Blissed out

It is now Wednesday night here and I am very relaxed and blissed out! I survived my second day at school, and didn't do too bad. I am in a class of two now, as the larger class got split into two. At 2pm I was picked up from school and taken up into the hills close by for a bliss-out in a herbal bath, herbal steam tub, oils and seeds wrap, and then some nice snacks. About 3 hours worth for less than $50 NZ. I was on my own as the others who opted for an activity were on a winery tour, but been there done that. I may dash out for a small snack in an hour (10pm) but that is still really early here to be going out, so no-one is in the restuarants etc. LaSal has lived up to expectations. Live music each night, great food.For around $40-$50 NZ you can eat and have a great bottle of wine(take the other half home) $7 appetizers such as goat ravioli, which was one large hand-made ravioli in tomato pastry, cushioned in a bed of mushrooms, covered in a green sauce. Mains are $16 NZ. The first night I could not go past the Fibers of Pig elbow, braised over curry rice, anise tuile and beet chutney. It was stunning to look at and eat. Last night I skipped the entree and had salmon and goat cheese ravioli, herbs and cream. For dessert I chose the healthy option of frozen mango soup with maracuyu ice-cream, (which turned out to be a teaspoon of passionfruit ice-cream) and a mango smoothie. Luckily it is a 2 or 3 mile walk for me! I have walked so far in a few days. For you winos out there, I had The Trumpeter (Syrah) Bodegas Rural, (an antique winery I have visited before so knew the wine) and followed the "when in Rome" theory last night chosing a Malbec 2005 from Vistlba in Lujon de Cuyo, called Tomero. This is the winery I must visit as it has a hockey turf in it, plus a coffee roastery!! Maybe I dreamt that last part. The wine was very smooth with hints of tarmac on the nose (what I get off malbec!) and dark in colour. It was even sweeter after my dessert which is unusual. My walks to and from the cafe and school are very interesting and assault all the senses some days. Last night the pavements were set up in market style, just as in Thailand, with similar things. It turns out today is a public holiday commemorating the Falklands War 26 years ago (Los Malvinas). As I was out walking so early to dinner (9pm left here), young families are just going home, and I passed 2 women walking briskly, breast feeding their babies as they marched along. The shops open here at 10 am and close at 1pm and then re-open at 4.30-9.00. They are really big on their siesta in Mendoza. Bloody dogs seem to take over at nightfall. The noise! Dogs roam and keep the neighbourhood in check. I got myself into quite a dark street and beside a yukky big walled yard of some sort and it sounded like a 100 dogs were in there (prob 10-20). The pavements everywhere are all broken up and uneven, so you need to have your wits about you. One thing that is hard to get used to, is the toilet paper in the waste paper baskets in the bathrooms. Yuk. Also the litter everywhere, and the very, very old cars that are rust buckets. Think of the old cars in NZ in the 60's and then think of them still on the road today. We passsed a car with the wheel sheared off today. Well on that note I better finish off. Early dinner calls. Hasta manana, Suzette