Salta, Argentina - Day 2

Today I took an all day tour of 4 small villages north of Salta which covered a total of about 250km or about 150 miles. These villages were my first taste of a more rural “traditional” Latin America culture which I was expecting when I started planning this trip. You know…the colorful traditional clothing, the unique handicrafts, the fresh foods made from local ingredients, and the dirty children happily playing with sticks and pig bladders. Ok so I didn’t see any animal parts being thrown around, but the rest of my perception (right or wrong) of South American living was unveiled today.

The first place was Purmamarca, a small village with the 7 colored mountains nearby. The second place was Tilcara, a small village about 2500 meters above sea level. The key to this city is the archeological site of Purcara de Tilcara, the ruins of a pre Inca Puracar people. The archeological site was atop a large hill which had a panoramic view of the area for protection from invaders. The third place we visited was Humahuaca, a UNESCO site for its fine example of pre Inca life and architecture. The fourth place was Jujuy, the capital city of the area. We also visited the marker for the Tropic of Capricorn, a major line of latitude in the southern hemisphere.

Salta, Argentina - Day 2