One Last Order of Business

On my last night in Argentina, my good friend Jann (and most active blog reader) tasked me with a very important assignment. A very serious, important assignment. And to prove I am a diligent student, here's my finished work:



I hunted down the best glass of Malbec wine that I have yet tasted in Argentina (San Felipe), ordered what turned out to be a ridiculously thick steak (at least 4cm thick-crazy!) and celebrated my travels. I even managed to nail down a complete salad (this is a feat in itself).

My steak was great- not quite par with the blissful steak I had in Bariloche, but given the short supply of quality meat in Argentina at the moment, it was fantastic. I savoured every last bit of that glass of wine, toasting whatever I could think of each time I lifted the glass (much to the amusement of my server) and then, stuffed to the gills (with half the steak still left to conquer), I waddled back to the hostel.

Mission complete :)

Argentina Full Circle (Day 55)

Today, I find myself back in Buenos Aires, where this adventure began almost two months ago. I can't believe how easily the time has slipped by. I was fortunate that today was a national holiday in Argentina- a commemoration of the beginning of the Malvinas war. I'm a little confused about how this is so significant given all the historical controversy in Argentina over the Malvinas war. Guess that's something I'll have to read up on. Regardless, the quietness in this big city was a win for me, since it would have been a huge culture shock after weeks in small mountain towns. It also gave me a chance (and different perspective) to notice some of the prettier green spaces and parks that I had overlooked here the first time. Still not the most beautiful place, but better than I remembered. At least for today.

I'm back at the same hostel too, Extremo Sur. I love this place- it's the perfect size and Diana and Ezequiel (hosts) are fantastic. Case and point: they were both extremely polite when I handed over my nasty, smelly bag of laundry. No one should have to be exposed to that. But, they scurried off (probably gagging slightly) to deal with them. That's client dedication!

As I'm sitting here thinking about all the amazing places I've seen and people I've met on this trip, it's hard to believe that it has only been two months. I would love to stay longer, of course, but there's a lot of people and places I'm missing at home too. I think I've gained a lot of perspective on this trip- about myself, my strengths, my challenges, what I'm capable of; about travelling, meeting different people and learning about new cultures. I have a little taste of a new language and lots of experiences that I know will shape my future paths. I'm sure I've changed a lot more than I realize right now, even over a short two months. And all for the better, I'm sure ;)

More than anything else, I'm really, really pleased that I took this leap. Striking off on a solo adventure was really daunting at first and travel definitely has its ups and downs for sure, but it's been such a rewarding adventure. And I have a LOT of people back home, and now abroad, to thank. And celebrate with on my return! Yup, I've spared some room in my backpack for a few bottles of vino and some treats to share.

As for my next adventure, Dan and I have both secured a summer job with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) in....wait for it.... Whitehorse, YUKON! I can't wait! I've always wanted to see Northern Canada and this will be a great opportunity to do it. We're also going to drive to Whitehorse so we can use the time for a cross-Canada road trip. So, I may end up on your doorstep sooner than you think. But don't worry, I come bearing Argentine gifts!

Thanks for reading, everyone. It's been a lot of fun writing and sharing all of my adventures with you. Although you've all basically been travelling with me, if you get the chance to visit Argentina for yourself- DO IT. This is a beautiful country, full of warm and gracious people. My Lonely Planet book (*shudder*) did say that when asked why choose to travel here, Argentines would say it was for the food, and travellers would say it was for the people. ........I guess Lonely Planet was right about one thing.

Gracias y suerte a todos

Unexpected Treasures (Day 54)

I woke to another clear day, which afforded me the luxury of tearing down camp for one last time while everything was dry. It also helped my slightly damp (but now slightly cleaner) shirt to be not quite so cold and clammy when I put it on.


I enjoyed a great batch of mate for breakfast and I was feeling pretty confident that I would conquer the Camino de los Artesanos today. I packed everything up and headed back to Benitz Avenue (the direct route this time!) to start the Camino.


I made it back to Jardin de los Yaya and gave a quick wave on my way by. I did in fact soon come upon the next shop, a only to discover that it was closed.



As was the next shop,



and the shop after that,



and the shop after that.



I finally did get a good view of the Cordoba sierras though and they reminded me a lot of the rolling green range in Newfoundland.



I stopped to have some lunch and continued on to more closed shops.

I'm pretty sure the homemade icecream shop was open, but I dared not go in for fear of a feeding frenzy!


