Not only have I spent a couple of days in paradise, and been having some of the best wines and meat ever, lately. I’ve also been in Hilux heaven. Everywhere I turned, there was a version of the amazing vehicle. It already started at the airport on Friday, when Juan walked straight towards the dusty, black Hilux with my two bags in his hands. I instantly knew it was going to be a good weekend and we weren’t even out of the parking lot yet.
About an hour and a half later, we opened the gate to the ranch at the bottom of the hill, engaged the 4WD and made the last bit up to Rancho E’Cuero. And what a place – two days of being spoiled with food, wine, hiking, and horseback riding, surrounded by amazing nature. I could easily have stayed up there for a month or five.
The standards were set at the top right away with a proper Asado for Friday lunch, where Pedro was in charge of the bbq, and some beautiful wines in the sun on the back deck. The hours, where a wine glass was not attached to my hand during the following 36 hours, were spent on horse trekking and hiking. From the back of my black beauty Fernet, who definitely knew a lot more about where we were going than I did, I enjoyed walking along on mountain ridges and through gorges with absolutely stunning views. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t classify myself as a confident gaucho enough, to swing my new camera around every time a photo opportunity was in view, but a couple of pictures made it through the lens. While still sober, and before the first glass of Malbec for the day made it into the system, my lungs got to experience the high altitude during a Saturday morning hike. Again, the impressive scenery never ended and while trying to keep a steady breathing and heart rate through valleys and up the hills, we spotted the odd condor in the distance and some red deer being on a close lookout.
All in all, it was a weekend in paradise, for all senses, where everything was beautiful, delicious and relaxing. Not to mention the quiet, dark nights with all the stars.
Perhaps Tupungato and Mendoza is the place for me?
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