Day 36:
| Bife de Chorizo with salad bar and wine | 865*+70 (14.52 USD) |
| Total: | 935 ARS (110.4 RMB) (USD 15.69) |
For Thanksgiving, I splurged on a fancy steakhouse. I was considering trying to go all out on a barbecue for two on my own, but I did really enjoy the massive steak. Of course, other than the free breakfast at the hostel, I starved myself all day so I could really dig in.
Day 37:
| Additional night in hostel | 331* (5.55 USD) |
| Regional food (empanadas, tamales, humidas) | 390 |
| Ice cream | 180 |
| Craft Beer | 320 |
| Total: | 1221 ARS (144 RMB) (USD 20.47) |
I really can’t tell the differences between how empanadas are prepared in different parts of Argentina, but they assure me that they are very different. The ice cream was a bit expensive, but it came highly recommended as a local gourmet, artisanal shop. After a nearly 3 week break from alcohol, I was excited to hit up a happy hour again and try some craft beers. They weren’t anything too special.
Day 38:
| Vegetarian buffet | 290 |
| Coffee | 80 |
| Burger King ice cream | 105 |
| Bus to Mendoza | 2439.5 (40.94 USD) |
| Luggage tip | 10 |
| Total: | 2924.5 ARS (345.2 RMB) (USD 49.07) |
Though otherwise a nice hostel in Tucuman, they had a strange policy of not allowing you to stay in the hostel after you check out. So I had to spend the day waiting for my night bus around town. I didn’t really want an ice cream at Burger King, but ultimately it was a place I could plug my electronics in and have an internet connection. I never got around to trying the panchoque, which is a a type of battered hot dog that I’ve only seen in Tucuman. I was well fed on the my executive service bus.
Day 39:
| Luggage tip | 5 |
| Hostel (Mendoza Inn) 2 nights | 480 + 2.89 USD |
| Salad & Coffee | 240 |
| Beers | 200 |
| Total: | 129.4 RMB (USD 18.39) |
Arrived in Mendoza and immediately appreciated the city layout with shady streets and quiet, relaxed vibe.
Day 40:
| Parrillada | 605 |
| Wine | 150 |
| Total: | 755 ARS (89 RMB) (USD 12.65) |
Though I set out to find a cheap lunch, I ultimately sprang for a bbq set lunch which included five types of meat. Enough food to last me two days.
Day 41:
| Deli (buffet) | 195 |
| Cappuccino | 80 |
| Dinner (buffet) | 125 |
| Total: | 400 ARS (47.2 RMB) (USD 6.71) |
Still absolutely stuffed from the meat feast, I found a “healthy deli” and fixed up a salad for my lunch (plus a chicken breast and a quiche). I was staying with a couch surfer in the evening, which made for a interesting experience since he didn’t speak English.
Day 42:
| Breakfast @ McDonald’s | 100 |
| Redbus Card with charge | 100 |
| Superpancho combo | 125 |
| Total: | 325 ARS (38.3 RMB) (USD 5.44) |
Had some hours to kill after my couchsurfing host needed to go to work, but before I could take a bus out to Maipu where I was going to stay for two nights near the vineyards. I finally had a pancho (hot dog) and it was a nice experience. I wouldn’t make a habit of it, but I filled up for the day on the giant sized hot dog and french fries.
Considering that I splurged twice on grilled meat, I was expecting my spending to have a slight uptick, but really even the fancy food in Argentina is pretty cheap. The only real costs are the transportation from city to city, so I do need to just slow down and spend at least a week in each location. Though, never fear, the wine tour on day 43 is going to really add up.
Running Total: 6822.5 RMB (USD 969.75)
Daily Average: 162.44 RMB (USD 23.09)