Tilcara

After spending 2 days in the city of Salta, I left and continued my travel north up to Tilcara. As I was getting off the bus, I ran into Cesar and Rucio from Spain and David from France that I had met on the Quebradra de Cafayate tour. It was a blessing because they spoke Spanish. Granted they also know some English but all of our conversations were in Spanish. The hostals we stayed in were predominantly spanish speaking as well. It was awesome practice and boy oh boy do I need more practice. I still talk like a 5 - 7 year old but at least I can get my point across. The owner of the hostal asked me to translate and help some english speakers out. I was psyched for all the practice!!!!

I love Tilcara! I am seeing more indigenous people. There are open markets again with fresh produce, meats, and folklorica music. I love it!! It feels good to get back to a more south american culture where I buy my food on a daily basis at open markets instead of from supermarkets. It is definately a bit rawer and maybe does not have all the creature comforts. I can forget about movies on buses, reclining seats, and being pampered. But I can learn from a culture which lives off, cultivates and protects the land and which just lives more simply.
















We spent 1 day hiking up to Garganta del Diablo and the next day we went on a day trip to Purmamarca, a pueblo which is infamous for Cerro Los 7 Colores (the first picture). It is a real small village with a plaza and a few blocks of store fronts. After you walk the few blocks, you find yourself amidst a beautiful colorful mountain landscape with nothing but open land for kilometers and kilometers. It was quite special.