La Finca

So, my friend Natalie from Germany and I have recently made some big changes in our lackadaisical, touristy, non working lifestyles... we have moved to a Finca in Tunuyán, Mendoza Argentina, where manual labor is required. I must say, the air is cleaner, the bugs are a little friendlier, lovesickness has struck us, we're a little sweatier, and our backs hurt a little more since we've moved to Finca Ogawa! Life couldn't be better.

Our first project on the Finca is to make starter Malbec (a type of grape) plants. Here's

the process... The first thing we do is unbury the buried bundles of Malbec (they have been buried since winter time, July, to keep them moist). The second step in the process is to soak the bundles in water for one day. After a day's soak, we take them out, and plant them in nice neat rows (that's the part that hurts our backs). We asked some of the other laborers if they also hurt, and they told us that they did the first 2 days as

well... so hopefully it's just a 2 day deal, and tomorrow we'll be good as new! They water these little twigs, and magically (I say magically because John, a co-owner, says the soil here is out of this world and grows anything) starter grape vines grow. They are unplanted in July, some plants are sold and others make new bundles and are buried... where the process starts all over again!

We've been having a blast. Yesterday I really wanted to make hamburgers with scrambled eggs on top. We were starving, and while the burgers were frying, I ran out to the chicken coup to grab some eggs. I just LOVE being back on a farm! Thanks Jerry and John, you guys are so great!

fincaogawa.com (check out their website!)