It's only been 10 days since I last wrote and I was getting a bit desperate to meet more people because I didn't meet so many other travellers up until that time. Well, at last I found my way on the backpacker track and I must admit it is really important for me as I am travelling by myself. If I had a travel buddy I would maybe prefer times when hostels are not so full all the time, but being alone is never funny more than one day when you are on the road after that you get depressed and terribly homesick!
So after Tucuman, which was a big mistake (ugly city, overcrowded with too much traffic where it takes a half hour or more to queue to get to a cash point!) I went on to Cafayate, a small town where the landscapes were absolutely beautiful. This gateway to the Northwest of Argentina is a small wine region but I left the wine tasting for later (Mendoza) and went to visit la Quebrada de Las Conchas and it was very spectacular. Argentina is offering beautiful landscapes but what is amazing is how dramatic they are. Most times they are desertic and any life (animal) is kind of wiped out from the scenery, the rivers are dried and vegetation is very small so it makes it look very hostile and a little scary to spend a whole day in this kind of place. Cafayate was kind of quiet but way better than Tucuman in terms of travellers.
Later on I left Cafayate to go to Salta. Salta is called "Salta La Linda" so it made it an indication that it would be fine to stay there and take a day to visit the city as well. I was lucky enough to stay in Salta over a long weekend and meet more Argentinian people and a few brave Brazilians travelling by bike from Brazil to Chile (coast to coast). I have to say that so far both Argentinian and Brazilian people make the best travel friends! Or at least there is something more compatible with my personality/ character?? who knows! Anyway, together with the couple from Argentina and one of the Brazilian guys we went by car to TILCARA. This place was amazing!!!!
I think so far in my trip I had really one place I have loved more than anything else and it was Bacalar in Mexico. Well, Tilcara is my second "location - lovestory" in my trip. It is a veyr small indigenous (and touristy) village at 2500m altitude in the mountains. It took about an hour for me to get used to the altitude but passed this I just loved it, it was simply beautiful and I don't know if it was the altitude acting on my brain but I felt at peace, really relaxed. We made the day trip (a bit long as the road is about 4 hours each way). The next days we visited Salta and tried to pass time because the city is not that big.
Afterwards, I spent a good 20 hours on a bus to get from North to "South" or let's say "center" of Argentina, more precisely to Mendoza. The green-er wine region. It is a nice city and the weather is very nice right now but there is something very strange about the city. It was explained to me yesterday but when I arrived I thoguht to myself "where is the historic center?" like, the touristy bit where you can maybe learn a little about the past of the city...there is none..it was all destroyed after an earthquake if I understood well. But other than this it is kind of nice. I went on a wine-bike tour, you cannot visit Mendoza without doing so! and yesterday I went trekking (very easy trekking) and did rappel (when you go down a cliff with a cord) it was cool, the most we did was a wall of 40meters. I thoguht I would be a bit more impressed but maybe it was too easy... ?? no in real my hands were burning after 25-30 meters! And after the tour took everybody to hotsprings (termas) and it was very nice and relaxing to finish the day.
I am a bit sad because this kind of marks the end of my travelling in Argentina and in South America and in the Americas in general...
Next month I will have crossed ocean to arrive to Australia (that it in 10 days more or less). I will go back to Buenos Aires in a few days and spend my last days in Argentina there. Then (a bit stupidly) I will fly to Chile (it is acutally 6 hours by bus from Mendoza where I am now but I had not really planned it that way) for 3 days before flying over to Australia. it's also marking the end of holiday time because in Australia I will be looking for a job to make a bit of money (yes, my savings are getting shorter now after being on holidya so long even after leaving on budget!)
So I think it is not yet the conclusion, I might right more before I leave South America but a "pre-conclusion" of my visit in the Americas let's call it like this. the first feeling for sure is that I definitely want to be back soon and I have not even left!