Seeing that it wasn't siesta time, I imagine that either the shops had closed up for this season or in preparation for Wednesday's feriado (holiday). Either way, I was outta luck. I was feeling a little resigned and disappointed about this whole Camino de los Artesanos when I stopped outside a very modest little house where an sweet older lady approached me. We struck up a conversation and I discovered that she, Alicia, was the artist in residence. She invited me in to have a look and promise to talk with her about Canada.


She had all kinds of little bone carved treasures and hand-spun wool and knitted things displayed around her very simple home. She made me a cup of tea (served in likely the best china she had) and I sat with her in her kitchen while we chatted about all kinds of things- life, love, happiness, politics...all the doozies!


She was so incredibly genuine and truly tickled just to sit and chat with me. It was a lovely visit. Before I left, I went and retrieved one of the Canada pins I have been toting around with me. For Alicia, I chose the little disc of maple wood with the maple leaf and "Canada" inscribed on it. She was thrilled with it- and she knew exactly what it was right away, what tree is was from and the significance of it. To me, it was just a little pin, but I knew that I had completely made her day. She kept saying that she was sorry that she didn't have anything to offer in return, but I hope that I assured her that the fact that she would welcome me into her home and show me the Argentine warmth and hospitality I have enjoyed so much here, was plenty in return. I went off into the sunshine completely revitalized and reminded of why I had made this trek.



After leaving Alicia's home, I was in such a good mood that I did go into the next open shop. It was a cooperative of artists with handmade ceramic bead jewellery, wireworks, silver art, clothing and lots of different wood carvings.

My tour guide was a little too "proactively selling" for my taste, so I only had a quick look and then made an exit. By now, the time was getting on and I still had no idea how far I was from the town centre (Villa Giardino) and the shuttle bus that would take me back to La Cumbre to catch my bus to Cordoba. I asked around and was told only about 45min more, so I set off.


Over two hours later, various directions from a lot of nice strangers and growing time-anxiety, I finally made it to the town. Even still, Villa Giardino was a lot bigger (read: longer) that I had though and it was another hour before I made it to the bus station. With only 2hrs to get back to La Cumbre and no idea how often the shuttle goes or even if today was a working day, I was getting pretty tense. Lucky for me, I no sooner walked into the bus station than a shuttle bus came along and whisked me back to La Cumbre.


Almost five hours of walking (albeit very pretty and some very enjoyable parts) just to hop on a bus and in twenty minutes be right back where I had started. Ha. Oh well- seems as though the Camino had the last laugh. Maybe the next time I'm in these parts, I'll rent a mountain bike and do the Camino up right. And I'll pick a time of year when the shops are actually open :)


My ride back to Cordoba was very uneventful. I got bumped from my original reservation back to Buenos Aires onto a later bus, but a cama bus- the equivalent of business class service. Sweet! At least the last bus ride I have in Argentina will be in style!

Camino de los Artesanos of La Cumbre (Day 53)

The weather has finally changed here in La Cumbre- at least enough to see around a bit. My gear has also had a chance to dry out a bit, which definitely helps with the damp smell on top of the not-so-clean smell :)

Since it was a nice sunny day, I decided to wander around the town of La Cumbre a bit. I considered going back up to the Jesus lookout, but I wanted to leave it with the memory I now had of the missionary and her service at the secret cross. Instead, I headed off in search of the Camino de los Artesanos (Artesans Walk)- a road where artists open their homes for viewing all their crafts. Sounds pretty cool, right?

I thought I understood (herein is the rub..) from the camping owner that the Camino started on the street just blocks away from the camping ground. I had also checked at the Information Centre and the nice lady seemed to agree and indicated that the whole Camino itself was about 9km long. So, to make sure I would get a full day of walking in, I decided to take the long route around town, circumnaviating the golf course to start the Camino from the far end. I took me about 1hr to get there, so I was a little surprised to see the sign that indicated that I was in fact at the start of the Camino, not the end...

Hmmm. I sat and had some lunch outside a very pretty farm and then decided that I was in store for a good walk anyway so I might as well wander off in the direction from the sign and see where it got me. From the map on the sign, it seemed like there should be a smattering of stops within only a few kilometers from the start. So, when almost two hours later I only just came upon the first stop, I was a little confused. But, it was a great shop to start at.

