Carnaval included a good dose of tossing colored powder or spraying people with a foam. I thought if I stood far enough away to take a picture they wouldn't get me, but when I turned my back a handful landed on my head - luckily it was white on white for me. A heavy police presence and riot gear kept everything fairly tame. (Cafayate, Feb 24)
The tobacco plants were tinged with yellow, ready for harvesting and drying. (Cafayate, Feb 24)
One of our enduring memories of Argentina will be so often seeing horses in what appeared to be complete wilderness. (Quebrada el Canon, Feb 23)
Another rental car and a week of driving. In the north the terrain varied by the hour ranging from hilly to flat and lush to dry. (Quebrada el Canon, Feb 23)
The green was so vibrant, it looked as though it had been color edited. (Quebrada el Canon, Feb 23)
Route 40, running from south to north is as mythical to Argentina as Route 66 is to the US. From dusty single lane roads to multi-lane blacktop, we've traveled a good chunk of its 5000+ km and can see why it's earned its adventure reputation. (Quebrada el Canon, Feb 22)
The owner of this small restaurant was eager to show us his photo albums filled with postcards sent by past customers. (Angastaco, Feb 22)
With our just-in-time booking approach we got caught in a total shortage of rooms during the lead up to the largest carnaval in the north. It left us bouncing between a humble hostel, a lakeside resort and this hacienda (once the residence of the last governor of the region appointed by the King of Spain, no less). In a purely opportunistic move, the hostel charged us more than any other room during this S.A. trip ($175). (Molinos, Feb 22)
Siesta time and not a soul around. Between 1-4pm it's difficult to find businesses open in either the towns or cities. (Molinos, Feb 22)
Our northern route took us to indigenous, dusty, small towns picturesque for their adobe buildings and the often richly coloured mountains that flanked them. (Quebrada de Humahuaco, Feb 19)
This series of craggy peaks were aptly called Painters Pallette. (Maimara, Feb 19)
(Quebrada de Humahuaca, Feb 19)
(Quebrada de Humahuaca, Feb 19)
The carnaval of note in this area technically begins fifty days before Easter: the "devil" is dug up from his previous years burial place and paraded through town amid dancing and drinking that goes on for eight days. With the big party starting the following weekend, the band, the dancers and it appeared the revelers were in full rehearsal mode. (Purmamarca, Feb 19)
Cactus, sans its green outer layer, was used for a variety of artesanal offerings: lamp shades, picture frames, flower pots, etc. If only it was easy to ship items home, these would have been a favorite. (Purmamarca, Feb 19)
The hills were thick with cactus and even with heads down, careful steps we still managed to get pierced by thorns. (Quebrada de Humahuaco, Feb 18)
Rick wanted me to stand close to one of the cactus to show how tall they were. But each had a minefield of small cactus around them so it made for delicate footwork.
We didn't realize how thick this salt flat was until we came to one of several areas where salt blocks had been carved out leaving behind azure water filled canals at least a foot deep. (Salinas Grandes, Feb 17)
Sitting on the lee side of a salt block fortress buffeted by a strong wind, these 2 men carved figurines out of salt to sell to the tourists who had driven for hours to reach this remote place. (Salinas Grandes, Feb 17)
Leaving the salt flats we spotted a family of vicunas. They are a cousin to the llama, but their extremely soft wool is much more expensive; they can't be domesticated so have to be captured and can only be shorn every 3 years with little to offer each time. We saw a shawl priced at $1,500 US!
The Inca culture extended as far afield as northern Argentina and as we've explored this region there have been a few Peruvian déjà vu moments. This museum centred around an archeological expedition that unearthed 3 sacrificed children who remained intact at the top of 6700m mountain. The one on display was nicknamed Lightening because the heat of a lightning strike had burned her face. Fun, albeit macabre fact: The children were generally from the most elite families so as to offer the gods only he best. (Salta, Feb 17)
With restaurants not opening until 8-9pm we've still not adapted well to this country's eating routine. But to experience a pena style restaurant we dined late while listening to folk music and watching traditional dancers. It was surreal walking home at midnight and passing a main park filled with families picnicking - the place looked more lively than we'd seen it all day. (Salta, Feb 16)
Not only the facade, but the underbelly of this colonial building was also striking. (Salta, Feb 15)
These peeling bark trees (maybe Platanus trees) looked like art. In Eastern Argentina we've seen them line entrances to towns, main streets and paths in parks - gorgeous all in a row. (Mendoza & Salta)
There have been a handful of times where we've stayed in a place with a spectacular view and this church was one of them - day view from our room and later lit up. (Salta, Feb 15)
This town is known for its colonial architecture and the main plaza has made the most of it with outdoor cafes lining its perimeter. (Salta, Feb 14)
While these performers danced to their steady drum beats the little boy in the centre seemed as spellbound as his audience. Many carried bunches of fragrant basil in leather hip pouches which added another dimension to the hypnotic street show. (Salta, Feb 13)
On an 18hr bus ride we fell asleep amid the Andes' southern arid zone and awoke in the northern tropical zone. Lush green mountains stood to the east while acres of sugar cane and tobacco plants grew roadside. And along with the green there was rain - the first we'd seen in ages. (Mendoza to Salta, Feb 12)
Along with a few car-meets-car nail biter moments the 50km dirt road through the Atuel Canyon offered up a variety of unique formations. (Grande Valle, Feb 8)
Looked to us like a fresh poured cement garden.
