[Soma]

Roosh and others have dissected Argentine girls ad nauseum on the forum and elsewhere so I’ll try to contrast Mendoza with Buenos Aires and the rest of Argentina, which people are more familiar with here. Be mindful of the rampant Argentine monetary inflation when comparing listed to current prices.

Summary

Mendoza is similar but culturally different in significant ways to Buenos Aires and the other populated areas of Argentina. It’s a nice, smallish, pleasant place to relax and party, have some amazing, cheap wine and, IMHO, the easiest place in Argentina for a stereotypical looking gringo to collect his flag. As an international player, though, you may get bored after a couple of weeks.

City

The population of Mendoza city proper is 120 thousand, and 1.2 million in the metro area. Many consider it an attractive city, as do I, with its tree-lined streets and Latin architecture, and Mendocinos take pride in it being the cleanest in Argentina. It is known internationally for the surrounding wine-producing regions, especially of Malbec. Centro, i.e. the center or downtown area, with Plaza Independencia at its heart, has a large town rather than city feel to it and I’d rate Mendoza as a lower 2nd tier city. If you stay any length of time you will quickly begin to recognize people on the street, for better or worse. There are many institutes of higher-education and the city, in Centro at least, feels quite young. It is in a desert area and can be very dry and with occasional sandstorms. Besides Centro, Godoy Cruz is a upper/middle-upper class area south-east of centro, Maipu and Lujan de Cuyo are residential areas and the main wine-producing regions south of the city and Las Heras is a large area north of Centro with many dangerous parts. Santiago, Chile, is about 5-7 hours away by bus, depending on the time at the border.

Best time to visit

December to March, with January and February being the best. That is summertime here and though it can get pretty damn hot and dry, everyone is in a holiday mood. Unlike Portenos who go to Mar del Plata, Floripa and other such places during this time, Mendocinos seem to mostly stay put and party in the city, barring a quick getaway to the nearby Potrerillos area (see Non-game activities below). As well, the city is flooded with travelers from all over: mostly Brazil, Chile, Europe and the US, though none of the Brit stag party crowd to fuck things up (yet).

Girls and culture

If you’re looking for the stereotypical light-skinned, European looking, Argentine telenovela star, Mendoza is not the place for you. Rather, the girls here are distinctly Latina: their skin is olive, their hair is dark, their eyes are brown and the sex is spicy. They’re also, by most people’s accounts, very attractive. See, for example, this incredibly scientific study. *Hype Alert:* I’d personally put them up there with the Paisas of Poblado, though they are far less superficial.

We all know Argentine girls are difficult Histericas, right? Not so fast. Mendocinas are different from the rest of Argentinians for a few main reasons quite relevant to the international player:

1. Girls here drink. In Buenos Aires and elsewhere it is a huge social faux-pas to appear at all intoxicated and consequently girls end up nursing a single drink the entire night. Not so in Mendoza. How does this play out? Like Roosh in Iceland, I found the best time to approach is between 4am and closing time. In fact, I never once pulled a girl that I met before 4:30am and some as late as 6:30am; that just seems to be the magical time period. By then, a girl is no longer totally sober, maybe she’s had enough of chatting/dancing with her friends and is just more likely to be horny and looking for a hookup. In any case, inhibitions are down and opportunity is up.
2. There is no sex tourism. In Buenos Aires especially, girls can avoid talking to or being seen with a foreigner for fear, irrational or not, of being labeled a whore. That attitude has not translated to Mendoza and being a foreigner is not an immediate DLV. In fact, like much of Latin America, they too have been brainwashed to think that the Northern European gringo look - tall, pale, blue eyes, blond hair - is the ideal of beauty, and being a gringo with this stereotypical look is a definite DHV. For non-stereotypical looking gringos, simply being a gringo is not a DLV like the rest of Argentina.
3. They aren’t snobby or rude. Argentine girls with lighter skin, like those of Palermo/Recoleta in Buenos Aires or Cordoba, think they’re God’s gift to Latin America. They are shocked and appalled that you, a lowly gringo, had the gall to talk to them in front of their friends and disturb their important conversation about the dating habits of national celebrities. How dare you. Thankfully, those girls don’t exist in Mendoza (with one notable exception, see Nightlife below.) In fact, you’ll generally get on the good side of a Mendocino (e.g. taxi driver) if you complain that Portenos are stuck up and that Mendoza is far more mellow.
4. They aren’t histericas (mostly.) Closely related to point 3, the histerica behavior is strongly toned down in Mendoza, after 4am at least. The disappearing act is far more rare, you shouldn’t get the head turn unless you’re going Brazilian caveman and the phone games and flakiness non-existent. This is all personal experience, as local men still complain about the female behavior, so be forewarned that YMMV.
   

My personal experience, as a stereotypical-looking gringo, was that Buenos Aires was fucking horrid for picking up girls, whereas Mendoza was a cakewalk. Like night and day. There’s a reason guys tend to visit BA, party hard for a couple days to a couple weeks and get out, whereas (white) girls tend to stick around for months and months. Guys quickly learn that BA (or Cordoba, etc.) is one giant cocktease with its all-hours nightlife and pretty, frigid girls about, whereas even the most mediocre, aging gringa gets hit on by a non-stop stream of horny dudes obsessed with pale skin, constantly validating her ego. On the other extreme, on a couple occasions I’ve had random girls grab my ass and try to kiss me as I was walking by them in clubs in Mendoza. That shit just would never happen in BA or elsewhere. Again, YMMV.

Language-wise, English varies a lot, from minimal to fluency. Though most understand at least some due to television exposure to Anglo culture, it can be difficult to get it out of them, even when liquored up. I approach in English and transfer over to broken Spanglish when necessary. If you speak zero Spanish then it would be pretty tough; a couple levels of the Pimsleur program should suffice to quickly get you to a basic level.