This shop, Jardins de los Yaya, was actually an organic, biodynamic farm with the most impressively imaginative variety of every jam, chutney, spread and pickled anything you could think of. So many fantastic things! Thank goodness I don't have much souvenir room in my pack because I could have done some serious damage here. The farm also gives tours and workshops, although I happened to be here on a day outside the tour times. Something to organize for my return visit :)

By the time I left I was getting tired and a little hungry, so I decided to head back. Still curious about the original street the camping owner and info lady had been talking about, I attempted to find said street on my way back. That turned out to be a lot more of a challenge that I bargained for. Turns out La Cumbre isn't renowned for its town maps. Or at least I hope not. The street I was looking for was Benitz, which on my map should be a poker-straight major road due north from the Camino. Not so. It starts out pretty straight, and then turns into a really rough dirt road, and then starts curving, twisting and winding around. I got so lost. On the bright side, I think I walked down every single street in this area of the town. And it was gorgeous- there are some serious estate homes in La Cumbre. Immaculately manicured lawns, sprawling adobe mansions and impeccable landscaping. When I finally did make it back to town, I went to talk to the info lady again to sort things out. Seems I was exactly where I was supposed to be. She assured me that Jardin de los Yaya was the beginning of the line and that all the rest of the shops where clustered right after it. The Camino was just a little longer than I expected. Fair enough. She also let me in on the tidbit that there was a shuttle that runs from La Cumbre to Villa Giardino, the neighbouring town where the Camino ends, so I could walk the Camino and take the shuttle back. Too bad she had neglected to mention that before...

I went back to camp and sat with the owner while we listened to the press conference the president of Argentina was giving in response to the escalating agriculture protests and increasingly tense road blocks. Nothing new, just pleas to open up the roadblocks and keep negotiating. At day 20 of the protest, I doubt that everyone's just going to go home at this point. When I got up to go back to my tent, I was so completely pooped that I had to decline the owner's offer to join them for an asado or even a glass of wine. I felt bad to turn down a good Argentine feast, but all I was starting to mumble incoherently and figured I probably wouldn't be much company. Especially with a glass or two of wine in me!

I'm still curious about the Camino, especially now that I know where it is and how to get there (I think). I have the whole day tomorrow before I catch my bus back to Cordoba to head to Buenos Aires, so maybe I'll venture back and see what else there is. Assuming I can find my way back...

The Northern Sierras of La Cumbre (Day 52)

No change in the weather, so I guess I just wasn't meant to see the southern Sierras this time. I packed up my tent and managed to grab everything and hustle into the shelter before the sky opened up. While I was drinking some morning mate, I could hear the camp dog crying off in the hill. So, being the softie that I am, I tramped off in the soggy-ness to see what was up. After wading through prickly thorn bushes, I couldn't hear the dog anymore. I figured he probably got caught up in the prickles himself and eventually got free. On my way back, I stepped in this HUGE mud hole and completely covered my left leg. I had to wash the wet goo off the whole leg of my pants. Great- wet pants first thing in the morning. I hope the dog made it out okay afterall.


I slipped my camping fare in the door of the owners (I don't think they were up yet) and made it down to catch the 9:30am shuttle back to Cordoba. The van was packed full of fresh bread to drop off en route, so the van smelled like a delicious bakery the whole trip. And it was also entertaining. The roads were not incredibly slick (thank goodness there were only 3 of us in the van so it wasn't quite as heavy) and we had to stop to top off the oil at one point. The driver had to get the van rolling before it would start again. I love this- I've seen this starting technique numerous times here. I don't know exactly how it helps to get a car started, but it seems to work. Very funny.


I didn't have to go all the way back to Villa Belgrano. The connecting van met us in the road and I hopped off one van and into another that whisked me away to Cordoba. I managed to forget my shammy towel that I had drying in the first van, so someone will get to enjoy a bakery-smelling towel :)


Back in Cordoba, I was lucky again and caught a shuttle to La Cumbre (this time in the northern sierras outside of Cordoba) with less than a 1hr layover. Just enough time to stock up on a few groceries at the terminal's grocery store. Even though the weather hadn't cleared, I did get a good view of some of the countryside on this bus ride. We crossed a really pretty lake outside of La Falda and I got a good look at the valley and the sierras:




I hopped off the bus in La Cumbre early in the afternoon and made my way to the camp area. It was a bit of a hike from the town centre, but it's a pretty nice spot. They even have a pool (although with the weather, I don't think I'll be indulging). La Cumbre has a strong art community with a whole road of artesan homes (apparently you can just wander into the artists' houses and check out their works) and a big artesan festival. Their other attraction is the town lookoff where there is a 7m tall statue of Jesus.



I passed a few people on the way up the shrine-dotted trail, including an older woman who was struggling to negotiate the rough path and I wondered why she would bother risking herself to come up here. After the trail opens up to the statue, it continues on further behind. Escorted by the dogs from the camp ground, I carried on. To what, I didn't know. So when the trail passed through private property and fizzled out into thorny bushes, I decided to head back.



