A brief trip to Tucumán and the journey to Cafayate.


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August 10th 2011
Published: January 27th 2012
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From Bariloche, we had a much easier drive up north to Tucumán, overnight on the bus and arriving in Tucumán the next evening. We made friends with the drivers and they invited us down to the front to sit with them and drink maté. (Maté is a herbal tea drink that is very very popular in Argentina). It was the first time we had got to try maté because even though half the population drinks it, it is shared amongst friends and at home rather than being available at cafes or restaurants, so unless you buy the Yerba and the maté and the bombilla (straw), it is not that easy to come across as tourists. We sat in the front of the bus sharing rounds of maté (you drink one cup, refill it and then pass it on) and certainly putting my Spanish skills to the test!

Once in Tucumán, it was very very cold. We took a taxi to the hostel which sadly was not well heated! Tired but hungry, we headed out for a walk in search of the famous food of northern provinces. Cheese is a big deal up north we noticed from all the menus- blue cheese and goats cheese. There wasn't a lot going on in chilly Tucuman at night time, so we returned to our hostel to enjoy the comfort of a stationary and flat bed!

With our one morning to spend in Tucumán, we explored the streets of this buzzing city on foot. There were lots of markets and street vendors around. The central plaza had a good vibe and pleasant pedestrian streets under clear blue skies. We found a corner coffee spot for people watching, and then we had to head off to the bus station for a bus to Cafayate. We had to get a late bus because the weather had been bad/cold, and the road had been closed because it is a small winding road to Cafayate.

Much like all our journeys in Argentina, not only are the destinations worthwhile, but the journeys themselves are equally impressive. En route from Tucumán to Cafayate, the landscape was dramatically different from what we had seen further south. There was a lot of dry, arid land dotted with cacti, almost desert like and rich in red and orange colours under sunny blue skies. It was a beautiful drive through valleys and over hills, with changing vegetation and scenery, and animals in the wild. We spotted our first llama on the journey too.

JHG


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