Salta & Tilcara

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Embarking on another 22 hour journey started with a less scenic overnight section, followed by the very scenic daytime Andes crossing back into Argentina. As the road cut through varied and contrasting terrain. Gorges, multi-coloured mountain faces covered with cacti and the odd salt flat appeared.

Salta has a nice colonial center, complete with the hussel and bussel of a large city. Wandering around the cities Churches, museums and monuments for a day gave us what could be our last taste of 'convenient' culture before we head into Bolivia. Being Holy Wednesday we were treated to an evenings blessing and parade at the cities magnificent Cathedral.

Coasting further North towards the Bolivian boarder we stopped in the indigenous town of Tilcara. Tilcara is situated in the middle of the picturesque Quebrada De Humahuaca region. With plans of exploring the region over a couple of days being dashed by a hospital visit for yours truly - sickness and diarrhoea decided to make an appearance! With a quick painfull shot of.......whatever and a slap on my back, I was more or less ready to tackle another siesta!
A bug, food incident or malaria medication side effect?! Time will tell......

Spending only a fraction of the planned time out in the countryside here made me feel like I'd missed out on something, but the bus journey to the frontier town of La Quica was a gentle tonic. The multi-coloured, multi-formed Quebrada landscapes gave special viewing!

Spending around two and a half months zig-zagging over the Andes in Chile and Argentina has provided spectacular viewing. Both countries well developed, modern and European. But there is still a sense lingering in Argentina from when the Peso crashed in 2000. A sense of a country that was once the cream of Latin America, only now getting back onto its feet.
Never have I known two countries to continually provide jaw dropping, breath taking views with such a vast variety of contradicting landscapes and climates. Lets hope it continues!

Crossing into Bolivia through the friendly boarder controls gave instant stark changes. Coming from the two richest countries to the poorest country in South America was blatantly visible. A change only separated by the boarder bridge.
Full Salta Photos on Flickr
Full Tilcara Photos on Flickr

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