I´m sat here supping a $9.99 (that´s Argentine pesos, so less than 2 quid!) bottle of Malbec from a chipped teacup in my Mendoza hostel and am struck by how hypocritical that seems – after spending Thursday afternoon critically analysing wines potentially destined for the US market that will be sold for near US$20 (more like a tenner) …and I thought I had an expensive palate! I guess wine works on different levels, and sometimes it´s nice to turn my wine-head off and just drink some plonk with my dinner.. (don´t get me wrong, this stuff is certainly not the cheapest available!)

With only about 6 weeks of my trip left, I have found myself with a terrifying backlog of stuff that needs typing up. I have numerous notebooks stuffed with notes and what would-be posts, but battling with decrepit internet café computers and lack of access to said computers has made writing regularly a difficult almost unpleasant task at times.

Travelling with a laptop would have been the logical choice for someone in my position, but in my attempts to keep my pack light, and my backpacking experience pure, and because I didn´t think a laptop would last more than 5 minutes in Johanesburg! I left mine behind.. Well what can I say – I know for next time!

Something that would I´m certain, would have helped me keep up regular mini-posts would have been a blackberry although the roaming charges would have probably bankrupted me! It´s still something I am considering upon my return – any thoughts? As I think I´ll keep the blog going in some form after the end of the year away…

Winetraveller has evolved over the year, as I have been distracted, frustrated and inspired by different things, and the lack of continuity and structure at times has probably made it a little difficult to follow – but I am doing my best to get back in the saddle so watch this space… Cheers!