Jujuy and Northern Argentina

On the 9th of January, we left Salta to go to Tilcara. Before leaving we called a few hotels, all full!! But we finally booked one on hostelbookers and crossed our fingers everything will be fine! We took the scenery road, sinuous in the green mountains. We entered the Quebrada de Humahuaca, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2003. It follows the line of a major cultural route, the Camino Inca, along the spectacular valley of the Rio Grande, from its source in the cold high desert plateau of the High Andean lands to its confluence with the Rio Leone some 150 km to the south. Framed by multi-colored hills and houses in abode, the valley shows substantial evidence of its use as a major trade route over the past 10,000 years. It features visible traces of prehistoric hunter-gatherer communities, of the Inca Empire (15th to 16th centuries) and of the fight for independence in the 19th and 20th centuries.

 Tilcara is a very touristy small city and we just came when a music festival was starting. So young people were coming from all the department to party, and all the hostels were full. It ended up that the hostel didn’t receive my booking and was full. But the guy in charge helped us to find 4 beds (the last ones!) in an another hostel. Oufff!!! Founded in 1586, the city has the name of its first indigenous inhabitants. In the main square, there were a market so we decided to start shopping. In the North, they are selling beautiful pullovers, socks, hats and gloves made of llama wool. They are well know too for products in leather: hat, belt,… Stephanie and me bought a cowboy hat and belt, yeahhh Indiana Claire is back!

with my new pullover :) - where we slept at night (down)

The next day, we went to visit the archeological site of Pucara, a pre-Inca fortification. Traces of human habitation in the area date back more than 10,000 years. The fortified town was originally built by the Omaguaca tribe, who settled in the area around the 12th century. Experts in agriculture, weaving and pottery, they were also renowned warriors. During their time, the pucará served as an important administrative and military center. At its peak, the pucará covered up to about 15 acres (61,000 m2) and housed over 2,000 inhabitants, living in small square stone buildings with low doorways and no windows. Besides living quarters, the pucará contained corrals for animals, sites to perform religious ceremonies and burial sites. In the late 15th century, the tribes of the Quebrada were finally conquered by the Incas under Tupac Inca Yupanqui, who used the pucará as a military outpost and to secure the supply of metals such as silver, zinc and copper which were mined nearby. The Incan domination of the area only lasted for about half a century, and ended with the arrival of the Spanish in 1536, who founded the modern town of Tilcara in 1586. In 1908, the ethnographer Juan Bautista Ambrosetti rediscovered the site.

Indiana Claire is back!

 

We had decided to go to Iruya, a small village in the mountains. But the only access is by a dusty road and we heard from a French couple that four days ago the road collapsed and that you couldn’t go all the way. So we asked around but nobody knew anything. So we decided to go and see… we stopped on the way in Humahuaca for lunch which has a beautiful church. The last 45 kilometers are only dusty road climbing up the mountains to 4000 meters high. I got nicely surprised by the efficiency of the Argentinean on the road. The road collapsed and four days ago it was fixed, not like in Guatemala where you can wait for months… and everywhere we saw people cleaning the road.

typical mountain houses (up) - dancing on the road to Iruya (below)

The road goes up to 4000 meters high (up) - the valley of Iruya (down)

We arrived in Iruya on the afternoon. Iruya's name is derived from the Quechua language, meaning "brave straw" or "site of the high pastures”. With a population of less than 5000 people, the village sits nestled against the mountainside at an elevation of 2,780 meters. We stayed in a very nice hotel (our little treat!) with beds so comfy that it was hard to get out of bed in the morning (isn’t it Christine?)!

the hotel outside (up) - the living room (down)

On the 11th of January, we headed back down to go to Purmamarca. We made a reservation in the morning in a hotel but we never found it! I don’t know what was going on with reservations, but were so unlucky. But we found another place to stay close to the main square. Purmamarca means "Town of the Virgin Earth", in aimará and it is a small town framed by spectacular hills of colors, unique in all the country known as «The mountain of the seven colors». In the main square, there is an artisan fair every day, with typical handmade products of the Quebrada, such as carpets, diverse wood statues, local clothes, vessels and medicinal plants. At night we went to a nice restaurant with live music and enjoyed it a lot... until we got the bill!!! They were charging AR$10/personne for the spectacle without telling us. I hate that but paid.