I met back up with some of the people I had first passed and they asked me if I had seen "the cross". I hadn't, so they invited me to walk along with them to see. We ended ducking under the private property fence to this huge cross monument decorated with rosaries.

The people explained to me that this was a sacred place where people have come to ask for, and have been granted miracles. One of the women in the group had been gravely ill and after having visited the cross, her health had apparently returned. And, the older woman who I had seen struggling up the path earlier was in fact a missionary who had come to perform a service with the others who had accompanied me. They invited me to stay, and even though I'm not a religious person, I thought it was an honour to be asked to join.


Even though I didn't understand a lot of what they were praying for (although the general sense was clear) it was really interesting to be with them and watch their devotion. The missionary asked us all to take off our shoes so our bare feet would be in the Earth so the energy from heaven could pass through us and return to the Earth. I can't say that I felt anything really, but it was definitely calm and serene up there with this group of people.

I couldn't take any photos of the ceremony, so I just had to try to commit it to memory. By the time we started to make our way back down, dusk was falling and it was getting chilly again. It was kind of poetic though, that the only break in the mist came as we were heading down from the cross ceremony. For the first time today, I had a chance to get a glimpse of the city in the dying light.

We exchanged email addresses and the people invited me to visit a friend in nearby La Falda, who would welcome me into her home. Although I don't think I will have the chance to take up their offer, I was really touched by their kindness and generosity and that they would welcome me, a perfect stranger, into their special ceremony. I walked back to camp as the curtain of clouds were closing in around the stars- a fitting ending to a pretty magical evening.

The fog of La Cumbrecita, Cordoba (Day 51)

The weather hadn't really changed much when I got up this morning. But, I did manage to tear down my tent without being rained on, which is a small blessing. I walked to town and caught the first minibus to La Cumbrecita, about 20km further south.

The roads were much the same as the day before and equally as entertaining. The van was completely covered in thick mud when it dropped me off in the little pedestrian-only town of La Cumbrecita. There is no vehicular traffic here (other than the cars owned by the locals driving out of their driveways) which is great for tourists walking around.

A quick stop in at the tourist office and I found a camping ground to tent at for the night. The owners are a really nice young couple and the grounds sit in a valley with a little stream that flows off the sierra hill.

With the weather not looking like it was going to change, I decided I would go ahead and try some hiking. The tallest sierra in the area is Cerro Wank (1719m, true name!) so I headed off to find the trail.

There were actually a lot of different trails, all worn-down granite with these fun "Alice in Wonderland" mushrooms everywhere.

La Cumbrecita is a nature reserve, so everything is really clean and all the vegetation is protected, so there's lots of cool stuff to see. Even in the fog.

I can't say as much for Cerro Wank. I walked up until the trail started to thin out and I thought I was close to the top. Although, I couldn't tell much from the view:

Apparently, there is a big stone cairn at the top, but I wouldn't have noticed it unless I literally ran into it. I was starting to get a little uneasy about getting back down in the closing fog (it was getting thicker the further up I went), so I figured I was close enough and started heading back down.

Since I couldn't see much out over the sierras, I did look at some of the cool rock windows that were all over the place.

Since I hadn't actually hiked very much, I continued around to some of the other pathways. I checked out the Olla (natural pool),

the Cascada Grande where I sat down for lunch in the mist (soggy but very nice ambience),

and the Indian Head, which I thought looked more like a screaming baby :)

Then the path turned down towards a cemetery, which is creepy at the best of times but even creepier in the mist...by yourself. Needless to say I didn't spend much time here.

Back in town, I was pretty chilled so I walked around the shops for a little while (tonnes more great things- Duff Beer- I would love to have packed home with me!) and then popped into one of the little cafes to warm up a bit. I treated myself to a cappuccino (I don't know why I had a craving for this) and a delicious homemade alfajore filled with dulche de leche...mmmmm dulche de leche.

The cappuccino really wasn't that awesome (instant coffee based) but it was warm and sweet. And the alfajore was scrumptious.

I started walking back to the campground and I found a little lookout not far away and enough of a break in the mist to actually get a shot of the town.

Back at camp, the rain finally started to fall and it got really damp. I sat and chatted with other campers from Buenos Aires and Cordoba until we got too cold to sit outside anymore. I retreated back to my woolies and warm sleeping back where I got all toasty and promptly fell asleep. I don't even think I made 10pm. I'm such an animal.

I hope the weather is better tomorrow so that I might actually see some of the sights around here. If it's clear enough, I may try going back up to Cerro Wank so I can say that I actually saw the top. Otherwise, I guess I'll pack up and head out to the northern sierras instead.