This small salt flat ranges from pink to white. As the salt dries in the sun it loses its pink colour, caused by microorganisms, and ends as pure white at its driest when they can no longer survive. Fun fact: In contrast, Himalayan pink salt takes its colour from trace minerals. (Salinas el Diamanté, Feb 8)
Salt's taking its toll.
We've passed many of these roadside shrines. Legend has it that Deolinda Correa died of thirst and heat exhaustion while accompanying her husband who was fighting in the 1840's civil war. Argentines associate her with protecting travelers hence she is popular with truck drivers. The water bottles are intended to quench her thirst. This has been by far the most we've seen. (San Rafael, Feb 7)
While these Black-faced Ibis' were constantly plunging their beaks into the soil, they allowed us to get fairly close. (San Rafael, Feb 6)
With a rental car for a week we drove for hours in the Andes to see some of the natural wonders that resulted from their formation. At times the shape of the land made it easy to visualize the forces of the grinding tectonic plates eons ago. (Malargue, Feb 5)
We decided to leave the rental car behind in favour of a tour driver navigating hours of gravel roads to explore the Payunia Reserve, an expanse dotted with 800 volcanoes. All of the world's iconic types of volcanoes were represented there. The above section of land was covered with iron oxide that looked like red velvet from afar. (Payunia, Feb 5)
You gotta love the safety features - no railing and uneven boards with a 70' drop into a rushing river. I walked very carefully. This formation resulted from a lava flow that snaked along 40km from its volcano source, forging a canyon in its wake. (Payunia, Feb 5)
As some volcanoes erupted the material landed as a liquid or paste that cooled into interesting shapes.
Standing on the rim of a crater that had given way on one edge. The draining lava covered a swath of land now called the Black Prairies. Only the odd guanaco and the lighter colored roadway winding throughout interrupted the expanse of pure black volcanic rock.
During the caving guide's opening spiel we were picking out Spanish words like claustrophobia while a guy started deep breathing - we knew we were in for some fun. Our English version of the speech was "are you ready to go". As we moved from the first to fourth cave chamber, the going got gnarlier and the group got smaller. By the last one it was just me and the guys while their wives hung back on safer ground. (Caverna de Las Brujas, Feb 4)
Praying that the iPhone wouldn't fall off the selfie stick, I stuck it as far through the safety fence as I could to capture this 300 m wide x 100 m deep sinkhole called the “Well of Souls”. The earth gave out when below surface gypsum dissolved in groundwater. (Pozo de Las Animas, Feb 3)
Another great hike (but only for Rick) - we knew from prior outings that unfortunately the elevation would be too much for me to attempt. (Aconcagua Mountain, Feb 1)
The first of the base camps of Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Americas.
At the start of the hike the guide said to quickly get off the trail if he called out "mules". Later Rick heard the signal and then these two charged by so fast he barely had time to take a picture.
In the country's wine and olive oil capital we took a hop on/off bus to visit a few bodegas. Their Chardonnay wasn't oaked, Malbec was the star of the reds, tasting pours were generous and the growing conditions in the area allowed for minimal sulphites - who could ask for more. (Mendoza, Jan 31)
The approach to tastings was different than what we're used to. In this place we sat around the comfy couch with our samples, at another the tour was held sitting in a tree-house style platform overlooking the vineyard and shaded by a weeping willow tree, in a third the pours could be paired with a light lunch and in another winery all the tasters sat around a picnic table while the host poured and regaled us with wine myths and facts.
