Mendoza is the first sizable city you reach in Argentina and from here you can look back to the Andes and see the looming giant, Aconcagua, on the horizon. I plan to stay for about 4 days to enjoy the Argentinian steak, wine and some hiking. My hostel, Punto Urbano, is fairly central, the staff are friendly and dorms are $200 Argentinian pesos (£8.50).
I went out to explore, purchase an Argentinian SIM and to post my postcards (from Easter Island!). The hostel maps are pretty naff so I got totally turned around and wasted loads of time, but I got there in the end. It is quite a clean and fancy city and it’s not cheap. The economy is based on cash, so very few places accept card. Plus, the government exchange rate isn’t great either so there’s a fairly legit money exchange scene. This is how I turned the tide: 
It was superb. An all you can eat buffet and some fabulous Malbec for $300 pesos (about £12!).
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