Land-sailing and lunar landscapes

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After a couple of days of well-earned rest in Salta, which while we have been driving around the province saw record-breaking temperatures (a sizzling 47 degrees), we are southbound to San Juan province - another overnight bus trip.

Here too we rent a car - you guessed it, a VW Gol, this time in a fetching shade of red - to do a little five-day circuit of the wonders San Juan and La Rioja provinces have to offer. Firstly to Barreal, located at the very foot of the Andes, where we camp within sight of Aconcagua, America's tallest mountain (and the Southern Hemisphere's...and the Western Hemisphere's), visit El Leoncito National Park and have a go at what is very much a local speciality - carrovelismo or land-sailing on the dry lake bed of Barreal Blanco. It's only possible for a few months of the year when frighteningly strong winds blow down every afternoon from the mountains. It's very fast, very windy, and a lot of fun.

The main part of this little circuit are two parks, one national - Parque Nacional Talampaya - and one provincial - Parque Provincial Ischigualasto - of international fame. The two parks, a bizarre and extraordinary mixture of deep canyons, twisted rock, spherical iron concretions and lunar landscapes, are a treasure-trove of valuable fossils. The oldest dinosaur fossils ever found were unearthed here. Many are now housed in the Natural Science Museum in the city of San Juan, capital of the province. Although the museum was closed for renovations, we managed to wangle our way into the workshop where the dinosaur models - destined for exhibitions around the world, from Japan to Germany - were being created by teams of sculptors, engineers and painters. Like being on the set of Jurassic Park - well, Triassic Park to be perfectly exact!

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Photos

2500 year old petroglyphs, PN Talampaya
Clearly a bird!

Age-old mortars
Used by indigenous people to grind carob seeds, one of their main sources of food

Comments

[Rumana]

Land sailing was a great experience for me..
Blokarting is really amazing. I had a wonderful experience.