Salta

Salta is 2 hours flight north-west of BA and Aerolineas Argentina was on time. No fanfare of trumpets though. I am in a lovely Hotel, Patios de Lerma. Lots of stone, fountains and of course patios! I was immediately on a city tour. Salta sits in a long north-south valley but the mountains east-west are quite close and the tour took us from one side to the other. These mountains are green and pleasant unlike the dramatic snow covered ones around Ushuaia. The San Bernardo mountain can be reached by cable car, 1,000+ steps, or more sensibly, by the tour bus! It gives a fantastic view of the City. The other side of the valley we stopped by a rushing stream and there is good walking here but it is harder than it looks to get to the top. Not recommended. The centre piece is the cathedral set in Plaza 9th July. Wonderful dome and tower and as ornate inside as anything I have seen. Did not take pictures inside as it would just be a pretty picture to me and it means more to others. Iglesia San Francisco is wonderful outside, coloured tarracotta but relatively plain inside. Wonderful buildings all around the square, showing colonial style architecture. Lots of arches, patios and especially balconies. I really like the wooden ones that go around the corner of a house.

There are some gorgeous new houses using the colonial style but very often the rough is next to the smooth.

MAAM was interesting. This is the museum of high altitude archaeology. The Incas were nearby and occasionally, on very special occasions, they would select a special child and in an elaborate ceremony, get them drunk and bury them alive. Ugh! One such body has been found, preserved at the top of a 6,000+ m extinct volcanoe close to Salta. Makes for a fascinating exhibition.

The Incas were not native to this area but their influence (or that of the natives from Peru or Paraguay) is very noticable in the crafts that are for sale. So it is very different from BA except for the traffic which is manic!

I had to have some local specialities and, guess what, empanadas. 65 pence (4 Pesos)each served in a restaurant!

I have made an important discovery

Me: Bailes tango aqui?

Waiter: Si

Me: Bailo tango

W: Si

Me: A que hora?

W: Viente

Me: Esta noches

W: Si

Me: Vale, gracias

A man of few words but the right ones!