N. Argentina

---

So I flew into Salta, Argentina. First things first a dog was very interested in my pack coming off the airplane. We could all see it and everyone was looking at me. My first thought was the dirty clothes. I had not done laundry since before Uyuni and things were getting a bit ripe. So They tore into my pack. It ended up being the chamomile/coca tea. I still had a few teabags left from Peru when I was bit sick. Though not illegal I was told I could not sell it. So I wont be bringing any home this time around.

Salta is where the people of Buenos Aires take short vacations. It’s a bit like Napa Valley. With the help of Google translate and a friendly old man, I secured a couple of day trips to outlying areas. Cafayate is home to some of the best wine in the country and some very old vineyards. I met some girls from Beirut on the mini bus. We took an amazing canyon road, toured a vineyard, tasted some wine and had lunch. It was a great sunny day for an afternoon wine buzz.

The next day was Cachi. We went threw four different landscapes, a cloud forest, a national cactus park and spent the afternoon in Cachi, a very old town at a very high altitude.

I was on my way to catch a night bus to Cordoba a few days later, when a rain storm hit. It flooded the streets and it was impossible to get a cab. I ended up walking in the rain and was still very damp the next morning, but I made it. Cordoba is very cool. Lots of museums, old and new buildings, and it just has a cool vibe. The downtown has a huge walking mall that was ideal for perusing and people watching. I really liked it. But I had another night bus.

I left Cordoba at 3:30 in the afternoon and arrived in Puerto Iguazu at 2:30 the next day. Whew! Long one. Luckily the collectivos in Argentina are comfy. The seats almost lay down and are roomy like first class airplane seats.

I headed out to Iguazu park and spent the whole day walking all the trails. They lead to different waterfalls and view points. The trails were pretty easy but, after 7 hours of walking, I was pretty beat. Dinner is served pretty late everywhere here, so even though I went at 8pm, I was considered the to be in the “earlybird” dinner crowd. I treated myself to a med-rare steak with cheesy potatoes and slept like a baby. No problem. Next stop Buenos Aires!

---