Heading North
Sunday, July 23rd, 2006We arrived in the town of Tucuman to find once agaun we were a walk from the town centre. We seem to be good at picking hostels that are a half dozen blocks from the central plaza, but the YHA in Tucuman, has the best staff anywhere in Argentina FACT! For those that don´t know, every town in argentina is built around a main square then has the grid system in place. so all the town hals museams are around the main square normally called San Martain, or July, De Mayo etc. All to do with Independance and the dates, leaders etc. Any new town that gets built I expect will have the Maradoona plaza somewhere.
Tucuman was a nice town, smaller than Cordoba, and Mendoza, which gives it a better atmosphere. plus on the first evening A went shopping and found shoes and jeans inside an hour. She is now a very happy lady as on the odd occation we do go out, she can where a pair of shoes and jeans, not trekking boots and trousers. Not such a big deal in other countires, here in Argentina Everyone makes an effort, sure they get dolled up just to take the rubbish out. While in Tucumon we added to our list of adreniline sports and moads of transport, paragluiding. basically you have a Mucho Granda Parashoot and a bloke tired to you and you leg it really fast off the side of a mountain. then gluided down to the fields below, you are in the air for around 20-25 minutes very cool. Cafayeta is a very small tourist town between Tucumon and Salta, the place is sooo small you can walk everywhere and we were even next to the main plaza. Saying that the furthest house out of town is near the main plaza it is that small. Cafayeta is in the middle of the desert think Nevada USA and the landscape is very similar, middle of winter and it is high 20s centigrade. Middle of winter!!! So England is in a heat wave like we care.
Cafayeta is the little town in which I (Miller) turn vienicuatro, thats 24 for those who´s spanish is worse than mine. It was a good Birthday: We went trekking through the mountains, following the river, a little rock climbing, waterfall swimming (if you a mad german or loco Argie water was frezzing). Ranks up there with the best trekking we have done on this trip, had dinner with friends, Angus and Miriam. The food was Outstanding, a fat-man’s-dream: is a mexican dish with chips covered in melted chesse with mushrooms and bacon. Not called fat-man’s-dream but I can´t remember the name of it and Angus´s jibe for it seems fitting.
Well we are now in Salta and looking forward to hitting iguazu falls, just got to go on 27 hour bus. just need to book the tickets etc.
Miller