One last thing. I mentioned that travelers flood the city in Summer, so shouldn’t that really mess things up for picking up locals? No, and here’s why. The few Brazilians you’ll see out run standard caveman game, but the local girls are already used to the Argentine variant and know how to deal with it. (Namely, ignore the first 49 kiss attempts, make out wildly on the 50th if it gets that far and then disappear.) Chileans seemingly have little to no game in Argentina, and the Argentines don’t like them anyway. So now we get to the gringos. Basically 100% of the gringos you’ll see out are backpackers and here’s what usually happens. A mixed group will go out after a hostel party. They will stand in a circle at the bar/club and the girls will use the guys as protection from the aggressive Argentine men. All the while the gringo guys think the attention from the girls means they’re going to score later (it doesn’t.) The girls want to leave by 2:30am at the latest to wake up early for some bullshit tour they’re going on, so the whole group leaves together. At no time do the gringo guys hit on the local girls. Importantly, there are few, if any, gringo guys left out at 4am, the start of the magical hookup time. I have never seen a gringo guy, besides your humble author of course, cold-approach a Mendocina at night.

Race and reception

A northern European looking gringo with decent game and beginner Spanish, who doesn’t look like a grungy zen backpacker, should, in peak season, pull locals without much difficulty, nightly even.

A Latin looking guy will have difficulty with the locals and, though I don’t want to say it’s impossible, I’ve never seen it happen despite countless attempts. The reception is just completely different from a stereotypical gringo. (MiXX, please prove me wrong!) On the other hand, many Gringa travelers are dying for some Latin lovin’ and you should have an easy time with them, if that’s your thing - I’ve also seen that countless times. Be careful, though, because as mentioned they always have some bullshit tour or something planned early the next day that they use as resistance. I’d recommend the combined hostel parties to meet them and penetrate their temporary social circle (see Nightlife below) as they are less receptive and more defensive once they leave and go to a bar/club due to super-aggressive male locals.

Black/Indian/Asian/other ethnicities, I don’t know.

Daygame

I personally didn’t partake, but if I were going to street game then Plaza Independencia and Colon/Aristides are the obvious choices as they are always packed with attractive girls, usually students. A less obvious, but possibly better choice would be to head to the safe, residential area of Godoy Cruz, say around Plaza Godoy Cruz. Tourists are rare and a non-local gets eye-fucked by everyone. Some of the most attractive girls I’ve seen were just walking around here looking bored. You’ll need to bring your game in Spanish, though, as girls are less likely to speak any English.

Another viable option is the English/Spanish language exchanges. For those in the know in Argentina, these are usually venues for local girls to meet foreign guys in a comfortable setting. As an aside, outside of Mendoza, this is your best bet for meeting Argentine girls - bar/club game has a comparatively ridiculously low return on investment. La Guia, a free monthly publication about events and nightlife available in the tourist offices and elsewhere, has daily listings for these meetups, usually coffee shops or bars.

Nightlife

NYC it is not, but there should be something to suit your taste. There are five main nightlife areas:

1. Aristides: The main nightlife strip in Centro, with sit down bars, regular bars and clubs. Though there are a few options here I kept returning to Por Aca. Yes, it’s the main listing in the Bible. Yes, gringos flock here. Yes, the music can be cheesy. But it’s always busy with medium turnover, the gringos never approach and all leave early as mentioned earlier, and the girls tend to be more up for foreign guys. Though the girls aren’t necessarily gringo hunters, about 75% of what they play is 70s, 80s, 90s Anglo music (some great, some terrible) and as such they have a preselected likeness to Anglo culture. Despite its size and design, there are still a few nooks and crannies that make it possible to isolate. Avoid on Friday and Saturday from 1-3am, as it gets ridiculously busy and loud. If you’re a bit older it probably won’t be your cup of tea.
2. The clubs in El Challo: These are a group of big dance clubs about 30-45min by car outside of Centro. Logistics are horrible for gaming and most locals are somewhat sober because they drive to and from. You can get numbers for day 2s here, but don’t expect a SNL. Not recommended.
3. The clubs in Chacras de Coria: Ditto as above.
4. On San Martin Sur in Godoy Cruz: There’s a strip of a few clubs about 10min by car outside centro. Two notable places are: i) OchoCuarente Bar: Nothing special and considered a bit seedy by locals, I had good success here. Overall, the music, décor and patronage are pretty average for an Argentine club. I was usually waved in and avoided cover just for being a gringo, and you’ll certainly not see another foreigner here. ii) Iskra: A little slice of Buenos Aires clubbing in Mendoza in a very bad way. The only place that actively enforces (racist) face control and the spot with the highest cover. This is the club for the few lighter skinned, upper class Mendocinos and the attitude clearly shows. Got no love here. Definitely avoid.
5. Alameda in Centro: Strip of bars on San Martin. Needs more research.
   

There’s also a couple other clubs scattered around Centro, like Gutierrez. Also in Centro is La Taberna de Moe on Catamarca. It’s a shitty, characterless dive bar, despite the amusing name, and the only place I know that’s open 24h. Useful for bouncing a girl here for more drinks at 8am after the club closes to overcome resistance before heading to a telo (possibly speaking from personal experience.)

For the Latin guys or anyone trying to penetrate the temporary traveler social circles before they head out, as mentioned earlier a chain of hostels (Mendoza Inn, Campo Base, International Mendoza and Mendoza Backpackers) hosts joint parties every night of the week. As anywhere from 50-200 people show up from different places, you won’t seem out of place even if you’re not staying at a hostel . These generally involve lots of free booze and if you have any game and a desire for gringas it’s like shooting fish in a barrel. Personally, not my scene, but if you’re interested show up to one of the hostels to get the party schedule and buy tickets.

Non-game activities

The vast majority of tourists come to Mendoza to visit the wineries. There are various ways to do this, like hiring a driver for the day or taking a package tour, but biking around on a self-guided tour is great fun. The guidebooks and anyone you talk to will recommend Hugo Bikes, and so will I. Mr. Hugo is awesome and will try to get you drunk off free wine before you start your tour. You will definitely be drunk by the end.

Sports-wise, there’s white-water rafting nearby in the summers, skiing/snowboarding in the winters and the city acts as a starting off point for climbers to Cerro Aconcagua, the highest peak in the Americas.

An area up in the mountains about an hour outside Mendoza called Potrerillos is popular with locals for weekend trips and vacations. It’s no Banff or Lake Tahoe, but it’s pleasant enough, very quiet, and many girls will have fond memories of it from their childhood. There’s not much to do up there besides hike, picnic and fuck. If a girl suggests you go up there for the weekend that means only one thing.

