Sunday, 11/12/23: A Glimpse of Mendoza and Dining Challenges

After yoga and breakfast on Sunday, the SERVAS morning schedule called for a workshop on “comunicación amorosa” (loving communication).  Sounded a bit too touchy-feely for me and I had writing to catch up on.  So I skipped the workshop and immersed myself in downloading photos and writing a blog post. 

I showed up for group yoga every morning of the SERVAS meeting.  Turns out I was always the only guy in attendance.  That’s me in the blue shirt, right of center.  Photo courtesy of SERVAS.

 

There was a picnic in the park scheduled after the workshop.  By the time I emerged from my room, the group had already left for the picnic.  The hotel staff said I could find them near the entrance to the Parque San Martín.  We had driven through the park the previous day on the way to and from our tree planting.  It was a large park and I figured that finding the group amidst the Sunday afternoon crowds would be a challenge.  But I needed a brisk walk and didn’t have anything better to do.  Sure enough, there were the SERVAS picnickers near the entrance.  One of the kind participants from Uruguay insisted that I help myself to the contents of his family’s picnic basket.  I also accepted a small sample from a bottle of red wine he had brought.  One of the downsides to my heart condition (atrial fibrillation) is that I’m not supposed to drink any alcohol - it tends to set off irregular heartbeat episodes that can go on for several hours and put me at risk for a stroke.  A few sips of this delicious wine reminded me how much I miss the fruit of the vine. 

The Carlos Alonso Museum is located in a lovely old Mendoza home.  Photo source:  https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g312781-d14023112-Reviews-Museo_Carlos_Alonso-Mendoza_Province_of_Mendoza_Cuyo.html#/media-atf/14023112/350256138:p/?albumid=-160&type=0&category=-160

 

We walked back to the hotel, stopping along the way at the small Carlos Alonso Museum located in an historic home.  Among other works of modern art on display, there was a group of paintings which spoke to me of the brutality of the “sport” of bullfighting (abolished in Argentina in 1899) but still very much a part of the culture of Spain. 

Even though Mendoza is located in a very arid region of western Argentina (in the rain shadow of the Andes), many of its streets are tree-lined.  The city’s greenery has been able to flourish because of the presence of open trenches which were constructed along the edge of the streets.  The trenches collect and hold storm water which infiltrates the adjacent soil nourishing the tree root systems.   The landscape outside Mendoza is reminiscent of southern Arizona but within the city you wouldn’t guess you’re in the middle of a desert. 

SERVAS picnickers at the ornate entrance gate to the Parque San Martín.  Photo courtesy of SERVAS.

 

In the evening, it was time for yet another party.  This one featured food and drink from Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay.  It was very festive with lots of merriment.  Frankly, I didn’t do very well at the SERVAS parties.  Most of all, I found Chilean and Argentine Spanish very tough to understand in casual conversations.  My hearing isn’t all that good anyway in noisy situations so all I could do was smile a lot and pretend I knew what was going on.  Then there was the drinking problem.  It’s hard to be the life of the party when one is sober and surrounded by fun-loving folks who are feeling tipsy.  Finally, the South American dining schedule doesn’t align very well with my mine.  I’m used to having dinner around 6PM – they don’t even get to the appetizers until about 10:00!  Eating a big meal and heading off immediately to bed causes me digestion problems.  Maybe that wasn’t a problem for my friends as they seemed to be partying until 2:00AM or so.  Gawd, have I gotten to be an old fuddy-duddy!