Salta

Purmamarca

We were not at all prepared for the drive through the Quebrada de las Conchas, which one passes on the way back north from Cafayata to Salta. This area is a conglomeration of magnificent canyons and cliffs, and has to be added to the book of 100 things to see before you die.

No, not Switzerland. The Cabra Corral reservoir collects snowmelt water for the city of Salta and also generates hydroelectric power for the area.

Road hazard.

Our next stop was Purmamarca, north of Salta, a small town whose inhabitants were all indigenous to the Altiplano.

I loved the central open air market, and spent some lovely time discussing my purchases with the local Indian sales people. At night we went along to the local restaurants/bars with all the young hippy kids, who looked a throw back to the 60’s. Live Andean music flowed out into the street.

Purmamarca is best known for it's "Mountain of Seven Colours". The greenish layers are copper oxide ores.

To the west of Purmamarca are the huge salt flats called Salinas Grandes which are eerily beautiful in appearance. Behind, a volcano fumes away.

In Purmamarca we had visited a store, which sold very nice clay pots. The owner's brother invited us to Humahuaca to see his kiln and the other items he had for sale there, so the next day we were off to the north.

Tilcara, on the way to Humahuaca, has a Pucará, or fortress, built by the local people in pre-Inca times. Much restored, it has a commanding position over the vally below.

Humahuaca is known for its "Pesebres", street processions of a Nativity scene with music and dancing.

Many purchases later we found ourselves winding our way further north to Iruya. The road kept getting smaller and seemed to disappear occasionally, and the going was extremely rough and slow, so we had to turn back and leave Iruya, a typical Andean colonial town, for another trip.

Then we had one night in Salta, which was another chance to hit the empanadas Salteñas.

Cesar Chaparro had given us an introduction to Dean and Lisa Armstrong, an Australian couple, who had immigrated to Argentina, and bought a ranch to the south of Salta in San Jose de Metan. They have cows and soy beans and several other crops. We enjoyed them and I hope they will return our visit. The farm across the road from the Armstrong’s was planted in blueberries, which had been a good export crop until the price fell, as all commodities have done.

The return drive across the Chaco province was once again filled with IPod stories. We did spend one night in a new, fabulous boutique hotel in Corrientes. I hated to leave it, but by golly, I am definitely going back there.

Now I am ready to turn around and do the whole trip again, doing the exact same things we just did!