The buses were full last night at 11 in Salta. They were also full at 7.30 in the morning. The city wakes up early. Little children going to school with their sacks on their backs, people going to work, small grocery stores and cafés opening. Some girls wear uniforms like the ones we see in mexican soaps.
I am still impressed with the enormous quantity of old cars in this country. The majority in a really bad state. But they circulate. And the give the place a very special character. As for the dark windows, apparently it´s a fashion...
The views of Quebrada de Cafayate (a million-years-old gorge) are absolutely impressive. The variety of reds, greys, browns and pinks is unbelievable and they keep changing as the sun moves. It amazes me how diverse the landscapes of this country are. This is so different from where I was yesterday.
Funny group the one at the excursion today. Young people, mainly. Portuguese-Australians, Argentine-Australians, Greek-Canadians, an Italian living in London, a Greek living in Lisbon... It´s not that easy to define oneself these days. Lots of stories on the way, about trips, mainly. The Italian will be taking the bus tomorrow to go to Atacama, in Chile. Thirteen hours crossing the Andes. I was sooooooo tempted to do... what I´ve always wanted to do. Next time...
We stopped for lunch in the town of Cafayate. I sat with the three Argentines-Argentines. This trip is very well organized, but I don´t get to mix and talk with the people who actually live in this country. How can we feel the country otherwise. I then took a stroll alone. Shops were getting ready to close for the siesta, kids were going back to school for the afternoon. Young students in Cafayate wear a white coat, making them all look like small doctors or milkmen. Many of them were sitting under the trees of the main square during their break. Almost all were socializing having a computed in front of them.
The suburbs of Salta are extremely poor. The houses, the roads, the shops, the cars (...), everything is poor. Most streets do not have pavements or asphalt. With the exception of some of the main ones, maybe. You feel the dust in your mouth. But it´s nice to see the kids play in the middle of all that.
We got back to Salta at 6.30. The city was extremely busy at that hour. The main square, Plaza 9 de Julio, absolutely packed with people. With this summer temperature, who wants to be in... The cathedral beautifully lit on one of the square´s sides. Very impressive inside. All this movement felt so good. And the faces around me - so beautiful some of them, others so expressive - reminding me that I am on Inca territory.
The visit to the Museo de Arqueologia de Alta Montaña just half an hour before it closed was a very touching experience. Seeing the mummy of the ‘niño’, which was found up on the mountain, is something really special. His little hand looked so soft, I felt like caressing it. I would have been sorry if I had missed it.
I am where I´ve always dreamt of coming. It it real?
I am still impressed with the enormous quantity of old cars in this country. The majority in a really bad state. But they circulate. And the give the place a very special character. As for the dark windows, apparently it´s a fashion...
The views of Quebrada de Cafayate (a million-years-old gorge) are absolutely impressive. The variety of reds, greys, browns and pinks is unbelievable and they keep changing as the sun moves. It amazes me how diverse the landscapes of this country are. This is so different from where I was yesterday.
Funny group the one at the excursion today. Young people, mainly. Portuguese-Australians, Argentine-Australians, Greek-Canadians, an Italian living in London, a Greek living in Lisbon... It´s not that easy to define oneself these days. Lots of stories on the way, about trips, mainly. The Italian will be taking the bus tomorrow to go to Atacama, in Chile. Thirteen hours crossing the Andes. I was sooooooo tempted to do... what I´ve always wanted to do. Next time...
We stopped for lunch in the town of Cafayate. I sat with the three Argentines-Argentines. This trip is very well organized, but I don´t get to mix and talk with the people who actually live in this country. How can we feel the country otherwise. I then took a stroll alone. Shops were getting ready to close for the siesta, kids were going back to school for the afternoon. Young students in Cafayate wear a white coat, making them all look like small doctors or milkmen. Many of them were sitting under the trees of the main square during their break. Almost all were socializing having a computed in front of them.
The suburbs of Salta are extremely poor. The houses, the roads, the shops, the cars (...), everything is poor. Most streets do not have pavements or asphalt. With the exception of some of the main ones, maybe. You feel the dust in your mouth. But it´s nice to see the kids play in the middle of all that.
We got back to Salta at 6.30. The city was extremely busy at that hour. The main square, Plaza 9 de Julio, absolutely packed with people. With this summer temperature, who wants to be in... The cathedral beautifully lit on one of the square´s sides. Very impressive inside. All this movement felt so good. And the faces around me - so beautiful some of them, others so expressive - reminding me that I am on Inca territory.
The visit to the Museo de Arqueologia de Alta Montaña just half an hour before it closed was a very touching experience. Seeing the mummy of the ‘niño’, which was found up on the mountain, is something really special. His little hand looked so soft, I felt like caressing it. I would have been sorry if I had missed it.
I am where I´ve always dreamt of coming. It it real?
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