Alexia y Aurélien en Argentina !!! in EV!!!

Days 18, 19 and 20

Day 18

Quick look back on the end of the day 17 which was concluded at the hostel eating red meat and drinking beer (Salta more than Quilmes in this area).

Patio of the appendix of the hostel Terra Oculta

Departure at 7 in the morning in company of Nicolas and our particular guide, Viviana. We take the road towards the south, while looking at the sunrise and the municipal world stadium (important later...). The first landscapes start to show themselves, first in the plain (1200m of altitude) very tropical, very green along very red rivers (full of iron). A little later the road starts to rise towards Pierra Del Molino (3348m). The landscape then becomes more mountain looking, such as what we can find in France but at much lower altitudes. They are not completely deserted, some peasants live still by there, accompanied by many animals: goats, oxen, llamas, horses, donkeys...

Sight from top of Pierra Del Molino.

Other side of the collar, the landscape changes radically since we enter the national park of the cacti (los cardones), enormous plate posed at more than 3000m of altitude with giant cacti for only trees. Aurélien benefits from it to be reassured on the future of its profession since a team of surveyors was working on the plate dealing with road implementation...

Alexia and his friend el cardone.

Alexia benefits from this photograph to indicate that she does not have a large belly but that the ventral blister is due to the small pocket used to keep documents safely...

For us small Europeans fed with American cinema, it is the ocasion to play again some famous scenes from far-west movies... In the middle of the park is a straight line of 17km (the recta of tin tin) which is in fact an INCA old trade route.

"nin-nin-ninninnin... nin-nin-nin..." (a gift for the first comment quoting the good film title...)

After that, we stop in the charming village of Cachi, village created by the Spanish colonists at the 16th century and it is obvious from the architecture.

Then, it is the departure towards Cafayate: 150km on the famous RN40 (Ruta Nacional 40) which crosses Argentina on 5000km from the Bolivian border to the Earth of Fire, the definition of trunk road is local, here, no speed limit to 90km/h since it is simply impossible to reach this speed... Sinuous, stony tracks, narrow and strewn with tumultuous rivers and animals being able to emerge from everywhere... Moreover, it is the rain season thus the rivers are to be taken seriously. Fortunately Viviana knows the area like its pocket.

Before arriving at Cafayate, it is still necessary to drive through the Quebrada de las flechas: mountainous formations very eroded by the wind and them (rare but violent) rains. We wonder whether anything can live here... (actually yes, rabbits, foxes, snakes, pumas, parrots...)

As if you were there...

The evening arrives and we are in Cafayate, small colonial city taking large advantage of being a quasi obligatory stopover for the tourists wanting to discover the wonders of the area.

Day 19

Red meat, wine, a night and a breakfast later, we here are ready to re-embark with Viviana. The day begin with the visit from 2 local bodegas (wine caves). The manufacturing process of the wine is explained to us, it is an exact copy/paste of the French methods (except the time of cask fermentation which is barely reaching a full year) since even the machines are mainly of French manufacture. Of course, we are invited to some tastings (it is already 10h30) of wines generally way too young. We are all the same astonished to discover the production of a type of vine of Toulouse origin but completely unknown for us, Tannat (somebody has information?).

Vineyard of Cafayate (approximately 1700m of altitude) in front of the Andes.

After that, we set out again towards Salta by taking a road (tarred) alternate which initially makes us cross Quebrada de las Conchas: where used to end the Pacific Ocean before the formation of the Andes. We are in the middle of mountains made of very friable rocks, red and sharp which and so because of the wind, the tourist sees things: monk, clamping plate, obelisque, and especially the amphithéatre and Gargantua el Diablo (that we climbed bared feet), former gigantic water falls.

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At the conquest of the world!

Further along the road, we stopped ourselves to taste an enormous local goat cheese plate (including one delicious with wine taste) and go to annoy one llama until he was to close to spit at us...

Naughty LAMA!

The end of our way towards Salta is much less spectacular, we arrive in Salta in the middle of the afternoon (i.e. 5pm) and decide to refresh us at the edge of the swimming pool of the Hotel Petit.

The dinner occurs in company of Noemie, interpret and guide, friend of the mother of Nicolas who makes us discover more culinary specialities and advises us: she pushes the vice to find a guide available to make us visit the north of the area.

Day 20

Visit town of Salta in company of Noemie, lunch in a local canteen (beating records of price: complete meal and drinks for 4 people: 55 pesos or 12€). And here we are now, writing to you during the nap time where everything is closed and where it is not possible to survive heat.

The iglesia roja

No more for today, a trip at the large local market then one evening at the stadium about which we spoke before. Why? Because, God of football, sorry to have programmed the summer break during the stay of Aurélien, excuses himself by offering a friendly match River Plate - Racing.

See you monday surely!