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Published: August 7th 2007
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Salinas Grandes
Juno the Uno was relieved that the ripio roads had finished - for now! Juno the Uno was relieved that the ripio roads had finished - for now!Ruta 40 from San Antonio de los Cobres up to Ruta 52 was a breeze. Compared to some of the others we drove on, it was smooth and wide! We breakfasted in a hostel in San Antonio where the waiter told me to drive at 70 to 80 kph on the rough roads as you don't feel all of the ridges making the car vibrate. He was surprisingly correct!!
We headed first for the Museum of the Puna in El Mojon. Expecting it to be where it is marked on maps was our biggest mistake! It was actually 31km from San Antonio and well worth a small diversion. The museum attendant was very helpful and full of information for us. She showed us all the artefacts and a reconstruction of a puna house. They didn't have roofs, instead everyone slept huddled round a fire. Considering how cold it is at night up there, this fact had us questioning her knowledge!! She also showed us the quaint church next door (Why is it blue? Because this is Argentina!) and the restaurant which deserves customers and really should be
Ruta 40
100km of rough gravel, but compared to the track to El Polvorillo, it was wide and smooth! open and advertised. Alongside one of the houses was a strange contraption made from what looked like coat hangers. When I asked what it was, I was told it was the mobile phone mast!
Ruta 40 then continued Northwards and skirted the Salinas Grandes. If you have been to Bolivia and the Salar de Uyuni you may be a little disappointed. Fear not though, the lack of tourists and crowds make it a unique experience in its own right and we could drive the Uno onto the salt for photos. That was after 100km of ripio (gravel) Ruta 40 and a good few ks of smooth tarmac Ruta 52. The dust covering our poor Uno was incredible.
Ruta 52 then continues climbing all the way up to the Chilean border. We had decided to visit the town of Susques and to spend the night there. We ended up in a "tourist complex" by the road which was nice and warm. It turned out to be the same place the bus has stopped when we came from Chile to Salta back in February.
The town of Susques is very small. It is really a village! The one gem
Puna Church
Sporting Argentina's blue and white on its side. there is the old church. built in 1598 it is reckoned to be the oldest one in Argentina. The paintings on the walls are worth seeing, but you shouldn't photograph them! The Andean cemetery is nice if you haven't seen one before, but there are better examples in more scenic places around.
The next morning we drove along the smooth Ruta 52 all the way to Purmamarca in the Quebrada de Humahuaca. The highlight for Russ was driving down the Cuesta Lipán which he had looked forward to ever since we took that bus back in February. It is a stretch of 15km which is quite a feat of engineering. There are countless switchbacks/hairpin bends and breathtaking views. For Russ it was one of the best drives of his life (sad eh!!).
Dropping from 4000m to 2000m meant warmth and oxygen. Although we knew the nights would still be cold, we looked forward to exploring the quebrada further. So, guess what's next!
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