Sunny Salta?

Today has brought consistent showers to the usually sunny Salta. I am currently in the north of Argentina, in a city of around 1 million, sunburnt and rested. I welcome the rain as a chance to upload my ridiculous amount of photos and to perfect my ping-pong skills.

Gracie (my new travel partner) and I were lucky to land our hostel stay along with 3 guys from Spain whom we met in Iguazu. This place is a gem! The owner, Sebastian, is extremely laid back and after 3 nights here we´ve joked that we have yet to check in. Formality does not exist here. During the day the travellers go off to explore this beautiful colonial city and at night we all gather by the backyard pool to prepare asado (yes, more meat) while drinking Argentina´s fine wine. Sebastian, a chef by trade, has been feeding us all with vegetable quiche, Argentine beef, homemade bread and lots and lots of good humour.

Before I continue with Salta, I´ll step back a bit. Gracie and I spent our last day in Buenos Aires walking through the crowded streets before making our way to the bus station. 20 hours later we arrived in Puerto Iguazu. What a difference awaited us! Seperated from Brasil by a seemingly peaceful rio, Iguazu satisfied my curiosity for a tropical village. It was hot and muggy and full of mosquitos (thank goodness I remembered to get my free yellow fever vaccine in Buenos Aires). The town brought a nice change from the overwhelming streets of BA. Gracie and I were also fortunate enough to meet 3 hilarious boys from Spain who have been keeping us company ever since. We were also chosen to be in a commercial for ice-cream (delicious and cheap in Iguazu) and are now celebrities in Brasil. We made it to the cataratas (falls) our second day in and spent the entire day photographing every inch of the new 7th wonder of the world. The park itself is expensive and overcrowded. Even with over 250 seperate waterfalls it was impossible to escape the people. Two extremely exciting things about our time there: We encountered much wildlife like a caiman (crocodile), monkeys, gigantic spiders, rainbow inspired butterflies and a giant toad! I was also harassed by a mamma coatis , wanting to steal my food for her babies. Scary. 2nd highlight of the day: Our mini trek through the jungle to find a secluded waterfall and swimming pool. Perfect.

After 3 nights in Iguazu we had had enough. We spent our last day wandering the streets, eating more icecream and drinking a nice cold beer by the rio, enjoying views of Brazil and Paraguay. We hopped on another bus with our Spanish boys. 24 hours!!! We teased them for upgrading to the seemingly luxurious cama class as they ended up getting the same cold tv dinner we did and their seats remained in the same upright positions as ours. Actually, to be honest the buses in Argentina and Chile have (mostly) been a real treat. They´re quite affordable and provide enough comfort to sleep and be entertained with bootlegged movies.
No problema.

And now we´re in Salta, finding it difficult to leave this relaxed place. The market here is fantastic! I have to get over my insecurities of photographing people because here the faces are more indigenous and less European as they are in BA. The streets are crowded with locals selling and buying fresh produce, mountains of meat and regional crafts. Few tourists are found as they are mostly chilling in our hostel or the Simpsons themed bar in town. Yesterday Gracie and I along with an Australian couple rented a car and drove through the south of Salta to the tiny village of Cachi. This place was peaceful and we loved walking down the cobblestone streets being surprised by the occasional donkey or llama. It took us 5 hours to get to this place and it was a surreal drive. I felt like I was on Mars, never before seeing such a landscape. In both Argentina and Chile the terrain changes drastically from one place to the next and it gets increasingly difficult to pick favourites. The province of Salta is dry red sandstone spotted with lush cacti and the odd llama. Absolutely gorgeous.

Enjoy the photos and I´ll keep you posted as I continue making my way to Peru.
Adios.
Emily
ps. Spanish is still pathetic. We have made some Italian friends at our hostel who are dedicated to teaching us Italian and Spanish and my head hurts with the effort.