Yastaah

The first time I have crossed the border from Chile to Argentina was in February. From Valdivia to Bariloche. The Argentinian flag was waving in the wind and I couldn't be happier. It was a dream coming true. The second time it was from Chile Chico to Los Antiguos. No bus allowed so I had to walk for a while in a no man's land and then to hitchhick. From there, I went to El Chalten and El Calafate, two of the best places I've seen in Patagonia. The third time it supposed to be the official start of my Argentinian journey. I crossed the border from Punta Arenas to Ushuaia. I was a bit sad as  I was leaving Chile after 3 great months. Ushuaia welcomed me showing 3 whales. I had my first tango lesson. And it was the longest distance from my hometown. From Ushuaia to Buenos Aires I hitchhiked for 3000km (much more than Manchester - Naples) in 4 days. I even stayed few days in small towns, such us San Nicolas de los Arroyos. In the the capital I stayed more tha...

Jujuy province gives us more and more good vibes. Sometimes what we were looking at seemed unreal, fake, artificial. The colours were so intense. We were wondering if this was one of the effect of being at such high altitude (2500 m.a.s.l.). Never know. But the true is just that what we saw is there for everyone. Just one hour driving north from Jujuy, We reached Pumamarca. Purmamarca is famous to host the mountain of the 7 colours. Exaggerated? Well, pictures are below. The rural village is a touristic center. You can buy poncho and all the traditional products of the Andean culture. One more hour north and we drove to Humahuaca. Seven colours were not enough. Here you can see the mountain of the 14 colours. The town is also very nice. Between Pumamarca and Humahuaca there is Tilcara. We didn't stop there but if you will have more time surely it's a must see. Driving back to our host's house I've witnessed the longest and most spectacular falling sta...

The road between Cafayate and Cachi is unpaved, but this is not a big problem as the slow drive is an opportunity to fully enjoy the landscape. You come across many little villages, sometimes with just couple of houses and the unavoidable church. They are here since the first Spanish settlement in the north west of Argentina. But this area was also part of the Inca territory. We even gave a ride to a young lady till Cachi. In Italy we are still gentlemen :) At some point the desertic landscape becomes a bit different. Uncountable cactus and cardones appear all around. Cachi is a small town where we stopped to just have a lunch as I had to drive 5 hours more to reach San Salvador de Jujuy, where a nice old man hosted all of us. After Cachi, the road is much better and the landscape changes one more time. The Valles Calchaquíes is also at the highest altitude we have been during the day: about 3500 meter above the sea level. It can give you some sickness but not our ca...

How to organise a trip to the paradise? Just start driving from Salta to Cafayate and you will be in the good direction. Arrange a group of travelers, 3 ladies from Argentina, France and USA, rent a car and start driving along the ruta 68. About 1 hour and you will be at Cabra Corral (spoke about it in the last post). From there, there won't be any place to reach. The destination will be the road itself. Just be careful to not stop too often. There are few spots you don't want to miss, such as the Devil's throat, the Amphitheatre, the big frog and the castels (Garganta del Diablo, Anfiteatro, el sapo and castillos). But again, the beauty of this province consists of the landscape made of huge mountain chain. You are constantly surrounded by green, grey, purple, brown massive rocks and mountains, while driving through the desert. Yes, actually it's a desertic panorama. Few trees, many cactus and uncountable good feelings. Then if you end your day drinking a lo...

La Caldera is the first town I've visited around Salta. Just about 15km far.  La Caldera is a "blast from the past", as it keeps the original structure, and the church in particular, of the XVII century. You can pickup a bike for free and go to the near hill where about 50yrs ago a giant sculpture of Jesus Christ (Cristo Penitente) has been built. It's 26meter for 10 tons of weight. Just few km from La Caldera, a great location for a light trekking session is the Dique Campo Alegre. Once there just enjoy the view from the top, the dam and the near river. Another dam is the Dique Cabra Corral. Here the options to spend the day are many: bungee jumping, rafting, fishing or just go for a trip on a boat.  Last town visited is Villa San Lorenzo. It's a very small town and it's the favourite holiday location for many Salteños. It's possible to hike, having a large variety of paths, suitable for everyone. And the river gives its best for hottest da...