A taste of Germany in Villa Belgrano, Cordoba (Day 50)

I finally managed to get a bus out of Salta. We hit a lot of the road blocks (of the short time I was awake we had to navigate through 5 different ones) although it really only amounted to having to navigate through the maze of farm vehicles strategically placed all over the roads. I arrived in Cordoba this morning and only about 1hr later than the scheduled arrival time. The bus I was on had the most awesome reclining seats- you could push the seat back to almost completely horizontal and I had both seats all to myself!

My first impressions of Cordoba were another big city. I didn't notice anything on my way in that really caught my attention. So, when I got into the bus terminal I was ecstatic to catch the next bus to Villa Belgrano, a town in the Valle de Chalamucita about 80km south of Cordoba. This was one of the town recommended to me by the refugio keeper I stayed with in Calon del Azul in El Bolson. I also had time to book my bus ticket back to Buenos Aires on Tuesday night, so I know when I need to make it back to Cordoba.

The ride to Villa Belgrano was hilarious. The weather had turned to rain between Salta and Cordoba and it carried on all throughout today, yielding only a misty fog-view from the bus. I dozed most of the way except for when I was enjoying the slip 'n slide our driver was naviagting. The roads in the Valle de Chalamucita are all dirt- well, they were dirt before the rain. Now they were slick with greasy mud and we slide around the twisty roads up and down the valley. The ditch came pretty close a few times, but the driver managed to pull us out before we got sucked in. Crazy.

Villa Belgrano is this quaint little Dutch/German-inspired town.

They live for their Oktoberfest festival each year which is obvious at every turn here.

They even have a little fair grounds with kiddie rides that they built specifically for Oktoberfest!

I made my way to Albergue El Rincon, a biodynamic farm/albergue/camping area.

I reminded me a lot of the farm in El Bolson. The main building is built from adobe and has a huge fireplace and big wooden tables. There's a fully-stocked outdoor kitchen and a big windmill for green energy.

Although it was still misty, I decided to wander back to town and visit all the little shops. It turned out to be perfect weather for this kind of day, since I probably wouldn't have spent the time in the town if the weather had been nice enough to hike. I popped into all kinds of little artensan shops. It's a good thing this isn't my last stop because I saw tonnes of stuff I would have loved to bring home with me!

I opted instead to treat myself to an afternoon snack. I had read about the Black Forest cake in Villa Belgrano so I figured I better check it out for myself. And to accompany my cake was a cup of homemade hot chocolate (notice the tulip cut-out on the wooden chairs!)

I've never had real Black Forest cake and I'm sure this will spoil every other so-called Black Forest cake from here on. Real cherries and cake drenched in some kind of delicious liquor with real cream icing. And the hot chocolate was soooo yummy. It smelled like butter (I sat there just inhaling the steam) and was so thick and sweet. Oh man it was good.

Tanked up on sugar, I wandered my way back to the camp grounds. I had also picked up a local beer to have with supper and spent the rest of the night chatting with some of the people who work on the farm and an American guy who had been travelling all around South America by motorcycle. He had some wild and crazy stories to tell about getting tear-gased while trying to get through the agriculture riots in Peru (I guess it's not just Argentina) and breaking down in the sketchiest places. He also talked up the town of La Cumbrecita, where I'm headed tomorrow, so I'm looking forward to seeing what all his hype is about.

Last Day in Salta??? (Day 49)

Seems like the agriculture protest isn't quite over yet and the road blocks are still up. I just haven't realized because I haven't been trying to travel south for a bit. Apparently, Argentina is on Day 15 of the agriculture exports protest against the government- all major highways in the north are being locked down with road blocks. So, when I went to the bus terminal last night to catch my bus, I found out I was out of luck- no buses moving south. From what I can understand, this protest seems like a valid cause so I can't really be too annoyed- and a part of adventure of travelling :) So, I had to get another ticket for tonight and hope my luck is better. And back to Camping Municiapal Carlos Xamena for me!

It's been wicked hot here in Salta. To say this is supposed to be well into fall and the thermometer is around 32 degrees, I'm glad I wasn't here in the summer. It was another hot night which continued into this morning. Since I had already exhausted the in-city pedestrian scene and I haven't done much in the way of exercise for a few days, I found a little hike up the nearby Cerro San Bernando.

This is really just a hill (1454m) at the west end of the city, but it's lush green and in the shade! There's a little cabriolet that take tourists up top lookout over the city as well as the botanical garden. I was up for the sweaty walk up and it didn't disappoint. The whole path is beautifully laid out in stone steps so you don't even really notice the incline.

