50 Shades of Red in Salta

As always, getting to Salta involved a long bus ride (19hrs). We opted for the slightly steeper ‘salon cama’ seats this time in the hope of a better nights sleep. Our extra spendings on the bus ride proved worthwhile as we slept better here than the following two nights in our hostel which lacked aircon despite the 30+ degree temperatures. 

We arrived at 8am and spent our first day exploring the town which was impeccably tidy, filled with grand colonial architecture, and being a Sunday, dead quiet. 

One of the top attractions of the town is the Museo de Arqueología de Alta Montaña (Museum of High Altitude Archaeology, aka MAAM) which houses three Incan children mummies. These were discovered in 1999 at the top of Volcán Llullaillaco having been pristinely preserved in the cold, dry, high altitude climate. To ensure the continued preservation, the museum had strict ambient temperature requirements (and humidity) that were significantly cooler than the day outside.

We forked out the steep 12,000ARS (20NZD) fee partly for the exhibit, partly for the aircon, and learnt a little of the Inca Empire. No photos were allowed inside but we learnt of their sacrificial rituals and saw the treasures buried with the children as gifts to the gods, as well as one of the children, El Niño, themselves who were also gifts to the gods.

Definitely a bizarre experience to see a mummy in the flesh especially given how well preserved these ones are, but intriguing and fascinating at the same time. Looking forward to learning more about the Inca empire and people as we travel through Bolivia and Peru.

The following morning we rose early and headed up the local hill, Cerro San Bernado to gain some perspective. Not the most impressive view but a pleasant walk nonetheless with a nice water feature at the top. 

That evening we finally splashed out and had our first Parrilla of the trip, consisting of 5 meats including beef, chicken, and a blood sausage. All the meat was delicious and tender with both Kenzie and I surprised by how tasty the blood sausage was. It crumbled more like falafel than meat with a strong flavour of who knows what (we didn’t want to ask).

The bus to Cafayate the next day took us along Ruta 68 and through the landscapes of Quebrada de las Conches which we explored the following day. 

Not keen on a tour and without a car, we opted to hitchhike along the road to see the sights. We were quickly picked up by a French couple who had rented a car and were headed to Cachi. They also by chance picked us up for our second leg as they had returned to Cafayate after forgetting something.

Our luck of rides stopped there though as we walked further for over an hour with our thumbs out and smiles shinning without success before succumbing to the heat and crossing the road to try for a ride home.

The sights here were unlike anything I’ve seen before. Endless shades of red everywhere you looked with steep angles of rock protruding from the earth exposing their many layers. The Colombian lady (who plays football for the Argentina Juniors) in the car on our ride home likened it to the titanic sinking which I thought described it well. 

After making it home for a cold shower, we headed out to a nearby bodega for a taste of the local vino, before returning to our accom again for another cold shower. 

The following day we caught a bus back to Salta before heading off early the morning after across the border to San Pedro de Atacama. Where Patagonia had shown us spectacular but familiar shades of nature, Salta had provided new colours we’d never seen before.

We left Argentina on a high, looking forward to more changes of scenery as well as cheaper prices, the latter being the one thing Argentina did not provide.

Lucas

Feb 17, 2025