a long dusty road

All in all, I did a decent job of buying a bus card, getting on the right bus, and getting off at approximately the right stop in the next town (Maipú). However, I then began to walk on the right street in the wrong direction. The road was a dusty, long one, flanked on either side by run-down but operating factories of all varieties. My gut said there were no bodegas here, but my hubris was too big and I just kept walking, unafraid of having to travel on foot for several kilometers. After about fifteen minutes of hot, dusty, disappointing walking, I overtook a guy walking in the same direction. Upon my greeting of "good day" we struck up a sort of conversation, which he initiated with an incredulous "you work out here?" meaning the barren street of factories. I said no, I was headed to the center of town and then the bodegas. He informed me that the center of town was 20 km further on this road. After some discussion he suggested I walk back to where I had gotten off the bus and take a different turn. I thanked him and turned, responding to his request for "un beso?" with the standard see-ya of "suerte!" After several kilometers of walking, I did eventually make it to the intended bodega for a tour that included some historical wine-making artifacts and the new-to-me fact that one way to filter wine is through marine diatoms. I managed to make it back to town after a decadant lunch (silverware and bottled water and all) and drowned my growing headache in a cafe con leche and a book. I seem to have put the vacation part of this trip in here in Mendoza, with lots of relaxing and reading and sipping coffee and wine. I have failed to make it to the laundromat, but tomorrow I will tackle that task (I swear) and explore the giant park on the west part of the city before taking another overnight bus (semi-cama, not coche cama) to Córdoba. This lazy Mendocino pace of life may get left behind in Mendoza, but I´ve enjoyed it while here.