There’s little sightseeing to do in the city itself, but most tourists at least briefly vist Parque San Martin. If you do, be on the alert as it’s in a seemingly nice area, but is actually the main location for robbing tourists, especially ones on bikes. Most never see it coming: kids jump out of bushes, grab their stuff at knifepoint and take off on the bikes, all within a few seconds. Not trying to scaremonger, but this is the most common negative experience for visitors in Mendoza.

Housing and fornication logistics

Plenty of tourist infrastructure in Centro. Hostels are around 40-50 pesos/night, private rooms 120+ pesos/night and 1000+ pesos/month. Monthly apartment are somewhat trickier to come by at reasonable prices and will be 2000+ pesos/month, sometimes vastly more. I found a place via http://www.mihouse.com.ar/. For a short term stay anywhere in the area surrounding Plaza Independencia is good, with Aristides having a high density of options. The nicest area of the city is directly west of Plaza Independencia between Belgrano and Parque San Martin and I’d recommend finding a place there for a longer stay.

For quick and dirty fornication, telos are everywhere, from 20 peso apartments in Centro to 300 peso luxury suites 10min drive outside Centro. I’d usually just get in a taxi with a girl and tell the cab driver to take us to a telo and let him surprise me. Telos, or pay-by-the-hour hotels, are generally not seedy at all; rather, they’re quite clean and well-kept and there’s no stigma attached in going to one.

Getting around

Walking is the easiest way to get around Centro as it’s quite compact and safe, even at night. For the lazy or exercise-impaired, a taxi should cost less than 10 pesos. To get further out, taxis and buses are available, though the bus routes aren’t the easiest to figure out. The first number gives the general direction the bus is going and the second number is the specific route that it takes in that general direction. To use the buses, buy a bus card and put money on it at a Kiosko - about half of them will carry the cards.

Self-directed pharmacological research

In general, very cheap by Western standards. One’s best bet is to ask a group of 2-4 guys hanging around the south side of Plaza Independencia during the day. Innocuously walk around the area first to make sure there aren’t any five-oh about. Don’t do this at night as there are too many people of questionable intention and character around. SWIM got an 8-ball of good yay for 50 pesos. Green is cheap but poor quality; SWIM was never able to find good green in Argentina.

Sustenance

Groceries

In Centro, there are small Carrefours at Colon and Patricias Mendocinas, Las Heras and Patricias Mendocinias, San Martin and Lavalle and a large one at Las Heras and Belgrano.

Low End

Papito Barloa: In Las Heras on San Martin. A local institution with best lomos in Mendoza and maybe all of Argentina. Place looks sketchy as fuck and you’ll definitely be the only foreigner there, as it’s not in the Bible (yet) and near one of the most dangerous areas. Highly recommended.

Dante Soppelsa: In Centro on Lavalle. Forget the Ferruccio Soppelsa shops dotting the city and head to his brother Dante’s for the best helado around.

Los Dos Amigos: In Las Heras on Santa Fe. Standard dive bar on the surface, but serves cheap, good local food and turns into a live music venue at midnight when local musicians of various genres start to play. Great atmosphere (not a place for pickup, though) and devoid of tourists. In sketchy red-light area, so have transportation settled beforehand.

La Flor de La Canela: In Centro on Juan B Justo. Decent Peruvian cuisine for when you’re sick of steak and pasta.

Higher End

Seite Cocinas: In Centro on Mitre. One of the nicest and highest quality restaurants in town and serving modern fare from the seven regions of Argentina. A favorite of upper class Mendocinos as well as local and foreign businessman. No grungy zen backpackers here.

Mar y Monte: In Centro on Peru. Cuisine from the mountains and the sea in a quaint, rustic setting. Probably my favorite restaurant in the city.

La Marchigiana: In Centro on Patricias Mendocinas. Best Italian restaurant in town of many. Modern but uninspiring decor.

Decimo: In Centro on Girabaldi. A resto wine bar with decent sushi and cocktails. On the penthouse/roof of supposedly the highest building in Mendoza, with great views of the city and surrounding area. Very popular for “romantic” dates among the upper-class. Location is unmarked, just enter the building, pass the guard and take the elevator to the 10th floor.

[Hencredible Casanova]

(12-01-2011 07:57 AM)Soma Wrote:  

Roosh and others have dissected Argentine girls ad nauseum on the forum and elsewhere so I’ll try to contrast Mendoza with Buenos Aires and the rest of Argentina, which people are more familiar with here. Be mindful of the rampant Argentine monetary inflation when comparing listed to current prices.

Summary

Mendoza is similar but culturally different in significant ways to Buenos Aires and the other populated areas of Argentina. It’s a nice, smallish, pleasant place to relax and party, have some amazing, cheap wine and, IMHO, the easiest place in Argentina for a stereotypical looking gringo to collect his flag. As an international player, though, you may get bored after a couple of weeks.

City

The population of Mendoza city proper is 120 thousand, and 1.2 million in the metro area. Many consider it an attractive city, as do I, with its tree-lined streets and Latin architecture, and Mendocinos take pride in it being the cleanest in Argentina. It is known internationally for the surrounding wine-producing regions, especially of Malbec. Centro, i.e. the center or downtown area, with Plaza Independencia at its heart, has a large town rather than city feel to it and I’d rate Mendoza as a lower 2nd tier city. If you stay any length of time you will quickly begin to recognize people on the street, for better or worse. There are many institutes of higher-education and the city, in Centro at least, feels quite young. It is in a desert area and can be very dry and with occasional sandstorms. Besides Centro, Godoy Cruz is a upper/middle-upper class area south-east of centro, Maipu and Lujan de Cuyo are residential areas and the main wine-producing regions south of the city and Las Heras is a large area north of Centro with many dangerous parts. Santiago, Chile, is about 5-7 hours away by bus, depending on the time at the border.