And at every switchback up the path is a religious shrine. Every single one :)

Despite being in the shade, it was still extremely hot and I was drenched by the time I got to the top. But, the path ends in a nice little park with a series of waterfalls and little walkways

various lookouts over the whole city of Salta (complete with cloud of humid haze).

At the top, wrapping around the cabriolet loading station is a botanical garden with lots of pretty flowers and native trees (although I had a hard time understanding what they were...)

and more of the pottery decorations that are all over the city.

I contemplated paying the $6 pesos to take the cabriolet back down but I had finally dried out a bit by this point and figured I might was well just walk back down. It was much faster and cooler on the walk down :)

A quick stop at the bus station to see what the status of bus departures today was didn't really get me any new info. The road blocks were still up and the company I had a ticket with wanted to wait until 4pm to make a decision on service cancellation. Nervous that I wouldn't get out again today, I trolled some of the other companies and found one that was commited to leaving tonight (although we may sit at the road block for a bit). Apparently, buses and cars are eventually being let through- transport trucks and export vehicles are being completely blocked. So, as insurance that I would (fingers crossed) be leaving Salta at some point tonight, I bought an additional ticket with another company. So, I'm fairly certain some bus will carry me away from Salta. At some point. Hopefully today.

The sky started looking a little ominous, so I went back to the campground to pack up my gear and clean myself up. A cool shower helped only for a short while- it's hard to tell if you actually get dry after the shower before you start sweating again. I opted to drop my backpack off at the baggage security at the bus terminal, in an attempt to stay a little less sweaty while I toured around for the rest of the day. Then I headed over to the Museo Provincial de Belles Artes, partially hoping for an air-conditioned reprieve but also to check out the Salta art scene.

I struck out on the air-conditioning. The museum is actually an open-air gallery with little, very poorly-light viewing rooms. But, there was a nice breeze blowing through and some really interesting works on display, so it was worth the trip (and support of the local arts).

Now I'm off to see which bus company wins the pleasure of my business! Don't get me wrong- I've really loved Salta. This is such a pedestrian-friendly city with so many parks, green spaces and pedestrian shopping malls. I'm really glad that I made the stop over and if I had to do it over again even with the unscheduled layovers, I'd gladly make the trip. But, I've got some Sierras in Cordoba that are calling me to climb before I head away from Argentina. So, with any luck tonight, my next post will come from Cordoba...at some point :)

My Journal's Journey (Day 48)

...has continued without me. Yes, I am devastated to say that my journal and I have separated. The worst part is, I don't even know what went wrong.

I had my journal was when I was updating my blog yesterday. I made my way to the campground, tore into the fresh bun and butter I was having a mad craving for (dunno...I think I consumer over 50g of butter!) and then emptied the rest of the contents in that bag only to discover that my journal wasn't there. I frantically raced back downtown to the internet cafe (thanks to a really nice couple from Buenos Aires who drove me back) but there was nothing left behind. I was devastated.

I specifically remember putting it back in my bag and then I can't remember any other time, before I got to the campground, that I even opened that bag, let alone took anything out. I can't imagine that I would walk away from the computer desk and leave it there- I usually check places before I leave and I would surely have seen it. But, after tearing everything I have apart and no trace of my beloved journal, I can only assume I left it somewhere. And worse still, someone picked it up and walked away with it. A journal written in English. Odd found treasure.

I've been super lucky this trip to have managed to hold on to everything (klarma has been kind that way). So, it comes as an especially sour pill to have parted with likely the only thing of value that I have that is irreplaceable. Not only did the journal have all of my thoughts and feelings that I've managed to work through during this trip (as well as lot of tidbits I can look back on in a year and reminisce about), but it was a very thoughful gift from a thoughtful special friend. Double-sword-through-heart. I went to bed really disappointed, and really sad.

But, this morning I woke up with a slightly better outlook. I have made my peace with the fact that my journal is gone. Sucks, but truth. And, I've also decided that the act of writing everything down this last 2 months was probably more valuable an exercise than the actual written pages. I'm sure writing everything out also made it stick in my memory much more than it would have otherwise. I took some time this morning and wrote down a few of the "ah-ha" things I could remember (mostly health coaching ideas) and that made me feel a little vindicated. I'll keep wracking my brain for more recovered stuff on my bus rid to Cordoba tonight. And, to whoever is now the new owner of my journal, I assume that they are enjoying it as much as I would have. At least that's what I'm telling myself :)

The upside of today is that this municipal campground is probably one of the nicest campgrounds (front-country) that I've ever been in anywhere. I set my tent up pool-side: yup, there is indeed a gigantenormous pool (apparently it takes 3 weeks in the spring to fill).

