Update

Finding the time to write blogs on hostel computers is proving a bit difficult. But I’ll do my best to catch up. Entonces…

Cordoba
underwhelming

Mendoza
A beautiful city, amazingly green and tranquil compared to Buenos Aires. From Mendoza Nick and I were able to do a day trip to Puente del Inca and Acongagua. Acongagua is the highest peak outside of the Himalayas and quite spectacular. It’s hard to believe when you’re staring up at it’s snow covered peak that this is the highest mountain I’ve ever seen!

From the Acongagua park it was a short 2-3 km walk along the road to Puente del Inca, which is a natural stone bridge over a river formed by ice and snow long ago. The only hiccup in the plan was that from Acongagua to Puente del Inca we had to cross that river on a very narrow bridge that all the cars and buses barrel across. Our plan of attack was to wait until we saw no traffic in the distance and then run as fast as we could to the safety of the other side. This was surprisingly the better option, the other was a rusty, dilapidated train track bridge.

Salta
At this point in our trip Nick headed west to Chile and I headed north to Salta. Nick and I aren’t always the best at compromise so when I wanted to go to Salta and Nick wanted to head to Santiago, we did just that. Two weeks traveling apart in 7 months seems reasonable.

What drew me to Salta and Jujuly provinces was the stark desert landscape I’d heard about and the rich indigenous culture which is more similar to Peru and Bolivia. I wasn’t disappointed.

Salta, the city, has a beautiful town square with a pink church and a wonderful museum, MAAM. In Salta province, near the border with Chile, archeologists have recently discovered 3 small children sacrificed by the Incas on a high mountain peak. Because of the elevation and the cold the bodies were remarkably preserved and the MAAM has a very well done exhibit focusing on these children and the Incan ritual which led them that Andean peak.

Tilcara is a small, dusty, mountain town a few hours north of Salta. Indigenous cultures of the past heavily influence the present day. There are stalls of hand woven and knit items, much like you’d see in Peru. It was hard to resist the urge to empty my backpack of all my clothes and shoes and filling it with these brightly colored blankets and sweaters! Tilcara and the similar towns nearby are filled with Argentine tourists looking to explore this unique part of their Argentine culture.

Unfortunately it rained a lot while I was in Tilcara. It was disappointing because so much of what is to see there is outside. Hopefully this is not a foreshadowing of the trip ahead. We have been spoiled with good weather for much of our trip, but now heading into our Patagonia leg we will be very dependent on Patagonia’s famous volatile weather.

Cafayate is a small town south of Salta with lots of wineries. The weather improved as I headed south and I was able to do a day hike to several waterfalls that are just outside of town. Together with 2 other travelers from the hostel we headed out to see the waterfalls. Local guides can be obtained at the base of the mountain for 15-20 pesos per person. But we headed up the mountain on our own, confident that we could find our own way. After about an hour of wrong turns and backtracking we luckily came across a guide and his group and joined in with them. The group we infiltrated consisted of an Argentine family with their two grown children, Guadeloupe and Santiago, who were glad to have us as company. The path to the waterfalls isn’t marked and includes several river crossings. Having the guide plant himself in the middle of the river to offer us a stead hand as we leap frogged across the rushing river certainly made things easier.

Salta and Jujuly consist of stunning natural scenery of diverse colors and textures.