Best time to visit

December to March, with January and February being the best. That is summertime here and though it can get pretty damn hot and dry, everyone is in a holiday mood. Unlike Portenos who go to Mar del Plata, Floripa and other such places during this time, Mendocinos seem to mostly stay put and party in the city, barring a quick getaway to the nearby Potrerillos area (see Non-game activities below). As well, the city is flooded with travelers from all over: mostly Brazil, Chile, Europe and the US, though none of the Brit stag party crowd to fuck things up (yet).

Girls and culture

If you’re looking for the stereotypical light-skinned, European looking, Argentine telenovela star, Mendoza is not the place for you. Rather, the girls here are distinctly Latina: their skin is olive, their hair is dark, their eyes are brown and the sex is spicy. They’re also, by most people’s accounts, very attractive. See, for example, this incredibly scientific study. *Hype Alert:* I’d personally put them up there with the Paisas of Poblado, though they are far less superficial.

We all know Argentine girls are difficult Histericas, right? Not so fast. Mendocinas are different from the rest of Argentinians for a few main reasons quite relevant to the international player:

1. Girls here drink. In Buenos Aires and elsewhere it is a huge social faux-pas to appear at all intoxicated and consequently girls end up nursing a single drink the entire night. Not so in Mendoza. How does this play out? Like Roosh in Iceland, I found the best time to approach is between 4am and closing time. In fact, I never once pulled a girl that I met before 4:30am and some as late as 6:30am; that just seems to be the magical time period. By then, a girl is no longer totally sober, maybe she’s had enough of chatting/dancing with her friends and is just more likely to be horny and looking for a hookup. In any case, inhibitions are down and opportunity is up.
2. There is no sex tourism. In Buenos Aires especially, girls can avoid talking to or being seen with a foreigner for fear, irrational or not, of being labeled a whore. That attitude has not translated to Mendoza and being a foreigner is not an immediate DLV. In fact, like much of Latin America, they too have been brainwashed to think that the Northern European gringo look - tall, pale, blue eyes, blond hair - is the ideal of beauty, and being a gringo with this stereotypical look is a definite DHV. For non-stereotypical looking gringos, simply being a gringo is not a DLV like the rest of Argentina.
3. They aren’t snobby or rude. Argentine girls with lighter skin, like those of Palermo/Recoleta in Buenos Aires or Cordoba, think they’re God’s gift to Latin America. They are shocked and appalled that you, a lowly gringo, had the gall to talk to them in front of their friends and disturb their important conversation about the dating habits of national celebrities. How dare you. Thankfully, those girls don’t exist in Mendoza (with one notable exception, see Nightlife below.) In fact, you’ll generally get on the good side of a Mendocino (e.g. taxi driver) if you complain that Portenos are stuck up and that Mendoza is far more mellow.
4. They aren’t histericas (mostly.) Closely related to point 3, the histerica behavior is strongly toned down in Mendoza, after 4am at least. The disappearing act is far more rare, you shouldn’t get the head turn unless you’re going Brazilian caveman and the phone games and flakiness non-existent. This is all personal experience, as local men still complain about the female behavior, so be forewarned that YMMV.
   

My personal experience, as a stereotypical-looking gringo, was that Buenos Aires was fucking horrid for picking up girls, whereas Mendoza was a cakewalk. Like night and day. There’s a reason guys tend to visit BA, party hard for a couple days to a couple weeks and get out, whereas (white) girls tend to stick around for months and months. Guys quickly learn that BA (or Cordoba, etc.) is one giant cocktease with its all-hours nightlife and pretty, frigid girls about, whereas even the most mediocre, aging gringa gets hit on by a non-stop stream of horny dudes obsessed with pale skin, constantly validating her ego. On the other extreme, on a couple occasions I’ve had random girls grab my ass and try to kiss me as I was walking by them in clubs in Mendoza. That shit just would never happen in BA or elsewhere. Again, YMMV.

Language-wise, English varies a lot, from minimal to fluency. Though most understand at least some due to television exposure to Anglo culture, it can be difficult to get it out of them, even when liquored up. I approach in English and transfer over to broken Spanglish when necessary. If you speak zero Spanish then it would be pretty tough; a couple levels of the Pimsleur program should suffice to quickly get you to a basic level.

One last thing. I mentioned that travelers flood the city in Summer, so shouldn’t that really mess things up for picking up locals? No, and here’s why. The few Brazilians you’ll see out run standard caveman game, but the local girls are already used to the Argentine variant and know how to deal with it. (Namely, ignore the first 49 kiss attempts, make out wildly on the 50th if it gets that far and then disappear.) Chileans seemingly have little to no game in Argentina, and the Argentines don’t like them anyway. So now we get to the gringos. Basically 100% of the gringos you’ll see out are backpackers and here’s what usually happens. A mixed group will go out after a hostel party. They will stand in a circle at the bar/club and the girls will use the guys as protection from the aggressive Argentine men. All the while the gringo guys think the attention from the girls means they’re going to score later (it doesn’t.) The girls want to leave by 2:30am at the latest to wake up early for some bullshit tour they’re going on, so the whole group leaves together. At no time do the gringo guys hit on the local girls. Importantly, there are few, if any, gringo guys left out at 4am, the start of the magical hookup time. I have never seen a gringo guy, besides your humble author of course, cold-approach a Mendocina at night.

Race and reception

A northern European looking gringo with decent game and beginner Spanish, who doesn’t look like a grungy zen backpacker, should, in peak season, pull locals without much difficulty, nightly even.

A Latin looking guy will have difficulty with the locals and, though I don’t want to say it’s impossible, I’ve never seen it happen despite countless attempts. The reception is just completely different from a stereotypical gringo. (MiXX, please prove me wrong!) On the other hand, many Gringa travelers are dying for some Latin lovin’ and you should have an easy time with them, if that’s your thing - I’ve also seen that countless times. Be careful, though, because as mentioned they always have some bullshit tour or something planned early the next day that they use as resistance. I’d recommend the combined hostel parties to meet them and penetrate their temporary social circle (see Nightlife below) as they are less receptive and more defensive once they leave and go to a bar/club due to super-aggressive male locals.

Black/Indian/Asian/other ethnicities, I don’t know.

