Road Trip with Smiley: Day 2

in the morning above Seclantas where we slept... Today we drove mostly on rough Ruta 40, part of the same bumpy 'highway' that I rode along to arrive in El Chalten a couple months before down south in Patagonia.

along the road to Molinos


the Gol got pretty dusty

outside Angostaca...


Ruta 40

Road Trip with Smiley: Day 1

On Monday, May 26th, Smiley and I hit the raod from Salta in our rental Volkswagon Gol from Europcar. We left the hostel in Terra Occulta (the door to our room shown above) and set out for Cachi, bribing a transit cop 20 pesos before we had been the road for more than 20 minutes.

And WOW!!!! what a road trip!!!! jaw-dropping scenery to follow...

Sometimes the road was paved and sometimes it was bumpy with small creek crossings. Day 1 we cruised along Highway 33 from Salta to Cachi.

Cuesta del Obispo

finally turned the car off in the mountains for a group photo

wild lamas or alpacas

Cardones in the Parque Nacional de los Cardones

cachi

Salta, 25º de Mayo

Hovering above the crowds in this picture are a cross and a Coca-Cola billboard, symbols of two of the most powerful influences in South America, the church and the Coca Cola company.

Argentines from all over - Tucuman, Jujuy, Santiago del Estero - all came to Salta on the 25th of May to celebrate Argentina´s Independence Day, (which happens to also be my brother Richard´s birthday). Independence was declared from the city of Salta and so Christina Kirchner, the president, came to Salta La Linda to attend church and give a speech.

the police presence accompanying the president´s visit was strong

Christina talking to the crowds on a jumbo screen

a community group from Jujuy ran through the crowded streets yelling and waving their flags - apparently not happy about something

above the city of Salta