I am now coming to the end of my time here in Salta. Have been here for close to two weeks learning as much Spanish as I possibly can from my very patient teacher, Rosanna.
To start with I didn't really like Salta that much. In particular the noisy fume filled streets put me off. But I have grown to like it.
The first week I spent in a hostal that sometimes felt like downtown Tel Aviv. This hostal is the one recommended by the Israeli gringo website. Israeli's, freshly released from three hard years in the army, are the only nationality group that forms homogenous packs. After a week in their den I had had enough, so moved three blocks away to another hostel full of world citizens.
The Spanish has been coming along slower than I had hoped. Think I expected some magic wand trick to enable me to talk confidently very quickly. Although I already knew a huge number of words and phrases, I did not have the grammar to build my own sentences. So this is what I have been learning for the past two weeks. I have now got to the future tenses and the numerous (and really difficult) past tenses.
My last lesson is on Monday morning. I then will get travelling again, as on Tuesday I take the bus over the Andes to Chile.
Salta has been fun. The best so far was last night when Delfina came to Salta in readiness for her return bus trip to Buenos Aires. We went out to a bar restaurant where clients just grab guitars and drums and off they go. The rythymns were amazing, with the classic latin clapping.
Heading to the hills again this weekend. I will go up to an area close to the Bolivian border, to stretch my legs, and do my Spanish homework.