Daygame

I personally didn’t partake, but if I were going to street game then Plaza Independencia and Colon/Aristides are the obvious choices as they are always packed with attractive girls, usually students. A less obvious, but possibly better choice would be to head to the safe, residential area of Godoy Cruz, say around Plaza Godoy Cruz. Tourists are rare and a non-local gets eye-fucked by everyone. Some of the most attractive girls I’ve seen were just walking around here looking bored. You’ll need to bring your game in Spanish, though, as girls are less likely to speak any English.

Another viable option is the English/Spanish language exchanges. For those in the know in Argentina, these are usually venues for local girls to meet foreign guys in a comfortable setting. As an aside, outside of Mendoza, this is your best bet for meeting Argentine girls - bar/club game has a comparatively ridiculously low return on investment. La Guia, a free monthly publication about events and nightlife available in the tourist offices and elsewhere, has daily listings for these meetups, usually coffee shops or bars.

Nightlife

NYC it is not, but there should be something to suit your taste. There are five main nightlife areas:

1. Aristides: The main nightlife strip in Centro, with sit down bars, regular bars and clubs. Though there are a few options here I kept returning to Por Aca. Yes, it’s the main listing in the Bible. Yes, gringos flock here. Yes, the music can be cheesy. But it’s always busy with medium turnover, the gringos never approach and all leave early as mentioned earlier, and the girls tend to be more up for foreign guys. Though the girls aren’t necessarily gringo hunters, about 75% of what they play is 70s, 80s, 90s Anglo music (some great, some terrible) and as such they have a preselected likeness to Anglo culture. Despite its size and design, there are still a few nooks and crannies that make it possible to isolate. Avoid on Friday and Saturday from 1-3am, as it gets ridiculously busy and loud. If you’re a bit older it probably won’t be your cup of tea.
2. The clubs in El Challo: These are a group of big dance clubs about 30-45min by car outside of Centro. Logistics are horrible for gaming and most locals are somewhat sober because they drive to and from. You can get numbers for day 2s here, but don’t expect a SNL. Not recommended.
3. The clubs in Chacras de Coria: Ditto as above.
4. On San Martin Sur in Godoy Cruz: There’s a strip of a few clubs about 10min by car outside centro. Two notable places are: i) OchoCuarente Bar: Nothing special and considered a bit seedy by locals, I had good success here. Overall, the music, décor and patronage are pretty average for an Argentine club. I was usually waved in and avoided cover just for being a gringo, and you’ll certainly not see another foreigner here. ii) Iskra: A little slice of Buenos Aires clubbing in Mendoza in a very bad way. The only place that actively enforces (racist) face control and the spot with the highest cover. This is the club for the few lighter skinned, upper class Mendocinos and the attitude clearly shows. Got no love here. Definitely avoid.
5. Alameda in Centro: Strip of bars on San Martin. Needs more research.
   

There’s also a couple other clubs scattered around Centro, like Gutierrez. Also in Centro is La Taberna de Moe on Catamarca. It’s a shitty, characterless dive bar, despite the amusing name, and the only place I know that’s open 24h. Useful for bouncing a girl here for more drinks at 8am after the club closes to overcome resistance before heading to a telo (possibly speaking from personal experience.)

For the Latin guys or anyone trying to penetrate the temporary traveler social circles before they head out, as mentioned earlier a chain of hostels (Mendoza Inn, Campo Base, International Mendoza and Mendoza Backpackers) hosts joint parties every night of the week. As anywhere from 50-200 people show up from different places, you won’t seem out of place even if you’re not staying at a hostel . These generally involve lots of free booze and if you have any game and a desire for gringas it’s like shooting fish in a barrel. Personally, not my scene, but if you’re interested show up to one of the hostels to get the party schedule and buy tickets.

Non-game activities

The vast majority of tourists come to Mendoza to visit the wineries. There are various ways to do this, like hiring a driver for the day or taking a package tour, but biking around on a self-guided tour is great fun. The guidebooks and anyone you talk to will recommend Hugo Bikes, and so will I. Mr. Hugo is awesome and will try to get you drunk off free wine before you start your tour. You will definitely be drunk by the end.

Sports-wise, there’s white-water rafting nearby in the summers, skiing/snowboarding in the winters and the city acts as a starting off point for climbers to Cerro Aconcagua, the highest peak in the Americas.

An area up in the mountains about an hour outside Mendoza called Potrerillos is popular with locals for weekend trips and vacations. It’s no Banff or Lake Tahoe, but it’s pleasant enough, very quiet, and many girls will have fond memories of it from their childhood. There’s not much to do up there besides hike, picnic and fuck. If a girl suggests you go up there for the weekend that means only one thing.

There’s little sightseeing to do in the city itself, but most tourists at least briefly vist Parque San Martin. If you do, be on the alert as it’s in a seemingly nice area, but is actually the main location for robbing tourists, especially ones on bikes. Most never see it coming: kids jump out of bushes, grab their stuff at knifepoint and take off on the bikes, all within a few seconds. Not trying to scaremonger, but this is the most common negative experience for visitors in Mendoza.

Housing and fornication logistics

Plenty of tourist infrastructure in Centro. Hostels are around 40-50 pesos/night, private rooms 120+ pesos/night and 1000+ pesos/month. Monthly apartment are somewhat trickier to come by at reasonable prices and will be 2000+ pesos/month, sometimes vastly more. I found a place via http://www.mihouse.com.ar/. For a short term stay anywhere in the area surrounding Plaza Independencia is good, with Aristides having a high density of options. The nicest area of the city is directly west of Plaza Independencia between Belgrano and Parque San Martin and I’d recommend finding a place there for a longer stay.

For quick and dirty fornication, telos are everywhere, from 20 peso apartments in Centro to 300 peso luxury suites 10min drive outside Centro. I’d usually just get in a taxi with a girl and tell the cab driver to take us to a telo and let him surprise me. Telos, or pay-by-the-hour hotels, are generally not seedy at all; rather, they’re quite clean and well-kept and there’s no stigma attached in going to one.

Getting around

Walking is the easiest way to get around Centro as it’s quite compact and safe, even at night. For the lazy or exercise-impaired, a taxi should cost less than 10 pesos. To get further out, taxis and buses are available, though the bus routes aren’t the easiest to figure out. The first number gives the general direction the bus is going and the second number is the specific route that it takes in that general direction. To use the buses, buy a bus card and put money on it at a Kiosko - about half of them will carry the cards.

