Argentina 2009

Tuesday24November

We are halfway through our stay in Argentina. So many things done, and so many more to do!
Here we are in San Miguel de Tucumán in the province of Tucumán.
The day begins with a small visit to Aerolinas Argentina, the airline that will take us to Iguazu in 4 days. Impeccable! They accept without complaint a change of our flight: we can leave from Tucumán instead of Salta!

An XF125A to visit Tucumán???  

The weather is still stormy and the atmosphere is stifling! 

On the right, Plaza Independencia

The Cathedral of San Miguel de Tucumán

Lunch break in the tiny restaurant "Los congresales"

I take the basic Argentine dish: a "milanesa".
It's a thin breaded beef cutlet. I took it "suiza" because covered with melted cheese

Statue of Liberty by sculptor Lora Mora born in Tucumán

We dine at the restaurant "El fondo" where we start with Argentine specialties: empanadas, turnovers filled with vegetables and meat, generally pollo (chicken)

Without knowing what I was going to be served, I tried "locro", here served in a huge ball of bread... 
Locro is a kind of pork and chorizo stew with white beans

On the right, the Casa de Gobierno.

On the left, the Basilica of San Francisco

Our room at the "Bristol" motel

It's an Ericofon 1958 from Ericsson!

Wednesday25November

Goal of the day: reach the town of Cafayate
We choose to go through the mountains and small roads.
The vegetation is dense, it is the "selva tucumana", tropical jungle of the region.

We make a stop at 1100 meters altitude, at the statue del "Chasqui, el Indio Calchaquí"
This monument built in 1940 by Enrique de Prat Gay (born in Tucuman in 1898) represents the messenger (the "chasqui" as the Incas said) of the first indigenous groups of the region.

Llamas and sprigs of straw

Llamas and sprigs of straw

Rental car No. 5...

At the passage of a pass is revealed to us this superb valley covered with cacti

Lunch stop at the gates of the town of Amaicha del Valle
We are the only customers of the restaurant, calm reigns peacefully in the room when suddenly a violent lightning bolt falls right next to the door and blows everything up. The owner is all shaken up but more fear than harm!

And here is the menu...

We hit the road again and indeed the storm is there
Facing us, a spotlight from the sky illuminates the mountain.
A life-size painting!

We make a detour to the ruins of Quilmes where a "nice" llama awaits us...
But as Captain Haddock knows well, "when llama not happy, llama spit". So I keep my distance because this one seems to want to be respected on his territory!

Dated around the year 1000, the ruins of Quilmes are the remains of an ancient Indian city that resisted Spanish conquistadors for 130 years until 1666.

That's what my meter eighty-five is for! To tickle the armpits of giant cacti!!! (a Trichocereus pasacana ?)

Roots and cactus flowers

Wasp nest in a cactus

Left photo, an Opuntia sulphurea

Once climbed on the hill, Quilmes reveals itself a little more

We leave Quilmes and take the road again to Cafayate

We are on the wine route.
The vineyard of the region is very famous, especially the white wine of Cafayate, the "torrontés".

We are in the province of Salta, and truly, we really like this small town. Life is good here, as if time had stopped!

The Cathedral of Cafayate

We choose the hostel "el hospedaje" to spend the night. Very good choice!
In the patio, a swimming pool beckons us. Alas, thunder rumbles above our heads and lightning threatens us. Diving into the water with millions of volts nearby cools us down somewhat... While waiting for the clouds to clear, I make friends with the house dog... As he's no more talkative than me, we blissfully watch the storm rumble... doubt.gif

I also take this opportunity to take some photos of lightning by pausing the camera until the expected "lizarding" of black sky appears.  

After half an hour of waiting, the temptation is too great. Pool here we come!

End of evening at the restaurant recommended by the boss of "el hospedaje"... Normal it's his brother who runs the shop!