the way to go.
But before I started my Workaway, I explored Mendoza and its surroundings with a friend. Although I didn't face as many challenges now as I did in Patagonia, there was a bit of a hiccup on the first day. We had a flight from Rosario to Mendoza, and we were very chill about it. We thought the flight would leave at 13:20 and we could easily drive from town to the airport at 11:00. Suddenly, Lara calls me and says that the flight is actually leaving at 12:00 - we found out at 10:55! And what do you do in a situation like that? You quickly take a cab, drive to the airport and hope for the best. It takes 30 minutes to get to the airport, and already on the way there we were thinking about what to do if we don't catch the flight. Bus, car rental, the next plane in 2 days. Those were all the options.
We arrive at the airport at 11:25, quickly go to the counter and very kindly ask the lady if we can still board the plane. At first the answer was no, but after some convincing that we had checked in (which was partially true - we had only checked in for one person), she took pity on us and let us through. We reached the gate when everyone else was already boarding. How lucky we were and what a start to the new trip! I was pretty proud of myself because I wasn't stressed at all. I was very relaxed because at worst I'd stay in Rosario for another day or two, which is great when you can work from anywhere and every place is new to you. Also, I wasn't in the middle of a snowstorm or anything like that, so it wasn't too bad.
Thus we arrived in Mendoza, still a little affected by the shock of the morning. There is much to do in the Mendoza area, but our plan was to visit a few wineries and vineyards, participate in tastings and eat well. At first, it's hard to know and visualize which places to book - there are more than 1500 wineries in the region! Many of them offer wine tastings combined with food, and they range from very local, small and family-run wineries to first-class, high-end restaurants.
For starters, we booked 2 restaurants (bodegas they are called) that were very good - they are considered the best in the area. The first night we ate at Bodega Los Toneles, which blew my mind with their food. They had the best empanadas (with ojo de bife) I have had, and it was also my most expensive meal in Argentina (around $50 USD). All the dishes are accompanied by high quality wines recommended by a sommelier. I do not usually opt for this type of high-end restaurant, but it was an experience in itself, I must say. You do not get to see something like this every day.
Wine tourism is very well developed here and it is no problem to find the best wineries and restaurants. Not only to find, but also to book. They have their own booking systems and it works smoothly. You can also find many tastings on Airbnb Experiences. However, if you want to find small, family-run restaurants and wineries, you need to put more effort. Usually you have to call them or write to them via Whatsapp. Most of the time we do not want to make that effort, so we just book what's easier. Especially if we are only there for a short time.
But it's a classic problem that exists everywhere - the small niche businesses are hard to find. That's how our idea of a marketplace and support system for these small players came about. Sometimes though I think about whether it's really good for us to contribute to standardization and make these small travel providers visible. Maybe it should be a challenge, and only the most dedicated people would find them and make the effort to book an experience. The best things are hidden beneath the surface, aren't they? Staying longer in one place also makes it much easier to get below the surface.
One of the next days we visited a rather local, small family brewery (yes, a brewery among all the wine options) and I’m glad we did. I don't even remember how I found it - I think it just popped up on my Google Maps and caught my attention. The brewery was the exact opposite of the restaurants we visited. A microbrewery with a few tables. We were alone for the tour and the owner was able to focus entirely on the experience and give us his full attention.
He has a large garden and could accommodate up to 100 people, but he doesn't want to. He wants to have a few tables for a few dedicated people that he can dedicate himself to and tell his whole story, which is very interesting. With his wife they love the story of Sherlock Holmes and decided to name their brewery after it. The beer he makes is the beer he loves - he loves the Double IPA the most, which is 9% alcohol (in the winter he makes it 12%). He doesn't want to make a beer he doesn't like, even if the bars ask him for lighter beers. It takes tenacity and great passion to do that. Currently, he sells the beer only in his restaurant and in a few stores in Mendoza and Buenos Aires. Nothing more.
In the top restaurants we visited, we were also offered a personal touch - but from the waiters and not the owner, which is a big difference. You can't feel their personal story because they're more distant to the guests. The initial passion is lost.
Speaking of passion, I start my Workaway tomorrow. I've decided to live and help for a while in these beautiful cabins in the mountains outside of Mendoza. I'm sure I'll have much more to share about the experience next Sunday.