Cachi and Salta, Argentina (April 15/18, 2011)

Cachi, very small village, very friendly and pretty. We have found another hostal there and for our first evening, we try a Locro and a Cazuelo of cabrito (goat) accompanied by a local wine. Really not bad !

 

It's another day for resting and we visit the surroundings of Cachi on Ruta 40 again. Gravel again on a loop to end up in Cachi. We will see wild donkeys, we will talk with some local people to talk about cultivating mild red peppers. Nothing really exciting, just a nice day with a bright blue sky with a great temperature of 30 degrees. The setting of Cachi is very special, at an altitude of 2100 meters, with in the background the Cerro de la Virgen and the Nevado of Cachi, both over 6000 meters.

On our way to Salta, we cross the Parque Nacional de Los Cardones, with a forest of cacti.

Very unique ! and the road goes up to 3457 meters high ! We saw one condor, goats, guanacos, cows, Argentinians, French tourists, everything, everybody or almost ! The scenery is quite different on this side of the mountains. Cachi is more like an oasis and on Salta's side, it's much greener.

Salta la Linda, this is how it is called here. The main plaza is really pretty, with colonial buildings. We are amazed at the number of people in the streets. In Argentina, we often wonder when people work ! It is always crowded. After discussing with some locals, we learn that people do not trust the banks (no wonder after the 2001 crisis where many people who had accounts in US dollars were told that they would get their money back in pesos) ! No wonder now when we see line ups of people in the streets to go to the banks to get money, not to deposit it.

Many people do not have bank accounts. Many people spend as to hold on to something rather than saving. We go through the typical touristy places of Salta, the main plaza, the cathedral

, the market...

We visit the ''Museo de la alta montana'', a special museum where they have exposed a mummy of a child. In fact, three children (6, 7 and 15 years old) were found at the summit of the Llulumaico in 1999. The kids were sacrificed to please mother earth to ensure abundance and prosperity. The conservation state of the children is very good, as they were frozen. They are now maintained at the museum in the same state by using technology with a constant temperature of minus 20 degrees celsius and control of the air purity. Each mummy is exposed every 6 months. We can feel that the decision to expose the mummy has been controversial for a long time with the local populations. Visiting the museum though gives you a unique perspective on the Inca culture.

Tomorrow we are On the Road Again to ....