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After 4 days in Salta, the time came to hit the road again in order to continue our trip down south, heading for Bariloche in Patagonia. But, taking into consideration the distances (at least 36 hours by bus) we decided to add an intermediate stop somewhere. We considered three options : Buenos Aires, that we had liked a lot (specially our deluxe hosts Jean Jacques and Lucy) but we had already visited and was not the most direct option, Mendoza and its surrounding area, mainly known for its wineries, that we did not really feel like going to, and Cordoba, the second metropolis of Argentina, with its 7 universities and the title of Cultural Capital of the Americas, which is rather a Mecca of the local tourism than of the international one. At the end, we chose the third option.

Cordoba left us with mixed feelings. From an architectural point of view we were slightly disappointed : it has got some beautiful colonial buildings, but, the city is, overall, a conglomerate of new buildings without much interest. Sometimes we had the feeling of walking in Madrid streets, in one of red brick neighbourhoods built after the 60's boom : not bad to leave in, but not outstanding. On the other side, the downtown is filled with bookstores, cinemas and other cultural places, and there are also plenty of spots to visit in the nearby valleys and mountains.

Lately we have not been friends of getting up super-mega-early, the only thing we visited in the surrounding area was the town of Alta Gracia, 35 km away from Cordoba. The place is full of old mansions and what must be the biggest concentration of old Fiat 500 in the world. It was a fancy place already at the beginning of the 20th century when, thanks to its warm and dry climate, it became popular among the Argentinian bourgeoisie suffering lung illnesses. For this reason, since 1932, the Guevara family, whose 4 years-old first born Ernestito had asthma, settled there. The house they inhabited is now a museum dedicated to the life and works of the son who would become later 'El Che'. The museum contains, among others, plenty of objects and souvenirs of his childhood, adolescence and youth: photos, the books he read as a child, school records, and letters written to his family.

At the end of the 3 days we spent in Cordoba, we felt we could have stayed a bit longer. But, still plenty to see in Argentina and we are back on board of yet another bus that, in 22 hours, will drop us in Bariloche.

Bea

The north of Argentina, from Salta up to the Bolivian border has got an Andean flavour. From the reddish mountain and desert landscape to the cultural specificities. In the gastronomy as well, the pre-Columbian influence can be felt. Back in time, the area made part of the Inca empire and during the Spanish colonisation, it built strong commercial links with Potosi. Indeed, the north of Argentina, today the poorest part of the country, used to be the richest with its economy based on the production of mules and provisions to supply the mining city, where, due to altitude and climate, the local production could not cope with the needs.

An example of this Andean flavour : though the import and selling of coca leaves is forbidden in Argentina, authorities in the north do not seem to pay too much heed to the rule. Some grocery shops have got signs proposing this product and, even in the most elegant coffees in town, and at any time of the day, it is possible to see people pulling a few leaves from a little bag and putting them into their mouths.

Nevertheless do not get the wrong impression from my words : there are a few common points with the neighbouring country, but the area feels more like Argentina than Bolivia. Starting with paved roads and in rather good shape, there are coffee shops and restaurants everywhere and, with the exception of few local dishes, food is similar to what we found in Buenos Aires : pizza, pasta, parrilla and empanadas. On top of that, though some of the people have got an indigenous type, most of the population seems to be of European or Middle East descent, unlike the areas we visited in Bolivia. And, of course, you can hear the Argentinian accent all around you.

Salta is a charming city. The old town is well preserved and has got beautiful colonial buildings spread all over it. Everywhere there are shops, coffees and terraces. We stayed in a nice hostel where we could oversleep. It was the first time in a while that we did not have to suffer from the staff shouting to each other at 8 a.m, in front of our door. The Wifi was, as well, fast and reliable. All these details helped to enjoy the city even better.

One of the main attractions in Salta is the 'Tren the las Nubes' (Train of the Clouds, literally). Unfortunately, with the years it has stopped being a mean of transport to become a tourist attraction with prices close to those of a Paris-Madrid by Talgo. So we gave up the idea and, instead, we took the aerial cable car up to San Bernardo hill, where there are great views of the town. Maybe less impressive, but still very nice and much, much cheaper. The day before our departure, we went to watch a comedy play. It was hard to convince Karim, because he was not expecting to get everything. But he did understand well … I am proud of him !

Bea