Cafayate
Trip Start
Sep 02, 2007
1
138
326
Trip End
May 13, 2009
Cafayate,
Argentina
Friday, April 18, 2008
I went down about 1,000m on the bus to a lovely climate at 1,600m above sea level. The days were hot and nice and it means the area is very well known for wine production.
Getting here from Salta was a stunning 3 hour journey. The canyons, the layers in the rock, the cacti - everything - I couldnt sleep because the scenary is so stunning! It is also only a 3 hour journey in a small van which they call ´The Sprinter´ It really does as well!
I got into Cafayate and had no map - but the hostel I wanted were giving out free maps as soon as I got off the bus - handy! I walked into the well priced hostel, met 3 young Oxford students and went sampling wine in the vinyards with them
Amazing Scenary Movie
. We walked to 3 vinyards and the wines were amazing! Red, Rose and white all so nice and unique - we learned a lot about the processes involved and here you can buy a top knotch bottle of wine for $4! The same bottle would cost at least 20 quid back home - not bad at all!The 3 English guys ate lunch with me and then dashed off to meet their bus which they were SO late for! I went into the hostel and bought some food and read my book up on the balcony (the hostel is called ´The Balcony´ and the Balcony is very nice). I was sat reading and there were a few people around drinking wine and having a good time - one girl crying A LOT (dont know why) and it was lovely weather. Then a guesthouse guy starts taking pictures of a couple for the hostel - then he pulls me from the croud and some Scandinavian girl and we had a whole photoshoot - it went on for at least 30 mins and was so weird - not what you expect when you have your head stuck in a book. Anyway im sure I will feature prominantly in the magazine (?!) and the pics actually looked pretty good to my supprise! I had many complimets afterwards :-) Very Weird!
Then I started cooking dinner and chatted to an English couple, followed by 2 French guys and then an Israeli, folowed by another English guy and then 2 Danish girls - ive met SO many people here
Amazing Scenary Movie
! We all drank a lot of wine (I bought some good stuff now I know what im talking about), we went up to the bar and I was talking to one of the French guys about football around the table and he had a fit - literally! His head drooped to one side, he wet himself and lost control of every muscle in his body. People thought it was a joke untill his friend was seriously worried, suddenly he shook really violently leaving bottles and glasses on the floor and then he was absolutly fine - it was so strange! I also felt very bad that evening and felt like I was going to faint - I could only see red at one point - went to bed and awoke with a mild hangover and nothing else - it was SO Strange!Yesterday I hired a bike for a 50km cycle ride. You pile the bike on a bus back to Salta and after 50km you hop off and cycle back seeing.....
1 Devils throat - an amazing massive canyon
2 Amputheater - A big canyon which encircles you, there were 2 guitar/flute players and they were amazing!
3 A Toad - a rock that looks like a toad
4 An obelisk - big rock in a vertical position
And a whole bunch of things - the most impresive thing or me was the colours of the rock and all the layers - it was really stunning (as was the bus ride I took a few days ago to see the same stuff)
Devils Throat
.After 40km the story changed - I got a big flat tire! I cycled on with no air in my frot tire but it was so difficult to steer and the sheer efort involved in deser heat was crazy - I was exhausted - seriously exhausted! Luckily I had enough food and water and made it back. I didnt complain about no repair kit, I just walked in, dumped the bike and went to sleep - for 16 hours!!!!! I was so tired!
So Now its time to get a bus to Tucuman.
P.S Also the Israeli guy for some reason thought ducks did not fly, we spent 3 hours convincing him they did! He then missed his bus because he was so involved in the story! Funny guy!