Self-directed pharmacological research

In general, very cheap by Western standards. One’s best bet is to ask a group of 2-4 guys hanging around the south side of Plaza Independencia during the day. Innocuously walk around the area first to make sure there aren’t any five-oh about. Don’t do this at night as there are too many people of questionable intention and character around. SWIM got an 8-ball of good yay for 50 pesos. Green is cheap but poor quality; SWIM was never able to find good green in Argentina.

Sustenance

Groceries

In Centro, there are small Carrefours at Colon and Patricias Mendocinas, Las Heras and Patricias Mendocinias, San Martin and Lavalle and a large one at Las Heras and Belgrano.

Low End

Papito Barloa: In Las Heras on San Martin. A local institution with best lomos in Mendoza and maybe all of Argentina. Place looks sketchy as fuck and you’ll definitely be the only foreigner there, as it’s not in the Bible (yet) and near one of the most dangerous areas. Highly recommended.

Dante Soppelsa: In Centro on Lavalle. Forget the Ferruccio Soppelsa shops dotting the city and head to his brother Dante’s for the best helado around.

Los Dos Amigos: In Las Heras on Santa Fe. Standard dive bar on the surface, but serves cheap, good local food and turns into a live music venue at midnight when local musicians of various genres start to play. Great atmosphere (not a place for pickup, though) and devoid of tourists. In sketchy red-light area, so have transportation settled beforehand.

La Flor de La Canela: In Centro on Juan B Justo. Decent Peruvian cuisine for when you’re sick of steak and pasta.

Higher End

Seite Cocinas: In Centro on Mitre. One of the nicest and highest quality restaurants in town and serving modern fare from the seven regions of Argentina. A favorite of upper class Mendocinos as well as local and foreign businessman. No grungy zen backpackers here.

Mar y Monte: In Centro on Peru. Cuisine from the mountains and the sea in a quaint, rustic setting. Probably my favorite restaurant in the city.

La Marchigiana: In Centro on Patricias Mendocinas. Best Italian restaurant in town of many. Modern but uninspiring decor.

Decimo: In Centro on Girabaldi. A resto wine bar with decent sushi and cocktails. On the penthouse/roof of supposedly the highest building in Mendoza, with great views of the city and surrounding area. Very popular for “romantic” dates among the upper-class. Location is unmarked, just enter the building, pass the guard and take the elevator to the 10th floor.

Excellent summary of Mendoza. It really is a lovely "second tier" city, with great wine and restaurants. I was there for several days and found the gringa scene to be so abundant that collecting a local flag didn't even register as a thought. Gotta stay at Damajuana Hostel. Argentina is a pretty tough country to crack by international standards, let alone Latin America, but I would agree that Mendoza is a relatively "open" city for gringos in that country, though by no means easy. The insistence you make on the magical period demonstrates the difficulty.

I think longer stays are far more productive as it's a second-tier city that opens up with time. Two weeks is ideal. I actually had an Indian-American friend (Indian as in India) who lived there for two years teaching English and operating an import/export wine business. That helped tremendously with locals, obviously, and he was able to collect some quality flags.

[Richie]

(12-01-2011 07:57 AM)Soma Wrote:  

They are shocked and appalled that you, a lowly gringo, had the gall to talk to them in front of their friends and disturb their important conversation about the dating habits of national celebrities. How dare you.

You just summed up every girl I tried to talk to Cordoba. I left that place with a bitter after taste and vowed never to go back. They still in my opinion have the hottest women on the planet. Damn that city.

I actually skipped Mendoza in favour for the hype Cordoba got on this forum. Clearly a mistake... there is a sick part of me that wants to go back. I have a score to settle. This time with a trip to Mendoza.

[Hencredible Casanova]

(12-01-2011 08:48 AM)Richie Wrote:  

(12-01-2011 07:57 AM)Soma Wrote:  

They are shocked and appalled that you, a lowly gringo, had the gall to talk to them in front of their friends and disturb their important conversation about the dating habits of national celebrities. How dare you.

You just summed up every girl I tried to talk to Cordoba. I left that place with a bitter after taste and vowed never to go back. They still in my opinion have the hottest women on the planet. Damn that city.

I actually skipped Mendoza in favour for the hype Cordoba got on this forum. Clearly a mistake... there is a sick part of me that wants to go back. I have a score to settle. This time with a trip to Mendoza.

Seriously. I never caught myself saying "dammmmn" or "this just doesn't make sense" more than I did in Cordoba. The women are just astronomically hot. Rosario also deserves a visit as I saw a tremendous amount of talent there, day and night.

[gringoed]

Wow, very solid datasheet!! I spent so much time in Argentina but was so infatuated with Cordobesas that I never made it to Mendoza. It sounds like a good place to get your flag, if that's what you're in Argentina to do, although it sounds like a mediocre city besides the wine. Still, it sounds worth visiting.

Did you find the girls as easy as Peruvians? Hotter?

[MiXX]

+1 for the report. Very well written, and thought out! Fantastic!

2 Comments:

1. Interesting comparison of Mendocinas were like Paisas of Poblado, but not as superficial. However, I notice in your profile you have never visited Colombia. So, is there someplace else you have had interactions with Paisas outside Colombia to make this comparison?

2. You said that Latin men will not be well received, because you did not see it, but lets not forget that Argies are Latin themselves


Here is my personal experience when I traveled all-over Argentina including the countryside of Lincoln and Salta.

The Argie girls LOOOOOVVVEEE Puerto Rican Salsa and reggeaton singers like Victor Manuelle, Wisin y Yandel and Calle 13 (All have performed SOLD OUT concerts in Argentina), and Puerto Ricans who do NOT overdo dressing ghetto will have instant Boricua groupies in Argentina chasing them. My recommendation for Latin men going to Mendoza, if you can pull-off looking and speaking with a Puerto Rican accent like that of a reggaton/salsa singer...do it!!

I grew up with Puerto Ricans in NYC, and can pull-off the accent/slang to a T, I got laid for it! Hell even many Puerto Ricans ask me what part of the island I'm from when I'm speaking to them.