After wandering an olive grove and it's processing facility it was fun to taste the various oils. By comparison, I ate an olive straight off a tree - it was very bitter and left a sour coating in my mouth that only a wine tasting could get rid of. It's a brining process that converts the olive from inedible to tasty toothpick tender. (Mendoza, Jan 30)
After a decades old dream of taking a multi-day horseback riding trip in Argentina we tested the waters with 3.5hrs in the saddle. The scenery was spectacular as we climbed and descended 2 mountain peaks to glimpse vineyard views in the Uco Valley wine region below. It was a great outing but sadly I'm not sure if my knees would be up to many more hours. (Mendoza, Jan 29)
What a surprise, my stirrup leather had to have another notch added :) I must have just made the height minimum. Of course I couldn't reach the stirrup when I had to re-saddle which prompted help from the gaucho. Trying to not to touch my behind, the awkward effort wasn't pretty and resulted in a pulled muscle around my ribs.
After the ride we sipped wine and had an asado (ranch BBQ) while the recently de-saddled horses munched their own lunch around us. In its sheer simplicity, it was a zen moment.
This beautiful oasis city was cleverly designed to mitigate the 40° summer heat by lining its streets with tall, voluminous trees that have by now joined at the top to create a full shade canopy. With a birds eye view atop a high rise we could hardly see the busy pedestrian street, with its red umbrella covered tables, below. Further out the trees traced the city street's grid pattern. (Mendoza, Jan 28)
True to it's reputation, Argentina has been a carnivore's paradise. The parrilla style restaurant has become a favorite with the meat grilled as above and then a selection of cuts served on a hotplate. (El Calafate, Jan 22)
I hope there aren't any geologists reading this because they may well shake their heads... Very rare rock formations known as Mexican Hats are found in this region. They were made up of iron oxide particles, shaped over time into an orb by water currents and then later covered in sediment. Glaciers got involved and the rock started to erode, but the iron did not, leaving these unique formations. The adrenaline of the day came from the 4x4 ride into the hills to see them. (El Calafate, Jan 22)
For years we've seen the ubiquitous "patagonia" brand on outdoor clothing, but after spending time in this vast space with its constant wind, scrub-land, wildlife, hiking/climbing and numerous glaciers we appreciate its namesake all the more. This part of the country has definitely been a highlight. Critter sightings along the way... Above: The endangered Huemul, nicknamed the Ghost of Patagonia because of the rare sightings. Rangers asked us to report any encounters and a fellow hiker said he'd been coming to the area for 15 years and hadn't spotted one before. (Patagonia, Jan 19)
As we walked through a bird conservation area the falcons were actively protecting their nests. We took at least 50 pictures trying to capture their grace in the air and were so happy with the clarity of this shot.
I know we've posted a couple of armadillos already, but we had to include this one because of its name - the Big Hairy Armadillo. This one was so busy trundling around foraging for food that he came to within a couple feet of Rick.
This Pygmy Owl was completely nonplussed about the attention it was getting as a few hikers stopped to take its picture. It just kept bobbing and rotating its head to take each of us in.
This fox was so perfectly camouflaged from it's silver shrub colored body down to the light orange color at the base of his legs to match the tufts of grass. It only caught our eye as it darted about.
After a scenic 3 hr ride with a birds eye view from from the top floor of a double decker bus, of rolling hills, glacier milk lakes and rivers, herds of guanacos and the craggy Andes mountains in the background, we arrived in a town known as a hiking and rock climbing mecca. Two long days of hiking and wandering for us and an additional one for Rick provided spectacular views, Fitbit readings of 25-35km each day and some dinner time gluttony.
Above: Day one and we were all fresh at the beginning of the 18km hike. (El Chalten, Laguna Torre hike, Jan 15)
Unlike back home we were assured by the park rangers that it was OK to drink the crystal clear water from the streams - no beaver fever here.
One of the 48 glaciers in southern Patagonia marked the end of this trek. Chunks of ice rimmed the edge of the lake.
Day 2 was a 24km hike of varied terrain. (El Chalten, Pliegue Tumbado hike, Jan 16)
With the sun reflecting off these dead limbs this area looked like a boneyard.
The view at the end of the trail (without technical climbing) was stunning.
On day 3 Rick headed out alone for a 20km trek and after seeing some of his pics, I wished I'd sucked it up and gone as well. He did take some "Kate scenes" along the way, with this and the one below being a couple of them. (El Chalten, Fitz Roy hike, Jan 17)
Most hikers stopped below a ridge thinking that was the end of the hike, but Rick saw another guy head further up and they both hit the jackpot with this emerald colored lake and (hard to see) waterfalls at the far end.
In a Where's Waldo exercise, finding the 2 hikers in this picture will give you an idea of the scale.