The only problem being, as you can see from the photo, the pool a little low on water- as in no water. I guess it's been dried out in prep for the winter. In any case, this site is lovely. It's immaculately clean with nice bathrooms, 24hr hot water showers and....clothes washing sinks!!! So, while pouting about my journal, I managed to wash off most of the surface grime on my yucky clothes! What a sight- it was like the "pre" part of a Tide commercial. The amount of brown water than rinsed out of my shirt, pants and socks was appauling. But, Mom you will be happy to know I now look presentable and more socially acceptable :)

It's ridiculously hot in Salta today (by 11am the temperature must have been over 30 degrees in the sun), so I'm chilling at an air-conditioned internet cafe for a while. In fact, it's the same cafe I was in yesterday. But my journal's still not here....I already asked :)

I am the dirty kid

I was sitting in my tent a few nights ago and I suddenly realized how incredibly filthy I am. I mean, impressively grimy and dirty.




I do wash, really, I do. But every time I have a shower, some of my "tan" seems to wash off :)Hehe. I'm pretty sure I don't smell too bad (or at least not that stands out much from the people I surround myself with) but I'm approaching hobo status-appearance more than North American tourist.





When I first got to Argentina, I was prissy and trying to keep fairly clean. Then I spent the 9 days on the farm in El Bolson and clean took on a different meaning. From then on, I kinda forgot about clean clothes all together. I had a full wash in Chalten, only because I couldn't fathom exposing my fellow busmates to a bumpy 14hr ride with me and my rank clothes. But since then, the few sink washes I've been able to do don't even seem to make a dent in the grime on my clothes. And, to be perfectly honest, it doesn't bother me anymore. Is that bad? Have I lost all pride in my appearance or am I just so engrained in my travel/trekking groove where no one know me and no one cares? Either way, I love it. I will get clean at some point, this I know (I think American Airlines has a no-hobo policy) but for now, I have to admit that I'm perfectly happy being the dirty kid :)

Cachi Bus Ride (Day 47)

Although I may have stayed a little longer than I really needed too, Cachi has been fun. It has such a nice, laid-back pace, the people are really friendly and the town is clean, funky and quaint. Good for a little day outing :)

I caught the 9am bus (along with half of the town) and to my complete amazement, but bus actually left EARLY! They started packing people on around 8:40 and we pulled away before the strike of 9. Wonders never cease!

The ride starts out across the flat upper plateau of the mountain range. The hillsides are all different colours and dotted with the cardòn cacti everywhere. Then, about 1hr in, the show starts!

All of a sudden, the road circles around at the top of this huge, and I mean HUGE, valley with a series of streams all meeting into one river at the valley floor.


t's incredible to think that buses, packed with people and gear, along with cars, trucks, mules and cyclists make their way along this road every day. In most places the road is barely one-vehicle wide, so the smaller of the meeting vehicles has to retreat (in reverse!) to one of the passing areas and pull off while the bigger one goes by. Yikes!

The road crawls along the edge of the mountains, slowly switching by 150 degree hairpin turns back and forth down into the valley. Wild!

I'm struck by how incredibly green everything is! I know this is a valley and they are rivers running (sometimes torrentially) across the road in places, but there are also cacti everywhere. Kinda a wierd but wonderful combination.

Of course my camera would choose now to get low on batteries, so I had to sit back, enjoy the view and select shots carefully (and quickly). Once we got down into the valley, the road runs along the floor where the river leads out of the valley.

With the valley now behind us, the bus pulled into a pit stop- probably to let the brake pads cool off as much as anything else! Then it was a relatively easy, uneventful ride the rest of the way back to Salta. What a trip!

I tried to get a ticket for a bus from Salta to Cordoba, leaving tonight, but with the end of the holiday week and most people taking an extra day, the buses are jammed full. So, I have another unplanned day in Salta. A blessing probably, because it gave me a chance to clean up a bit (and man, my clothes are due!), get some groceries from one of the most comprehensive markets I've been to here (I even treated myself to Fruit Loops Kel!!!) and have time to cook and relax by the pool at Salta's municipal campground. How sweet is that?!

I don't leave for Cordoba until 9:30pm (that's 21:30 Tera, right?!) tomorrow night, so I will have the day tomorrow to finish up exploring Salta. Then I'm off to Cordoba, back into the mountains!

