Mendoza, Argentina Field Notes

Wine lovers visiting Mendoza leave with a new appreciation for Malbec. This grape came to Argentina from Bordeaux, where it is cultivated for blending. In the Mendoza wine province, at the base of the Andes, the growing season is much longer than in Bordeaux region of France. The soil is still rich after 150 years hosting these grapes and Malbec is cultivated by many vineyards as a single-grape wine.

The result is that Malbec from Argentina is a sweeter, softer bodied wine which ages better than French Malbec. Mendoza’s extra sunshine contributes to these improved characteristics by allowing more time on the vine - even after the sugar levels peak. Most of Argentina’s top wines come from Mendoza where amazing Malbecs are priced around $12-$15. Pair these with local dishes such as Patagonian grass-fed beef, goat, local trout, or young pork slow cooked outdoors.

My favorite downtown restaurant/wine bar was Bistro M at the Park Hyatt Hotel. Downtown you’ll find many excellent bistros filled with students from every continent staying in Mendoza to study Spanish at the language school COINED.

For dining at a winery, 1884 is also very good and the bar is as gorgeous as the Portenos who come to Mendoza just to dine with Francis Mallman. Find it at Bodega Escorihuela, http://www.escorihuela.com.ar/ There are too many vineyards to mention here, but I work with a very knowledgeable local guide who can show you the best of the “Ruta de los Vinos”. Another guide prefers adventure in the picturesque Andes Mountains, which is a good antidote to sulfite overload. Exploring on your own is not too difficult with modest Spanish fluency.

I recommend staying at La Posada Robles de Besares, a beautiful private home in a peaceful setting at Chacras de Coria, in the heart of Mendoza. The wine cellar is excellent for relaxing in the evening. Breakfast is served in a charming garden. There are tennis courts, a gym and Jacuzzi. Reiki treatments are also available onsite. For details visit http://www.roblesdebesares.com.ar/

The local Syrah’s are also very good, as are whites from many provinces in Argentina, but I’ll save these for another post.

Obama: A Better Neighbor for Latin America

Barack Obama is now the presumptive Democratic nominee and is likely to defeat Republican John McCain in this year's race for the presidency. What type of friend will Mr. Obama be to our neighbors in the hemisphere? It is a good time to consider Mr. Obama's positions and statements concerning Latin America:

(Photo Credit: Alex Brandon/Associated Press)

1. Mr. Obama recognizes that we have neglected our neighbors. "As has been the case throughout the world, our standing in the Americas has suffered as a result of the misguided policies and actions of the Bush Administration. The United States can ill afford this deterioration of our standing. With each passing day, we draw closer together to our neighbors to the south. This convergence creates new challenges, but it also opens the door to a more hopeful future."


2. Mr. Obama will make Latin American relations a higher priority; he sees Mr. Bush's declaration of 2007 as 'the year of engagement with the Americas' as too little, too late. "One year of engagement out of seven is simply not good enough. In light of the Bush Administration’s woeful record, creating false expectations does more harm than good. We must be realistic about the challenges we face, and what we are doing to address them. We must devote our full time, and our respectful attention to our relations within the hemisphere. "


3. Neither of this year's candidates for President could have a weaker energy policy than Mr. Bush put forth. To his credit, Mr. Obama recognizes Latin America's energy policy successes. "Brazil’s more than 30 years of renewable fuel technology investments allowed it to achieve energy independence last year. Ethanol now accounts for 40 percent of Brazil’s fuel usage. More than 80 percent of cars sold in Brazil today are flex fuel vehicles—capable of running on gasoline, ethanol, or a mixture thereof. Greater Brazilian production of renewable fuels could boost sustainable economic development throughout Latin America, and reshape the geopolitics of energy in the hemisphere, reducing the oil-driven influence of Venezuela's Hugo Chavez. The more inter-hemispheric production and use of ethanol and other biofuels occurs, and the more such indigenously-produced renewable fuels are used to replace fossil fuels, the better it is for our friends in the hemisphere."


4. Mr. Bush has been a fair-weather neighbor. Mr. Obama envisons a more altruistic approach to Latin American relations. "In Uruguay, President Bush has the opportunity to forge closer ties with President Tabaré Vázquez, and to show that the United States is ready, willing, and able to work productively with democratic-left governments. The United States is seen as supporting democracy when it produces a desired result. It is vital to reverse that trend."


5. Intelligent people realize the war on drugs is a poor use of taxpayer resources, as is building prisons to house nonviolent drug users. Mr. Obama understands that billions of dollars in US aid has gone toward war profiteering and the spraying of poisons on villages in S. America to kill crops such as coca. These herbicides poison local water tables. Mr. Obama is against Plan Columbia. He is not the first candidate to use drugs, but he is the first to be honest about it. Mr. Obama proposes giving first-time, non-violent offenders a chance to serve their sentence in rehabilitation programs rather than prisons. He understands that monies would be better invested in reducing the market in the US through prevention and recovery programs. Mr. Obama has pledged to fund job training, substance abuse and mental health counseling to ex-offenders, rather than militarization of Columbia and Mexico. Bill Clinton answered a question about his drug use by saying he had tried marijuana, but "didn't inhale." When asked, "Did you inhale?" Mr. Obama replied, "That was the point." It has been said that such honesty speaks to a generational change in politics, that new voters are more concerned with their leader's truthfulness than with their youthful transgressions. (John K. Wilson, 2007)


6. Mr. Bush's solution to the immigration question is to build fences between the USA and Mexico. This appallingly short-sighted and damaging act is a return to backward Berlin-wall thinking (and a billion dollar gift to Mr. Bush's contractor buddies in Texas). Mr. Obama voted against the Coburn Amendment (SA 1311) to S. 1348 to increase border control by requiring construction of the border fence. He prefers a policy approach. "The relationship between the United States and Mexico is among our most important in the world. But our complex relationship with Mexico has become captive to a single issue: the immigration debate in our country. There is consensus that our immigration system is broken. It is past time to fix it, and I am proud of my own support for a workable solution."