** I agree that Colombian, Venezuelan, Mexican or Central American men have an uphill climb in Argentina becuase Argies have a "we're superior than you mentality" when it comes to other hispanic races - except for the Puerto Ricans, Argie women love/and get wet with these cats because of the salsa/reggeaton music and their distinct accent..



Mixx

[zanetti]

outstanding report and +1 from me

one question re comparison with paisas from medellin: do you mean mendoza girls also have massive hooters (real or fake) like paisas? in argentina i've only been to BA and cordoba and, though pretty, i found most girls to be more slender than voluptuous

[Soma]

(12-01-2011 09:31 AM)gringoed Wrote:  

Did you find the girls as easy as Peruvians? Hotter?

Slightly harder than Peruvians but more attractive.

(12-01-2011 10:29 AM)MiXX Wrote:  

1. Interesting comparison of Mendocinas were like Paisas of Poblado, but not as superficial. However, I notice in your profile you have never visited Colombia. So, is there someplace else you have had interactions with Paisas outside Colombia to make this comparison?

2. You said that Latin men will not be well received, what gave you this impression?

1. I'm certainly no Colombian expert like yourself, and yes I've had interactions with many a Colombiana, but this is referring more to the observed comparative complete lack of such superficiality in Mendoza. There's no model or actress scene at all really (that I know of, anyway) and it's just not the kind of place people visibly status-whore. That all takes place in BA.

2. From personal observations and discussions with Latin men there. As an extreme example, one friend with strong game banged 50+ girls (he lost count) in 2 months, all gringas. Try as he might he couldn't pull a local girl to save his life. It's a nut that's just waiting to be cracked, but on the other hand I don't want to give anyone false hope based on my observations. The girls just reacted differently.

(12-01-2011 10:35 AM)zanetti Wrote:  

one question re comparison with paisas from medellin: do you mean mendoza girls also have massive hooters (real or fake) like paisas? in argentina i've only been to BA and cordoba and, though pretty, i found most girls to be more slender than voluptuous

I meant overall average attractiveness is comparable to that of Paisas. Mendocinas do not generally have massive assets, real or otherwise, but more than that of BA/Cordoba girls. You'll find more absolute stunners in Medellin as well as some real fuglys. In Mendoza I'd say the average is the same but the standard deviation lower. Keep in mind this is all personal preference and I'm not big on huge, fake T/A myself, for example.

[MiXX]

(12-01-2011 11:15 AM)Soma Wrote:  

2. From personal observations and discussions with Latin men there. As an extreme example, one friend with strong game banged 50+ girls (he lost count) in 2 months, all gringas.

Damn!! 25 DISTINCT BANGS PER MONTH? Shit, I'd be happy banging gringas exclusively too! That almost a new gringa every fucking night, I don't even fuck like that in Colombia. On my way to Mendoza to fuck gringas myself now

What country was your Latin friend from? Was he short like teh average Colombian under 5'10" (1.78m) in height?

Mixx

[Soma]

(12-01-2011 11:33 AM)MiXX Wrote:  

(12-01-2011 11:15 AM)Soma Wrote:  

2. From personal observations and discussions with Latin men there. As an extreme example, one friend with strong game banged 50+ girls (he lost count) in 2 months, all gringas.

Damn!! 25 DISTINCT BANGS PER MONTH? Shit, I'd be happy banging gringas exclusively too! That almost a new gringa every fucking night, I don't even fuck like that in Colombia. On my way to Mendoza to fuck gringas myself now

What country was your Latin friend from? Was he short like teh average Colombian under 5'10" (1.78m) in height?

Mixx

He worked the hostel scene hard. Sometimes multiple a day and on other days he just couldn't be bothered. From Spain, about 6'2'', with long hair and strong, dark Latin features.

[speakeasy]

Good data sheet. I wish I had this back in '09 when I was there. I really didn't do much of anything in Mendoza even though I had plans. Was having a bad case of montezuma's revenge for a few days after an atrocious pizza and a 40oz of Quilmes which put a damper in my plans of white water rafting, cycling and checking out the nightlife. I did get to walk around the parks and city center and I remember thinking there were a lot of cute girls. I clearly remember seeing more cuties in Mendoza than in BA.

I didn't feel any weird vibes from being like the only black guy within a thousand mile radius. I thought I would be getting stares left and right as happened in Chile, but interestingly, I never got any glaring or odd treatment anywhere in Argentina. Everyone seemed really chill and friendly. It's as if no one noticed that I looked different. Can't say I was getting eye-fucked by girls or anything so not so sure if there's any exotic factor to being black there. I feel I was treated with indifference one way or the other. That's just my experience anyway. Would love to go back again sometime, but I couldn't see being there for more than a week without getting bored unless you were making friends and had a social life.

[MiXX]

BTW, another gem in Argentina is Comodoro Rivadavia. The girls here are very down-to-earth, and are nothing like the Portenas of BS.AS.

Latin men should play the Puerto Rican part when gaming Argie girls if they can pull it off (and do it well, they can tell) for major dividends. Another thing, if you are stocky, say you are a rugby player, these girls would fucking drip between their legs when they asked me if I was a Rugby player!


Mixx

[Roosh]

Damn you broke it down. Almost makes me want to go back.

[MiXX]

(12-01-2011 11:49 AM)Soma Wrote:  

He worked the hostel scene hard. Sometimes multiple a day.

Very Interesting. There is another thread on hitting on Hostel girls in your area, or where you travel to even if you are not staying there.

You should pick your boys brain for us and ask him how he went about hitting on Hostel chics in foreign countries, and closing so often.


Mixx

[gringochileno]

Awesome report. Unfortunately I didn't get to go out and try to pick up because my friend and I both got violently ill right after getting to Mendoza, but the rest of the sheet definitely squares with my experience. I agree about doing a biking wine tour and visiting Parque San Martin, and I stayed at Hostel Lao which is very well located near Plaza Independencia and is probably the nicest hostel I've ever stayed at. If any of you are into gambling, Enjoy casino had blackjack tables with very favorable rules and low minimums, and we actually got free drinks there unlike every other casino I've been to in South America.

