Page 24 - WDT INTERACTIVE

must admit that I didn’t know much about after neighboring Brazil. It’s bordered by the Andes in
Argentina before our recent month-long adven- the west and South Atlantic Ocean on the east and
ture that took us from top to bottom of this giant shares borders with Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil, and
country. All I really knew was that there were Uruguay. On our travels by land and sea, we thrilled to
gauchos, lots of cows, tango dancers, Malbec its landscapes and climates which varied dramatically
I wines, and the setting for Evita’s plea, “Don’t Cry from north to south.
for Me Argentina.” Our journey took us from Patagonia with its the
After four weeks of exploration with my wife Mary, we snow-covered Andes and glacial lakes to Pampas
discovered a fascinating and complex country rich with grasslands where gauchos and cattle roam to the hot,
history, culture, incredible natural beauty, and some humid rainforests crowned by Iguazu Falls. We drank
pretty fine wines and beef.Before we recap our journey, wonderful wine in the world’s highest vineyards in
a bit of history and geography is critical to understand- Cafayate and were awe-struck by the natural beauty
ing Argentina and its people. of stunning carved mountains, cliffs and rocks of the
Argentina is big – the eighth largest country in Quebrada De Las Conchas Gorge.
the world and the second largest in South America With such varied geography, it’s not surprising that

24 WDT MAGAZINE WINTER 2018