A Day in Cachi (Day 46)

Today I spent the day discovering the small (pop. 1800) mountain town of Cachi. I actually arrived here last night. When I went to the bus terminal to pick up my ticket, I found out there was an evening bus that I could take instead. Getting to the bus was a bit of a gong show- the bus was supposed to leave at 20:00 and I was waiting faithfully at the platform. Then the ticket agent came out and told the 4 of us girls waiting that we'd have to meet the bus at the gas station across the street. Wierd. Only problem being there were three gas stations across the street with buses at all of them. We finally found the bus (of course the last set that we checked) and got on. Seeing as it was Easter Sunday, I treated myself to a little festive treat. I can't say my supper was quite the turkey feast I was missing out on at home, but with the crooning Argentine tunes blasting from the bus radio as we bumped along the road past churches bursting with holiday worshipers, I feel like my Easter supper definitely had a solidly memorable Argentine flair!

(Note: This is a Milenasia sandwich- fried egg, ham, cheese, breaded beef cutlet, lettuce, tomato, mayo, mustard and dash of salt....bring on the heart attack!)

Unfortunately, I wouldn't get to see much of the scenery on the ride up- the main reason I was making this trip. I had it on good authority that the drive up to Cachi was worth the bumpy 4.5hr ride. But, the sky was clear and the moon still bright, so I managed to make out quite a bit just by the light of the moon (which is a great way to see anything). From what I could see, we were travelling through this immense valley, switching back along the ridges and climbing, climbing, climbing up to the top where it suddenly levels out. If the shadows gave any indication of how deep this valley was, I would be in for a treat when I could see it in daylight.

I was lucky to get a bed in a private house, arranged for me by one of the men on the bus. The older Senora who runs the house is a very sweet lady. The bed was comfy, warm (now colder that I'm at 2200m) and I slept like a log. I woke up this morning and went over to the little park to make my breakfast. I definitely got some odd looks for the people walking around the plaza- me with my camp stove blazing, mate and my oatmeal :) This park is really cute: it's got more lush green grass than I've seen anywhere else in Argentina, it's spotlessly clean and manicured and decorated with all these great pottery ornaments.

And despite being a small town, there are some very impressive estates and building here too that mirror the architectural flair in Salta.

Since the plaza is the hub of the town and today was Holiday Monday (for Argentina's Memoria (Remembrance) Day), there were also a handful of artesenal tables, with many wares similar in style to what I'd seen in Salta yesterday. Lots of silver, wood carvings, leatherworks and yummy alfajores (traditional sweet cookies).

After a quick stop into the tourist office to find out where to hike for the day, I headed off to the west lookout in the mountains. The surrounding peaks aren't that big out here (relatively speaking), but they are a continuous chain of rugged peaks and the greenest valleys below where the town lies, nestled between two rivers.

There is a really big peak off in the distance- which one I'm not sure but it's gorgeous.

As I was making my way up the ridge, I spotted some sheep (Dan would love this) grazing their way up in my direction. I don't know what they can eat out here, but they seemed pretty happy.

It was quite and warm up at the top, so I sat for a while and just watched the town below. All of the houses are adobe (clay), similar to the ones I worked on in El Bolson. The landscape is also scattered with these huge cordòn cacti that look like a forest of fence posts.

I made my way back down and followed the river back to town. It was pretty warm, but the mountain breeze made the temperature just about perfect. I stopped at a nice rock, pulled my sweaty feet out of my boots and saoked them in the cool water. It felt awesome, but I'm sure the horse that I had disturbed to get to this spot was not impressed with my smelly feet!

By now, I had seen most of what there was to see in this town, as cute as it is. I went to the bus ticket office to see if I could catch the 13:00 bus back to Salta, but it was full. So, I got my ticket for tomorrow and then just wandered around. And wandered, and wandered. I wandered through the little flea market, I had a nap under a tree in the camping area and then I went back to the plaza and wandered a little more. Did I mention this is only an 1800-person town?

Motivated by boredom, I went into the local internet cafe (they're actually two of them) and caught up on a few things. By the time I got finished there, it was a reasonable hour to start supper. After a nice hot shower, I trudged my stove and pots down to a little nook beside a bank and made supper. I couldn't get my can of lentils open, despite having a few people try for me )note: need to get new can opener in city) so they'll wait for another night. My my pasta delight was still pretty yummy without them.

I went to the other internet cafe to see if I could upload some photos, but no luck. So, I made my way back to the rooming house and was treated to an early night curled up in a warm bed. I have a ticket for the 9am bus back to Salta tomorrow, so I hope the weather is as clear as it was today so I can see into that huge valley!