Mendoza Chocolate Festival and the Potrerillos Dam
For our first weekend here in Mendoza, Argentina, we wanted to drive around to see more of the countryside. Alex’s friend Jack is here for two weeks so we wanted to make the most out of it!
Mendoza is surrounded by mountain ranges on one side
On our way to Potrerillos, a town with a dam about on hour away from the city center of Mendoza
Mendoza is 746 meters above sea level, so it's quite chilly
These were the old mountain peaks, which are more rounded now...
These are the ruins of the old dam of the Mendoza River
Kansas City boyz enjoying Argentina
You can tell it was an old river/ dam by the rounded rocks present
Noon time sun behind the mountains
Surprisingly, there are not a lot of bugs here. Is it because it's winter?
Stopped on the side of the road, and saw people bungie jumping from the bridge...
Ever since Ushuaia, been seeing these tiny whimsical houses on the side of the roads... Can now definitely confirm that they are memorials/ markers for those who had passed on... Accident sites maybe?
These mountains! So high!
Chanced upon the Mendoza Chocolate Festival... Jack was a happy boy...
Care for some Argentine elves?
This lady is passionate about them! Cool stuff...
All about that zen... funky zen.
I was just walking through the festoval grounds and then people told me to get out of the way... Whoops it's a zipline area.
Some foodtrucks outside the chocolate tent
Saw these beautiful chocolates in Ushuaia, too!
Care for a heart or lips bonbon?
We got chocolates from them, all locally sourced and handmade!
This stall had a lengthy line and people were waiting almost 20 minutes for their sandwich...
I just got my Arabian shawarma
There wasn't a line, but the food was great!
Me and Alex somewhere in the photo
Had a fun coversation with this cute kid Tommy! In our not so great Spanish!
We sent them these photos :)
Portalets at the back! I could never...
Mendoza has been great, we want to move here.
Inside the chocolate tent, there was this poodle that reminds me of Cosmo :(
CLEAR BLUE SKIES ALL WEEKEND!
We thought this was the dam...
People hanging out by the river
And just lounging and doing BBQ...
ALL THESE ROCKS! Rock.
Good thing we pushed through the driving, or else we wouldn't have seen the actual dam!
The snowy mountains behind are apparently the younger mountains... Hence they are higher, and snowier...
Alex in his natural habitat
WE WANT TO MOVE HERE
WOW! Taken from a moving car...
So the water here is from the Mendoza River... And it's from melted snow...
Is that why the color is nicer?
There are pop-up stalls everywhere, and families just gather around...
El abuelo
I bought a quartz crystal... I want to get more!
How beautiful :)
Alex and Jack went there
You could do kayaking and paragliding here...
Mendoza is so lucky to be here and have these great views
Argentina is so chill
This is the Potrerillos dam
More...
These people just went over the concrete wall...
More snow...
I stayed back and just took photos of people hanging around.
Do you see the paraglider?
What about now?
Built between 1998 and 2002, it was created to regulate the flow of the Mendoza River. And provide hydroelectric power to the region.
Saurday is family day here in Argentina!
This van selling incense.. Very hippie...
I was telling Alex that I was here the whole time, a shade from the sun
Can you see Alex and Jack?
This bird stopped in front of me...
... and flew away! It looks photoshopped!
My favorite photo from this day :)
El perro
Jack was so enamored by the Grinch...
Checked out the Mercado Central in town before heading home...
Very European, compared to markets in Colombia, Peru...
They love their olives here!
Shocked to see a stall selling organs... Isaw....
In central...
Pancho means hotdog in Spanish... Super Pancho!
Maggot... Perfumeria.... Cool.
We thought this was for sewage... But no, apparently it's fow water to flow throughout the city...
And that was our first touristy Saturday here in Mendoza!
We also drove through the Parque San Martin, but there was no available parking. All the families were out doing sports, having picnics, and generally just enjoying the outdoors.
10/10 we are convinced that life is good here in Mendoza.
Next blog post would be about our fun Sunday in vineyards! :)
Chantal
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