In case I ever make my way back there, what nights are good for going out? I never checked out the club scene but from what I could tell everything seemed pretty dead during the week.

[Soma]

(12-01-2011 08:48 PM)gringochileno Wrote:  

In case I ever make my way back there, what nights are good for going out? I never checked out the club scene but from what I could tell everything seemed pretty dead during the week.

In high season, Mon-Sat there's stuff going on, with Wed-Sat the busiest. Bigger clubs are usually Fri and Sat. Tapers off in December and March. Outside of that, there's stuff going on Wed-Sat, with Wed and Thu sometimes busy, sometimes not.

[gringochileno]

(12-01-2011 09:50 PM)Soma Wrote:  

(12-01-2011 08:48 PM)gringochileno Wrote:  

In case I ever make my way back there, what nights are good for going out? I never checked out the club scene but from what I could tell everything seemed pretty dead during the week.

In high season, Mon-Sat there's stuff going on, with Wed-Sat the busiest. Bigger clubs are usually Fri and Sat. Tapers off in December and March. Outside of that, there's stuff going on Wed-Sat, with Wed and Thu sometimes busy, sometimes not.

Makes sense, I was there in August. The night we got in from Santiago was a Monday, and everything on Aristides was completely dead except a couple of sit-down bars that had maybe 15 people between the two of them. We ended up just drinking a shitload of Andes and woke up vomiting the next morning (nothing to do with the beer, I actually liked that stuff).

[Spike]

Just two 5 or three 5 minutes talk before a bang ??. I find this hard to believe.

Personally i didn't find the argie girls in Mendoza that hot and the gringa's are typical drunken(unattractive looking)girls or partying groups of Israeli's.

What is your personal experience in Mendoza ? (be honest) bangs and make outs ?

[Soma]

Quote:

Personally i didn't find the argie girls in Mendoza that hot and the gringa's are typical drunken(unattractive looking)girls or partying groups of Israeli's.

It's a free world and you're entitled to your opinion, which differs from the standard consensus. I rarely met Israeli's out; maybe they were prevalent at your particular place of lodging.

Quote:

What is your personal experience in Mendoza ? (be honest) bangs and make outs ?

Why the Debbie Downer attitude? Props though for heading off the gringo trail, checking out the three forgotten South American countries.

[Spike]

(12-02-2011 05:46 PM)Soma Wrote:  

Quote:

Personally i didn't find the argie girls in Mendoza that hot and the gringa's are typical drunken(unattractive looking)girls or partying groups of Israeli's.

It's a free world and you're entitled to your opinion, which differs from the standard consensus. I rarely met Israeli's out; maybe they were prevalent at your particular place of lodging.

Not saying i didn't see a lot of hot girls there but it no Rosario or Cordoba. Argentina,Peru and Bolivia are full of groups of Israelis. Nothing against it though.

Quote:

What is your personal experience in Mendoza ? (be honest) bangs and make outs ?

Please elaborate. who long did you spend there ? How many bangs?

Why the Debbie Downer attitude? Props though for heading off the gringo trail, checking out the three forgotten South American countries.

Don't know this Debbie Downer. Not hating here, just want to get more info.

[Soma]

.

[Luckystar]

How does the quality of girls compare to BA? Argentina is high on my list for my next sexual exploits.

[Soma]

(12-02-2011 07:04 PM)Luckystar Wrote:  

How does the quality of girls compare to BA? Argentina is high on my list for my next sexual exploits.

Portenos are hyped up as being very attractive and in this author’s opinion that hype is way overblown. Sure, if you go to a high-end nightspot in Palermo or Recoleta it will be stacked with fair-skinned stunners, but this is far from representative of the city as a whole. And the best of luck to you if you want to pick one of them up, unless you’re in their social circle, are involved with modeling or other status-whore activities, are a local minor celebrity, etc. G frequently cites Buenos Aires as a favorite destination so he may have more insight on getting in with that crowd. The population makeup of the city is varied and the average is closer to 5.5-6, though you’ll definitely find plenty of 9s as well as 4s and worse. (For calibration, US as a whole is 4-4.5, with NYC a 6.) Even the typical girls in Recoleta didn’t do it for me; they were thin, but lacking curves, with just ok faces and huge “my shit don’t stink” attitudes because they were fair-skinned. As mentioned in the original datasheet, Mendocinas have a more uniform Latina look, and I’d rate their average attractiveness as a 6.5, with plenty of 7s and 8s but fewer 9s.

Buenos Aires is frequently cited as one of those “Paris of the” places, in this case South America, as if this was a universally good thing. While not rude like the Parisians - rather, most are kind, helpful and generous – they are pretentious and arrogant, and this permeates all life in the city. Mendocinos are more down-to-earth and tranquilo.

In Buenos Aires, as a foreigner, you have two main options for hooking up with a local girl, the second of which I haven’t seen mentioned at all here:

1. The well-known foreigner nightspots, e.g. an Irish pub like the Kilkenny. You’ll be able to pull gringo hunters, but they’re a 5 or 6 at most, and who travels to Argentina to bang a 5?
2. Language exchange events. Spanglish is popular, and there are various others you can find online. Here you’ll get better quality, 6s and 7s. Almost every gringo I know in Buenos Aires with a decent local girlfriend met via such a program.
   

Unlike the rest of Latin America, online dating is virtually non-existent in Argentina and pipelining not really an option. There are a few passable girls on LatinAmericanCupid but it’s a negligible number for the population size.

I had high expectations for Buenos Aires and it did not live up to them, and low expectations for Mendoza and it very much surpassed them. Though I thoroughly enjoyed the Argentine experience as a whole I feel no desire to return any time soon.

[Luckystar]

Interesting. By most accounts, Argentina seems about the only place outside of EE that can compete. Guess I'll just have to find out for myself.

[MiXX]

(12-02-2011 10:46 PM)Luckystar Wrote:  

Interesting. By most accounts, Argentina seems about the only place outside of EE that can compete. Guess I'll just have to find out for myself.

Unless you are an obvious white, blond gringo or Italian with long hair, or Puerto Rican that looks/and has swag like Daddy Yankee (along with the accent), Argentina is not really for you.


Mixx