A boardwalk paralleled the flamingo dotted bay that this town was built around. Thanks to a hawk startling the group we were able to catch a glimpse of their black tipped wings. (El Calafate, Jan 12)
At our estancia (ranch) lodging a couple of calves had lost their mom, so they were being bottle fed. (El Chalten, Jan 14)
We approached the Perito Moreno Glacier's various angles by boat, forest walk and van. Because the behemoth is advancing 2m/day - one of the few in the world that isn't shrinking- it sounded alive with loud creaking, cracking and gunshot type noises. It was exciting to see a couple of ruptures from the outer edge with ice crashing into the water. (Los Glaciares National Park, Jan 13)
Fun fact: This 32km long x 50-70m deep glacier is the 3rd largest reserve of fresh water in the world.
The cotton candy blue was intense and gorgeous.
Whiskey with glacier ice
As part of a full day tour we visited an estancia for a carnivore's dream lunch and to watch a sheep being shorn the old fashioned way with heavy shears.(Los Glaciares National Park, Jan 13)
With those shears snipping away so close to her private bits, it's no wonder she bolted at first opportunity.
When the country was tempting immigrants to populate Patagonia in the 1800s, with offers of large parcels of land, these would-be ranchers brought plants and animals from the old country...few survived, but the hardy sheep and lupines made it. (Los Glaciares National Park, Jan 13)
We've developed a fondness for taking in the scenery from comfortable lazyboy style seats on long bus rides - 14hrs to get here. This postcard pretty town with its Swiss alpine-style architecture is known for outdoor activities, chocolate and artisanal beer - what a great combo! (Bariloche, Jan 9)
We've found that Patagonia and wind are synonymous but this unseasonably cool summer has been extra gusty making sampling the town's famous bonbons and sipping creamy hot chocolate inside a cozy cafe all the sweeter. (Bariloche, Jan 7)
White bread and crusts removed - so far in our travels in this country we've never seen them served any other way.
With the freedom of a rental car and the orderliness of the Argentine roads we explored the Patagonian steppe over a couple of days. The 300km of gravel roads that traversed the Valdez Peninsula Reserve offered great wildlife viewing - the animals all being cousins of their more well known counterparts. Above is the Lesser Rhea (Puerto Pirimades, Jan 6)
Pygmy Armadillo - a pint sized version of his cousin that we saw so often in Florida.
Guanacos - there were a lot of them, but they were so skittish we felt lucky to even get this picture.
This reserve holds 1/2 million Magellanic penguins, the largest colony in S America. For as far as we could see they dotted the landscape. (Punta Tombo, Jan 3)
A brief downpour sent most of the visitors fleeing, leaving a handful of us hours of unobstructed time with the birds. It was amazing to be so close to them as they waddled around, preened, squawked incessantly and generally went about their business.
This adorably curious guy (gal?) was quite taken with our camera and iPhone.
We caught them during the time of year when the chicks had recently emerged from their nests.
We had fun paddle boating around the area's immaculate version of Central Park. (Buenos Aires, Jan 2)
During the New Year week, we saw people toss their shredded old calendars and paperwork from their windows to say goodbye to the year. (Buenos Aires, Dec 31)
There seemed to be a lot of graffiti in the city, ranging from the ugly to the beautiful. (Buenos Aires, Dec 30)
This historic La Boca port originally welcomed the immigrants. With little money to spare they painted their homes with whatever colour they could find from their shipbuilding day jobs. Today, with a fresh coat, their signature look attracts the tourists. (Buenos Aires, Dec 30)
This sculpture was not only beautiful to admire during the day, at night the petals closed to mimic the behavior of some real flowers. (Buenos Aires, Dec 29)
The Recoleta Cemetery is made up of a square block collection of 5,000 mausoleums housing the deceased from the elite of the city. As we strolled down the "streets" of the cemetery we could peer through many of the glass doors leading to crypts filled with levels of coffins. (Buenos Aires, Dec 28)
Some of the vaults were set up for the living to spend time with their loved ones. With a few families not paying to maintain their mausoleums they were in a state of disrepair - there were places where the coffins were exposed and within touching distance, adding to the general creepiness. (Buenos Aires, Dec 28)
During one of our walking tours of the city a guide told us that the design of this building was based on Dante's poem, The Divine Comedy, where Dante travels through the afterlife; first to Hell, then up to Purgatory and finally to Heaven. It was such a unique building because the bottom (Hell) was relatively plain, then Purgatory more decorative and Heaven's top floors, with their whimsical balconies, looked like fluffy clouds against the blue sky. Inside, the elevator ends near the top of the Purgatory floors so that you have to walk the rest of the way to enter Heaven. (Buenos Aires, Dec 27)