More on why Salta is sweet

I realized there are some things I wanted to say about Salta for which photos alone are not sufficient.

1. The flight. Somehow Léa and I got upgraded to business class on the way there, and during the 2-hour flight we were served a delicious chocolate alfajor, a delicious lemon cookie, weird ham-flavored crackers, two drinks, AND refills! Accustomed to the dry pretzels from economy class, we got very excited about these refreshments. But the best part is that on the way home in economy, we got the same service! I'm a big fan of that airline company.

We were especially glad to be flying because the bus took exactly ten times as long and cost nearly as much. No, thank you.

2. The food. Since vegetables aren't usually found on menus in Buenos Aires, and I'm too pathetic to cook them myself, I crave vegetables all the time. Salta restaurants had salads with variety, which was by itself enough to endear the city to me.

Also, that region of the country favors goat and llama over beef and pork, and quinoa over pasta. A very welcome change in pace. Additionally, I could order a traditional bean- and squash-based stew called locro that made me feel full without being stuffed with carbs and dairy. All of these things made me happy.

3. The dance. (I almost said "The fiesta" to continue the alliteration, but that word didn't quite fit with what I'm trying to say here.) Traditional dance in Salta is called folklore, and involves a lot of swirling skirts and jiggy feet moves. The music, made by a drum, a flute, and a ukulele-type instrument, is cheerful and fun. This is in direct contrast to Buenos Aires's tango, which I've found to be too stiff and formal for my liking.

Just a few more reasons, in addition to the wonderful, magnificent, inspiring natural spaces, for why I loved Salta.

Salta dulce, Parte II

More stories in photos from my weekend in the Salta and Jujuy provinces in the northwestern corner of Argentina.

feeding a llama

traditional wares

I miss the sun.

street vendors in Cafayate

this little boy was so cute, peeking out at me 

those bags are filled with a snack like kettle corn popcorn but made with quinoa

Remember that cute llama I fed? I ate llama, too

I also found a salad with more than lettuce and tomato! Highlight of my day.

A peña, where people play traditional music and dance traditional dances during dinner.

empanadas

tamale: inside the husk is cornmeal with a beef filling

our lunch friends were from Uruguay

locro: a traditional stew made of beans and squash and ham, but I always give the ham part to Léa 

Léa's goat stew

dessert: queso con miel (cheese with honey)

Salta dulce

Salta, to no one's surprise, was incredible. I found that my Lonely Planet guidebook actually undersold the area; I probably wouldn't have gone if Léa hadn't planned the trip. But it was some of the most magnificent landscapes I have ever seen. Surprisingly diverse, too. Vast plains climb over into dusty desert valleys, which yield to magnificent mountain ranges with sweeping river panoramas and fascinating rock formations and stunning splashes of color that always had me on the edge of my seat, leaning forward to see more. I took 678 pictures over four days. I spent all afternoon today sorting through them and choosing the top 200 for Facebook, but now it's going to be a struggle to pick a reasonable number for the blog.

This was an experience that is better explained by pictures than words, though, so I'll do my best.


Hmm okay I just tried and I can barely keep it under 50. I'll split them up; consider this Part I.

traditional dancing on the main plaza

in front of the cabildo 

la catedral

some other famous cathedral

the dusty, dusty desert

frozen stream

beautiful rocks

Las Salinas Grandes, where I found a really cute munchkin

13,681 feet. When I climbed the Sierra Nevada mountains, the highest point I reached was 11,000 ft. 

A bodega outside Cafayate

free wine samples? yes, please

Wine-tasting in Cafayate

This stew is a traditional food in this region, made of beans, squash, and other delicious things.

This guy sold us coca leaves (from which one can make cocaine). He asked for a picture and then sang instead of posing. We ran into him again on our last day and he remembered us!