Doing nothing in Argentina

After a couple of horrendous driving days on the worst roads in South America (they are not actually roads - they are dried out river beds) we finally spotted the border to Argentina. The prospect of decent driving conditions was overwhelming - unfortunately there was a price to pay for our combined euphoria. It seemed as if everyone else in the country also wanted to cross the border at 9am on a saturday morning. We were stood in the queue - in the baking heat (no sunscreen or water as they were in the truck on the otherside of the border) for - wait for it - over 4 hours. Wasn´t that a fun time. Argentina recently updated all its borders to computerised borders - no old fashioned stamps for them - unfortunately none of the bloody computers work!
We spent that night and the next morning in the city of Salta. Strangely enough following Saturday - the next day was Sunday - being a strict Catholic country obviously not a single shop was open. To make matters worse all the shops were full of lovely very cheap good quality things laughing at us.
Feeling dejected we moved out of Salta to a campsite by a deep ravine. The heat in Argentina is immense- we are moving into summer here but it is so much hotter than the Carribbean was. Factor 40 is having a hard time coping. I guess the weather is similar in the UK though (ha ha ha) To cool off I went Zip lining. Zip lining or flying fox is simply dangling off a metal line and going down it. The safety equipment has improved though since I last did this - then I had to grip on to a wooden handle with all my strength - if you fell - tough. Nowadays you are strapped into a harness and attached (safety rope and all) to the line - falling out of this would be a minor miracle in its self. Good job too. There were 9 lines, the longest 500m long, another 365m long. They criss crossed across the ravine a number of times. As you were fyling down them you were 140 m above the river and at times going 35kph but is was so relaxing. I was gliding down the lines feeling on top of the world. I reckon even those not too great at hights would have enjoyed this!
Its taken another couple of very long drives and camping at the side of the road but we have now reached Mendoza. Its a city in the middle of the Argentinian wine district. Got here at midday just in time for Argentinian siesta. Siesta lasts from 1 or 1.30pm to around 5pm. Everything and I mean everything shuts downs. Not only shops but banks, other services, even most restaurants! Have well and truely given up on the notion of trying to achieve much in Argentina. (Even the skydiving is not possible as the plane is being serviced for 7 days). Instead tomorrow I am going on a 2 day wine tasting tour. To make it even more amuzing, the first day will be on bicycle. Sun, sun, bicycles and lots of lots of good wine. There cannot be a better way to spend the run up to christmas...