Quebrada de Humahuaca

January 23rd started bright and early with Fredrico picking us up at 0700 for our very full day to Quebrada de Humahuaca.  Our drive started out passing through large areas of agriculture where there were large tobacco farms and huge sugar cane plantations.  As we started to approach the hills we entered dense fog and I was quite concerned but this soon cleared and we were treated to a day of visual magnificence.  The whole area is a World Heritage Site and it’s beauty was like something we had never seen before.The colours and textures in the hills are just outstanding and though we made several photo stops you kept wanting to take more.  We stopped at the small town of Purmamarca which is nestled in a cradle of multi coloured hills. We visited the adobe chapel of Saint Rosa built in 1648 which was special in its simplicity.  There was a huge artisan market in the square and down the narrow streets but absolutely no pressure from any of the locals. Just smiles.  This whole area is rich in culture and the home of many of the indigenous people of Argentina and their beliefs persist.  One of these that was evident was that even with the small towns the cemetery was located high above the town as the spirit can only go up and this way they could not return to the home to cause havoc.  We then travelled on to Tilcara and visited the Picard which is an ancient pre-Colombian indigenous fortress which has been partially reconstructed.  Built high on the hill it was very interesting and the views were spectacular.  We then crossed the Tropic of Capricorn and arrived in the town of Humahuaca which is located 2939 meters above sea level. It was founded by the natives of the region in 1594 and stands out for its pure colonial adobe houses and narrow cobblestone streets.  After yet another delicious meal in another local restaurant where especially Eric’s Spanish is improving due to no English spoken we explored the town and then headed back.  About 60 kilometres from Salta Fredrico left the highway and took a very narrow and winding road which went through jungle, farms as well as giving us wonderful views of the fertile valleys far below.  We covered over 500 kilometres but the day flew by and after another late dinner we hit the bed to get ready for the next leg of our trip.

After travelling through farmlands and hills of green the landscape dried out and the colours started to appear

The contrasts were amazing

The hills were in all sizes and textures 

Set against the blue sky we were so lucky as the day started with a lot less promise

The only plants were low and scrubby due to the altitude and low amount of rainfall

Your eye was constantly drawn in to the landscape 

One possible painting after another

Hard to take it all in

Climbed up some hills for more panoramic views

Absolutely incredible 

This town has a rather impressive backdrop 

Adobe buildings with cobblestone streets and sidewalks. All clean as could be

Historic church from the 1600’s

Beautiful Main Street of Purmamarca 

All the colours kept changing making it all so beautiful 

Even the rocks without as much colour had so much texture that they had a different appeal

Trying to capture just a bit of the feel of what one could see from a single point

A small village nestled in the hill

An elderly gentleman making his way down the street of Humahuaca 

Our lunch stop for the day

Church in the main square with the war monument showing up behind

Unique restaurant front. Llama used to run wild here but were domesticated by the natives and are farmed today for their meat and are used extensively for their packing ability

A local selling her wares in the main square

People cooking on the streets is very common everywhere and the choice for a BBQ is half a metal barrel

Humahuaca was the favourite village we visited as even though their were a fair number of tourists many locals were out and about 

Driving the narrow winding road through the lush green what they refer to as jungle. The only animals we saw were cows, pigs and horses.

Salta & Cafayate

On January 21st we flew to Salta which is in the northwest part of Argentina.It is a well preserved city with colonial architecture dating from the 18th and 19 th centuries.  Most Argentinians refer to it as Salta la Linda which translates to Salta the beautiful.  We checked into the Hotel Legado Mitico which is a charming boutique hotel right in the middle of old town and situated in a lovely colonial building. The hotel has maintained its colonial charm yet has the comforts one needs.  Once checked in we set off exploring the narrow streets. Everything closes from 1-5 for an extended siesta and then the streets come alive and apparently stay that way until well into the morning but for that we will take their word.  We sat in the main square and enjoyed some empanadas and wine in the late afternoon before continuing our exploring. Restaurants don’t open until 8 or later and don’t get busy until after ten so we had no trouble finding a table and were in fact the first to arrive at 8 at a charming local restaurant where we were warmly greeted with a glass of wine and complimentary appys. Had some delicious llama carpaccio amongst other tasty dishes and when our waiter Angel felt our bottle of wine did not compliment my main dish he brought me another complimentary glass of wine. At the end of the meal he also brought us liquors and dessert. Needless to say he was well tipped.

Wednesday January 22nd we were picked up at 0730 for a full day tour south to Cafayate located in the heart of the Valles Calchaquies.  We passed through several small villages which was fascinating though I must say the poverty was quite evident.  Another interesting thing was that even though we would not be leaving the province of Salta we had been told to bring our passports which we were puzzled by but the reason for this is that at various points along the roadway police set up check points and stop vehicles as they desire.  These police, usually numbering six at a time would be standing in the middle of the road and we never saw them stop anyone. Seems like a bit of a make work project.  As we reached the Gorge of the Rio de las Conchas we were rewarded with the sight of beautiful red limestone hills that had been eroded into wonderful formations by the wind and water.  We made several photo stops before continuing on to Cafayate which is surrounded by vineyards and boasts many wineries as it is the home of the highest vineyards in the world at 2500 meters.  We enjoyed a wonderful lunch with some local wine, did a wine tasting a a local winery, explored the town and visited a fascinating wine museum before heading back to Salta for a late dinner. A full and wonderful day with our guide and driver Fredrico.

Our room in Salta was definitely a step back in time

Lovely colonial buildings and statues

Downtown Salta

Deserted streets at 4 PM while everyone has their siesta then stores stay open until after midnight

Beautiful cathedral. 90% of Argentinians call themselves catholic though a large number are no longer practising

Enjoying empanadas and wine in the town square. We tried empanadas everywhere we went kind of like a taste test and Salta definitely had the best. One stuffed with meat, olives and dried grapes was delicious

Interesting rock formations 

Red hills appearing as we travel towards Cafayate 

One goes inside this formation and the locals call it the Devil’s Throat

Looking out through the throat

The locals set up stalls at the manor stops to sell their wares

This is the largest formation and is known as the amphitheater. The sound in it was much like a theatre and there was a fellow playing his guitar and singing which was quite lovely 

A panoramic of the amphitheater 

Looking out the entrance to the theatre before it opens up

Entrance sign to the amphitheater 

Beautiful red limestone in all directions 

Shapes carved by the wind that can howl at times

Herds of goats wander across the highway as if they own it

Vineyard in Cafayate 

Charming woman doing our tasting. Spoke no English but with the Spanish we knew especially Eric and her facial and hand expressions we had a great time.

Great lunch stop where thankfully we were able to have a wonderful salad and no meat. When you order a meal here you get enough meat for the whole family as well as a lot of carbs which is probably why we have noticed a very large obesity issue in the smaller cities

Salad at last but of course one must try the local wine

I am thinking the Viagra Salteno might sell well at home no matter what it tastes like

This unusual building in Cafayate is a private home. I venture to say it is probably well photographed 

This speaks for itself

A cathedral in Salta on our way back from dinner