Pachamama's Sunday Best

From Amaicha we took the bus to Cafayate, another great wine growing area. Cafayate is a pleasant small town well geared up for tourists, sitting in an arid valley below the high Andean peaks.



After settling into the hostal, we headed over the road for lunch. Whilst sitting there in the sun I saw a kitten fall from the hostal balcony. So it was blue light on as I rush over to see if it was alright. She shook herself and then passed out. I thought she had died. I picked her up, she was still completely out, and ran into the hostal. She twiched, and then collasped again. Putting her down she tried to stand but was unable. Others now gathered to see the drama. I heard that my lunch was ready so left the little cat to the care of others. Later I heard she just picked herself up and shot out of the door. One life down, eight to go.

On the bus from Tucuman to Tafi Del Valle I got chatting to Emma from Liverpool, and we bumped into each other again at the hostal in Cafayate. We agreed that the next morning we would hitch to Rio Colorado. We had hardly walked to the vineyards before we were in the back of a pick up, which took us most of the way. We then got a further lift with an Argentinian couple in their hire car.

In the car park a guide offered his services. Initially we thought why bother with a guide, we could just follow the river up to the waterfall. But he told us there were two waterfalls and the second one was in a secret place! So for a pound a head he led us into the gorge.




Pink granite closed in around us as we followed the river, crossing it on stepping stones frequently. Cacti dotted the canyon walls and green shrubs hugged the river. It took just an hour and a half to reach the first waterfall. The water was freezing cold yet the weather hot and sunny. No way was I going swimming in the pool below the falls as the guide book suggested. The second waterfall truly was in a secret place, for we had to crawl through a rock cave to reach the site. We would never have found this without our guide.







We got a lift back into town for a quick lunch before climbing into a mini van to head out to Cafayate's principle attraction; the Quebrada Del Cafayate. Wow. For someone who loves landscapes this was the Earth at her most colourful. Here minerals have painted sediamentary rocks every shade there is, and twisted and folded the strata into the most fantastic shapes. The photos aree below. Geology can be the most interesting and jaw dropping subject!

Quilmes

Quilmes is the name of the best selling lager in Argentina. It is named after the Andean Indians who were strong and cultured enough to withstand Incan attacks. They were however, as like all indigenous South American groups, unable to hold out against Spanish gunpowder and horses.

Leaving Tafi Del Valle we headed up to the 3000m pass into the next much drier valley. Topography and altitude are the climate drivers here.

Arriving in Amaicha Del Valle, three of us found Mama Maria´s place, and did she look after us well. A lovely old lady, with a wonderful vine covered courtyard to shade ourselves in.

Late on this quiet Sunday afternoon we took a car to explore the old, ruined, Quilmes capital.

Built in a small valley in the mountains, dotted with 5 metre high cacti, we were alone as we explored the site (except for 4 friendly llamas).

Tafi Del Valle

We were now a group of five. Two Porteños (Buenos Aires chaps), two French and myself.

We took the two hour long bus ride up into the Andes and what a ride it was. Starting in the farmland we could see the mountains cloaked in green forest. This forest turned out to be dense sub-tropical forest with every tree drapped in parasitic plants. As we rose in altitude the trees became more temperate in nature, all this as we hairpinned our way up. I sat on the left of the bus and the view into the ravine was quite scary.

Eventually we reached the tree line and entered the high Tafi Del Valle. A good name I thought as these green mountains did resemble those in Wales.

On arrival some negotiation took place between our Porteños and it was revealed we had a cabin with a view for two nights, and at less cost each than the villages hostal.

The cabin was wonderful. Dining room, kitchen, bathroom, and two bed packed bedrooms. Up went my Welsh flag and it was home!

Here's a photo of the view.



Spent the two days here just enjoying the cool mountain air and relaxing. One strange thing happened though. I said "Hola" to one dog and he started to follow me. Within 30 minutes he was joined by 5 others. I became known as the dog man! The villagers all wanted to know where these dogs came from and laughed when told they had adopted me. That night they all slept on the veranda of our cabin.

Hostelling

After the night bus arrived in Tucuman with my mates Chris from Buenos Aires and Nico from Bordeaux (France). There we added Aileen from Paris to our group, and headed out for an Argentinian lunch of Empanadas (minced beef, vegtables and spice in a pastry wrap, very similar to Cornish pasties) and Tamales (minced beef within pollenta, steamed within maize leaves).

Tucuman was really just a stepping stone, with very little to see (the town was destroyed by an earthquake in the last century), but it was here that Argentine independance from Spain was declared.

Argentinians love to stay up late and that night we were chatting away until the small hours. Most of us were heading off to the north west next so we opted to travel together.

Stowaway 3

Yeah heard about bones. Greeeeaaat!! Love lovely old stinking bones so had a good dig about here to see if I could find one! No such luck!

Found a dino egg though. Think it was hard boiled!


Woof!

Ischigualasto - Dino Bones

After the beautiful tour of Talampaya park, we headed out to Ischigualasto, where a great many fossils of dinosaurs have been discovered. Some refer to the park as the "Valley of the Moon" and in places its white cracked surface did resemble what you might think the moon might be like.



The park must be a geologists dream, and we were lucky to have our own resident geologist Brigitte, from Greenland on hand to help us understand the processes that lead to what we were viewing.

Some formations are just not fully explainable. The round football like boulders are particularly peculiar, and know one can fully agree on how these were formed. They make for great photos though!










It was an excellent day and we all had had a lot of fun. After the trip to the park myself and a few others were dropped off in the middle of nowhere (just one shop nothing else, but it did sell a well deserved beer) to catch a bus to La Rioja and from there an overnight bus north to Tucuman.

Talampaya

At the bus station in San juan I noticed a lot more Western travellers waiting for the same bus to the Valle Fertil as myself. There were Israeli´s, Germans, French, a chap from Guernsey and a few Argentines. All were headed to the two national parks, Talapaya and Ischiguasto, north of the village of San Augustin.

On arrival accomodation touts offered tours and beds. I together with most of the others headed off to take advantage of the 1.5UKP a night offer. We bonded over beer and dinner, and we all decided to do one park in the morning and the other in the afternoon, before heading further north.

We bumped along to our first national park, Talampaya at 8am.



This park is very similar to scenes from the American west (Arizona and Colorado). A red rock, river canyon, shaped, and further sculpted by the wind and water.

Our first stop was to look at some 3500 year old petroglyphs.



Even more impressive was the smooth red sandstone walls, and the chimney like indent (which help produce some wonderful echoes) On the wway towards the canyon we were lucky enough to to see Guanacocos and Rheas.