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For our 25th anniversary
in 2020, we had planned a trip to Argentina to visit
some of the popular wine regions. COVID delayed this
trip for two years, but travel restrictions fell away
almost completely in 2022 to allow us to go.
We used the services of Plan South
America to plan everything. They had some
turnover during the two years, which didn't affect the
itinerary significantly, but we were handed off to
several representatives as they came and went. I
mention this because our most recent representative,
Franco, was extremely helpful in responding to
questions by means of our WhatsApp communication.
Although I wanted to credit his predecessors in
creating our wonderful itinerary, Franco was the one
who was on call and responded immediately when we
needed help with something throughout the adventure.
A couple of issues that
changed the planning process before the trip:
-
In 2020 when we were
supposed to have done this adventure, we had just
started studying Spanish. Part of the planning
involved hiring guides to help us through the
language barrier, especially when we moved further
north, where English was not likely to be an
available option. However, the pandemic gave us a
two-year opportunity to get up to speed with
Spanish to the point where we were comfortable
with handling the language barrier on our own
without a guide. Although there were some moments
where it was necessary to warn people about our
lack of language proficiency, we were seldom in
situations where our lack of Spanish (or their
lack of English) brought conversation to a halt.
-
The main criteria when
we initially put this plan together involved
visiting bodegas, scheduling wine tastings, and
talking to winemakers. Initially, we were open to
other activities that involved walking or hiking
through national parks and enjoying the Argentine
culture. However, one week before we were
scheduled to leave, Lorna dropped a full bottle of
wine on her foot, badly breaking her big toe. This
meant having to wear a moon boot during
recuperation and avoiding the aforementioned
outdoor activities.
Days 0-1: Travel
to Mendoza
Day 2: Lujon de
Cuyo
Day 3: Travel
South to Valle de Uco
Day 4: Tour of Uco
Valley
Day 5: Travel to
Barreal
Day 6: Posada
Pasos de los Patos in Barreal
Day 7: Barreal to
La Rioja
Day 8: El Chiflón
to Chañarmuyo
Day 9: Chañarmuyo
to Cafayate
Day 10: Cafayate
Day 11: Cafayate
to Salta
Day 12: Salta
Day 13: Salta to
Buenos Aires
Days 14-15:
Buenos Aires, Return Home, and Final Thoughts
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