Mendoza, Wednesday

1809 In Pizza Chopp or something like that, nr corner Garibaldi and FFS forgotten already. It's hot as hell, though cooler in here. Bought 1.5 litre water earlier and mostly inhaled in. Walked round. Went in few tour agencies. Walked more, slowly. Got another 1.5 litre and have drunk maybe half. Needed piss and dithering heavily re food later or not so came in here for coffee and pasty and (not sure they have one) maybe either food or check out menu to come back a bit later.

1826 So brief summary. I'm feeling a bit harried, I kind of need to get to Santiago or Concepcion and settle down for say a week, I think. It's also as I say hot as hell. airbnb host seems nice enough, may get some chat in but may not, I am only booked for three nights and may not extend.

The tour agencies basically have a full day tour by bus of mountains round here. If all else fails I may well do that Fri. One agency had a trekking kind of thing where you walk up some 2-3km high mountain for about 3h, but it's min 2 persons, I waited while they investigated poss of pairing me up for tomorrow but no joy. I have option to pop back tomorrow to see if they can do me for Fri.

I also need to go to bus terminal (a fair hike, but not a problem unladen, tolerable with bag) tomorrow to try to sort out a bus to Santiago for Sat - no idea how long it takes or cost or whether can/should do overnight. Then the tour of some kind Fri then move on. There are other tours but the mountain one is good enough, would prefer to walk a bit but it sounds interesting and cheap enough to not just be doing it for sake of it.

Useless plug adapter struggling to connect charger to top up power bank - I spent a couple of hours surfing and topping up phone with last of juice at airbnb before coming out - but think I managed to leave it charging. Gotta bin that fucking thing after this trip. Will buy an AUS/NZ adapter to complement my US and Euro adapters - simple, cheap, solid things with no moving parts - and use that.

Host told me he has been mugged at gunpoint a few times, advised me to visit nearby park but stay near the lake. Hmm. Not too worried.

Feels like I'm charging around sorting out onward travel and "things to do" again but it's OK, as I've said before plan is to "hurry" over to Santiago then I can maybe try to settle a bit more. Need to sort out Brazil side-trip but that's not for a while.

Amused to see ads for trips to Jamaica and tanning agencies earlier. OK, I guess beaches, but when it's this fucking hot here why got to Jamaica? And tanning agencies?! Presumably for the winter, but still amused me.

Oh, from bus not long before we got in could see the snow-capped mountains, but interestingly the colour of the sky and the non-snow-bits of the mountains were such a similar colour the snow looked rather like oddly-shaped clouds near the horizon. (Didn't try to photograph this.)

Finished coffee. Torn about what to do now. This place might be cheap to eat but not sure I really want to eat, and might be nicer to wait til say 8-9 and eat then go back for an earlyish night. (If I do the full day tour Fri it leaves 0730ish so be good to get a proper sleep, heat permitting, tonight.) I might get another coffee when they hassle me (I am only customer) and drag things out a bit that way. Really not that hungry, tempted to not really eat a proper meal today but probably will, we'll see how I feel later anyway.

1910 Getting a repeat. Kind of hate this waiting for time to pass but meh.

2015 OK, asked for menu (which I clearly pronounce wrong!?) and getting quarter chicken and chips with a coke zero - the quarter chicken and chips is IIRC ARS135 so cheap, if portion isn't huge that's fine as not super hungry and wasn't sure if should eat or not, once had this will go home and probably have second shower of day and go to bed, if only to surf and sweat for a bit, the surfing being contingent on power bank having managed to charge up with the iffy plug adapter. Batt at 24% as been and am reading on phone but think it will see me home OK.

2105 Very good, chicken was more like a half, bread too. Batt 11% but have checked route home and should be fine, let's get bill and go. Gonna have to break 500... Bill 250, was gonna tip 40 but might as well make it 50. Let's go.

2142 Just got back. Got slightly lost - but only slightly - can't quite believe the place is so far from what seemed a v central place. Not going to make hasty judgement but probably should have taken the "everyone says location is v good" stuff on airbnb with pinch of salt and paid more attention. Tis OK. At least powerbank seems to have charged, good job as phone at 5%. Host and prob friend chatting downstairs, I said hola but no one noticed me so come up, think other new airbnb guest in room next door. Gonna shower and go to bed-ish. Lights on stairs didn't work which isn't ideal but used phone.

2200 Just had shower. Very Bohemian; hadn't used toilet before here, but to flush it you have to stick your hand in a panel removed on wall where presumably a push button should be and lift up a valve (or something; I didn't peer in too closely). My room is pretty large if a bit spartan. Not saying I really hate this, to some extent you get what you pay for and it's sort of nicer than a comparably cheap hotel might be. I do intend however to try to get a half-decent apartment to myself in Santiago for a week; aircon might be nice, but may be pricey and may also work against acclimatisation.

Topping up phone from powerbank, will check balance of my Starling account and surf a bit before bed. Don't have a pillowcase and don't like to get dressed and go down and interrupt to ask for one, will be OK for one night.

Host runs microbrewery on premises; he showed me two downstairs rooms with vats and big plastic containers and so forth.

Do have a sofa in room, sitting on it now, which is nice. Guitar coming from downstairs, not a problem (was some mention of this in listing and doubt it's gonna be late and/or noisy enough to keep me awake).

2359 Bed. Gonna leave window open, no idea if going to get mosquitoes in but I've got to take a chance to get some slightly cooler air in.