Discovering the Valley of Calchaquies

So here we were, on the road with our rented car. Readyyy??? We knew more or less where we wanted to go but decided to let some space for improvisation. It was raining a lot when we left Salta but it stopped quickly to let the sun shine. We wanted to go to Cachi but we got stopped by the police, the dusty road was cut because of the rain. So we decided to do the loop in the other direction: Salta –Cafayate –Cachi and back to Salta.

The road to Cafayate is paved all the way and crossing the Quebrada de Las Conchas. The road is sinuous between the eroded red rock formations. The first stop was the Garganta del Diablo (Evil’s throat) which is represented by an immense circular wall about 15 meters high, eroded by water, forming a human trachea.  Then we stopped at El Anfiteatro (The amphitheater) which is forming a circular space, where the acoustics are so good you do not need power amplifiers for recitals. There was a guy playing guitar when we were there.  All along the road, the scenery is beautiful : mountains with different colors and with some amazing desert oasis.

La Garganta del Diablo

We arrived in Cafayate to look for a hotel. But Cafayate is very touristic and especially during the summer season, it’s hard to find a room especially if you’re four. But after looking around, we finally found a room in a basic hotel.  Cafayate is surrounded by wineries and is well known for its wine. So the next day we went to visit the Bodega Nanni, small with organic wine.

Then it was time to hit the road to make our way to Cachi. The 150 kilometers were on a dusty road, passing through the Quebrada de Las Flechas. The road go through a forest of arrows carved by the wind and erosion. A super rocky landscape of many colors! We stopped in the middle of nowhere to have lunch and took an guy who was hitchhiking. Who thought we could fit 5 persons with big backpacks in an opel corsa? He was from Tucuman and traveling for his holidays. We arrived in Cachi in the late afternoon and found a small hostel to stay.

At 1228 meters hight and with a population of 7000 inhabitants, Cachi is like a frozen picture with its narrowed stone streets, its typical colonial houses built entirely with materials from the region: cactus wood and floors in rustic adobe. Cachi kept intact its ancestral customs, inherited from the first inhabitants, the weaving, pottery making, regional foods and so on. On the 8th of January, in the morning, we climbed to the cemetery to have a view on the city and surroundings. Then we went to the Parque Todos los nuestros. They have constructed replica building from several phases of the Valley’s history. It’s really well done!

Street of Cachi (up), a local couple (down)

At the Parque Todos Los Nuestros ; making bread :)

On the way back to Salta, we took the Recta de Tin Tin, a straight road at 3000 meters high with cactus along the road. Off course we stopped for our cactus photos! As soon as we left the paved road, we met with frog, rain and cold! We went up to 3,348 meters high. The temperatures went down from 30°C to 10°C in a few kilometers, crazy!!  And as soon as we started going down the mountains, the landscape changed and we felt like we were in Ireland: green, green, green!

We arrived back to Salta tired but with amazing pictures in our cameras. We went back to the same hotel and felt almost like coming back home!

the Cactus Park and recta de Tin Tin

as soon as we left the paved road, we couldn't see anything!

We were in T-shirt but it was really cold (12°C!)

Doesn't that look like Ireland?

 

Salta, the Spaniard City

On the 4th of January, we were flying to Salta for our road trip. First it started raining and raining and raining… well we were lucky until then as it’s supposed to be the raining season. When we took the taxi to go to the airport, we could hardly see and thought we’ll never leave. We were supposed to leave at 3:15 pm but in the morning we heard the plane was leaving earlier (around 2 pm). So we rushed and finally ended up waiting and waiting and waiting… to leave after 5 pm!

The Province of Salta is situated in the Northwest of Argentina and it borders two countries: Chile ,  and Bolivia. The city of Salta was founded in 1582 and it still bears a distinct Hispanic character that sets it apart from other cities in the country. The skyline is drawn by colonial houses, narrow streets and pavements, and the brownish green of the surrounding hills. At night, we went for diner in the city center and saw the main square (Plaza 9 de Julio), the Cathedral and the old city hall
(the Cabildo). Beautiful! The next day, it was a free day to discover the city. I decided to climb the 1070 stairs to get to the  top of hill where you have a view on the city. Then went for a round around the city, buy some postcards, check internet.

On the 6thof January, it was time to hit the road, direction the Valley of Calchaquies!  For the small story, just when I was on the bus leaving Xela I realized I forgot my driving license! As I was the main driver, hum!! So I called Mynor and asked him to send it with DHL. The package was supposed to be delivered on the 5th at the hostel but it wasn’t. A bit of stress but finally I picked it up at the office on the 6th just before to leave.

It's my place! (born on the 9th July ;))

Yes I climbed them!!!

View from the hill