Salta
Trip Start
Aug 19, 2008
1
2
15
Trip End
Oct 04, 2008
Salta,
Argentina
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
The flight here was fine, and we arrived at night on Sunday. We stayed in a lovely hostel which had painted walls and tiles that kept it amazingly cool in the heat of the day.
We didnīt get to see any of Salta until the next morning. The day started off cool, and then got hotter and hotter, reaching a crescendo in the afternoon, before the temperature rapidly dropped in the evening. Salta is surrounded by desert and mountains, and you can see the Andes in the not-too-distant distance.
On Monday we had a walk around the town. It is a lovely old colonial town, more reminiscent of parts of Mexico than other cities in Argentina we have been to. There are lovely old churches and convents, tree-lined streets and dusty parks. We stopped at the market for lunch, polishing off a dozen empanadas (pasties) between us.
After that we needed a rest, so we went back to our hostel for a siesta, and then went out again for another walk. We walked to the main plaza, and then stopped for an ice cream at a family run building.
In the evening we found a nice restaurant up a side street that served local specialities. Paul had a carbonada, a stew of beef, beans, pumpkin and maize, and I had kid casserole, goat with potatoes, carrots and peas.
Yesterday we had a big day of walking around and sightseeing. In the morning we walked to the cable car station. On the way we went through a park where I got stung by a bee, completely unprovoked. I didnīt see my attacker, but Paul pulled a sting quarter of an inch long out of my neck.
Unperturbed we continued and took the cable car up St Bernardīs hill. At the top we were surprised by how green it was, compared to the aridity on the ground. There were gardens with trees and flowers, and a system of manmade waterfalls, the water being pumped up from the ground. There were some fantastic views of Salta and the mountains in the background.
When we came down from the hill we carried on walking, exploring the town on foot. We went back to our hostel exhausted in the heat of the afternoon and rested for a couple of hours.
In the evening we went to a parilla restaurant and had a huge steak each. They probably weighed about a kilogram each, but very, very easy to eat.
Afterwards we went to the big cineplex to watch Batman, which was great. It was past 1 am when the film finished, and we walked back to the hostel and had a good nightīs sleep.
This morning we have checked out and are waiting for our bus this afternoon to Corrientes. Hope all is well with you.
