Monday April 30, 2012
Tilcara, Argentina
Sunny, COLD morning but Warm afternoon
After a somewhat restless night due to dogs barking and someone smoking outside which made our room stinky, we got up around 730am to continue our road trip. After a very good breakfast buffet, we got back on the highway to head to Humahuaca which is the largest settlement in this area and it is at about 2900 meters above sea level. And of course, we had to make stops to take photos because it was so beautiful.
And then while heading North to Humahuaca, we saw a sign that said Tropic of Capricorn! We actually passed the Tropic of Capricorn. When planning the trip, we had no idea we were going to do this, so that was exciting.
When we got to Humahuaca, we parked a bit away from the town square and walked around. It was quite a charming town and for such a small and remote town, it had pretty impressive sculptures. One of the largest, an impressive to some but vulgar to others is the Independence Monument made by a local sculptor that in my opinion, patronizingly extols the virtues of native cultures overwhelmed by colonialism.
Popular dishes were Llama. Not for me!
Monument of Independence
View of the mountains from Humahuaca
Brother and Sister with pet goat
But perhaps the most popular sight is the chapel at the square where a life size figure of San Francisco Solano emerges at noon to give a blessing. It was quite a site because all of a sudden the bustling town became so quiet.
San Francisco Solano giving a blessing
And tourists taking a photo
We bought some handmade crafts and headed back to Salta. For the drive back we decided to take Ruta 9 all the way down. Originally, we were going to take Ruta 9 from Salta but the very nice Alamo man advised against it as it was cloudy. He said that the road is paved but very winding and given the clouds, our visibility would be down to about 4 meters. But since it was sunny and Sandra was up to it, instead of taking the wide expressway from Jujuy, we continued on Ruta 9. It was beautiful but after we went through a police checkpoint at the border of Jujuy and Salta, we were in for a surprise. The road was only 4 meters wide and it was a 2-way road. In other words, it felt like we were driving on a bicycle lane. It must have been stressful for Sandra but WOW!!! what a spectacular ride. First, it seemed like we were imposing on cow country as cows were everywhere. We even had to shoo goats who were lying in the middle of the street. Then all of a sudden we were in a dense tropical forest covered in vines and luscious grass that would have been a perfect setting for a Tarzan movie. Unfortunately, the road was so narrow, it was near impossible to stop and take photos, so I took some photos from the car. And then, what seemed like a second, we were back to cow country, then horse country and in Salta.
Shooing the Goats
Pretty scary when you see SUVs coming from the opposite direction
Pictures do not do this area justice.
When we got back to Bloomers, Connie greeted us and based on her recommendation when to a cool café called Time at the town square to have our first lomitos (Argentinean style steak sandwich) with salad and of course, wine. We then walked around the square where we caught a dance. We were not sure what it was for but assumed it had something to do with May Day.
Afterwards, we went back to Bloomers and had an early night. We agreed it was one of the most spectacular road trips we have ever taken. Pictures do not do it justice.
The Church at the Square in Salta