In summary, Mr. Obama will be a much better neighbor than Mr. Bush. He should visit Latin America early in his administration, and often. Mr. Obama has pledged to do so, adding... "We ignore Latin America at our own peril."

What is the sense in ignoring our neighbors until they can help us? I submit that this is ugly behavior. Unlike Mr. Bush in Austin, Mr. Obama helped his neighbors in Chicago before being elected to office. I am confident that he will expand upon this neighborliness when he moves to D.C.

The World Is Upside Down

Think about S. America. Now N. America. Remember Bob Dylan's observation: these times, they are a changin'?

A paradigm shift of considerable proportion is required by the current global rebalancing of economic power. I strongly recommend Roger Cohen's recent column from Rio de Janeiro for a glimpse at this shift. Mr. Cohen's analyses suggest "the developed world depends on the developing world, rather than the other way around". He invites us... "to understand it, invert your thinking". Here is the link:

www.nytimes.com/2008/06/02/opinion/l02cohen.html?ref=opinion

Brazil's Indigenous Rally

Goty Pataxó, originally uploaded by Kaká.

Up to 1000 indigenous peoples from tribes such as Goty's are campaigning this week outside of Brazil's Congress in Brasilia. Brazil turned 500 at the start of this decade yet its native peoples feel like foreigners in their own land.

The name of the event translates to “Camp Free Earth”. The goal is improving government policies toward peoples of the 20 Brazilian states represented. Brazil’s President and five of his ministers are attending today, hearing requests to develop a sustainable socio-economic model that offers an alternative to today's globalization that puts profits before people and humanity.

There are more than 200 tribes with roughly one-half million people remaining from a population of three million at the time of first contact by Europeans. Some tribes in the Amazon continue a policy of voluntary isolation from the modern world. If you find this fascinating, read this bulletin from the world rainforest movement: www.wrm.org.uy/bulletin/119/Brazil.html

For more information including opportunities for you to make a difference in Brazil’s Landless Workers Movement, visit: www.mstbrazil.org/?q=about ; or, to learn more before cultural interactions with indigenous tribes during your travel, visit: www.socioambiental.org/pib/indexenglish.htm and www.povosindigenas.org.br/pib/english/whwhhow/index.shtm

“No matter where we go, there we are.” – Don Ronaldo

Value Vacations

Dear Readers,

Where is your perfect destination? What makes a travel destination perfect? No matter your price range, value is a worthwhile consideration. Why pay 50% more for anything, especially upscale accommodations at peerless destinations?

Consider what you'll pay for 2 weeks in Hawaii, Europe, Canada, or Australia. $4000 per person, plus air, for budget accommodations in a group of 26 people. For the same amount of money and time exploring Latin America without the herd, you can live in high style. The photo here is our favorite place in Hawaii. We love Hawaii, but what about value?

This month Kiplingers polled 2200 travelers about their annual vacation plans asking, "Have high gas prices and the economic downturn forced you to reconsider travel plans for this summer?"

39% say no.
23% say they'll vacation closer to home.
31% say they won't be taking a trip this year.
7% are not sure.

We have good news for the 61% of you who are reconsidering your vacations. Latin America is nearby and full of incredible spas, nature-based resorts, and upscale countryside destinations. Stay out of the cities and you'll enjoy luxury vacations for the price others are paying to be herded like cattle into modest quarters.

Or you'll stay twice as long for the same investment. Or maybe you'll take your entire family for the price of a couple's vacation in N. America? Cost is not the most important vacation consideration, but value ranks high in my book. Ask me where I'm vacationing this year, and how it compares to my favorite places - even in Asia - on any measure. Latin America is an incredible value right now - on every measure.

Peace & Prosperity,
Mango Steve

Photos by Maria Cristina Berg

We arranged a trip for Seattle photographer Maria Cristina Berg. She surpised her husband with a Changes In Latitude trip to Belize this month. She returned last week with wonderful photos and gave us permission to share them in a slideshow. The highlight of their trip was sailing the atolls and snorkeling the reef. She also captured the peaceful beauty of Ambergris Caye. Enjoy!

Latin Jazz Festival

This report comes from a client who recently returned from Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. She asked for something unique and, based on her interests, we recommended the 4th annual Jazz Fest on the Mayan Riviera. This trip was a last-minute suprise for extended family. Family members arrived in Port Townsend for Thanksgiving with plans to stay in Washington all week. The day after the dishes were cleaned, the entire family boarded a flight for Mamitas Beach Club on Playa del Carmen.

While this area is famed for it's beaches, jungles, and Mayan archealogical sites, the Jazz Festival has already grown to be one of the top annual jazz events worldwide. Performers this year included Grammy award winners from Brazil and the U.S. Young & old family members were equally impressed to find Tower of Power and George Benson at the beach, under the stars, with a sea breeze that carried the music with style.

Based on the reviews we received, we recommend booking accomodations for this event early in 2008. Suprise those you are most thankful for and give the gift of travel.

Peace & Prosperity,

Mango Steve