Odyssey from ice to the tropics

As already mentioned on Thursday the 13th, we got up early and went to the bus, nice weather all good. The nice bus driver took an extra round to the airport and dropped us off.

Quick check-in, a coffee con mediana with Nick and off through security. Nick said goodbye (he studies in La Plata), Hülse by the window, fabulous view over the airport to the lake and suddenly an announcement: all passengers via Córdoba to Salta please check in. Huh? Well, since the security checkpoint was more or less a temporary station and everyone around was relaxed, we went backwards and to the counter, so we got them rebooked, they will fly back to Buenos Aires and then later to Salta - okay. How much time loss? About 2-3 hours, well if necessary.

On the plane to BA and after about 1 hour you could see the reason, huge clouds along the route, the approach to BA was like slalom skiing, the landing with a bang and nice angle, the runway a non-swimmer pool, the airport totally crowded, from the announced 20 minutes to drive over the runway to a gate it would take 2.5 hours, all gates full, rain leaking through the roof into the arrival hall, 9 out of 10 flights cancelled, mine, which I would have missed anyway, of course as well.

2.5 hours and 3 helpdesks later, I had a new flight (though from Ezeiza), a hotel room and a meal voucher for 380 pesos, well taxi to the hotel in the middle of BA, and to the Chilean restaurant, half a liter of wine and into the nest at 3:30 am, got up and took a taxi to Ezeiza, there I should get my expenses refunded, there was trouble with the taxi and no money back, but at the restaurant, including the wine, which was actually excluded, there was double. I should claim the taxi via the website, let's see when I feel like doing that. The plane departed a bit late, probably because the thunderstorm cell, which was apparently almost as big as Germany, was still hanging over northeastern Argentina.

2.5 hours later, arrived in Salta, stepped out of the airport and BAM almost 30°C at 10 in the morning - Utterly Tropical.

Almost from the glacial ice to the jungle. The city is located at an altitude of about 1100m, which is about as high as in the pictures at the lagoons in Patagonia where there were no more trees, but here everything is green.

I have arranged for a bus on Sunday (13 hours) to Cordoba in a reclining seat. Tomorrow we're going into the clouds at ~4500m, the Tren de las Nubes is waiting. Before the bus to Cordoba on Sunday, we will visit the colorful mountains and the Salinas Grande (also at about 4200m). A jam-packed schedule.

More about that later.

Oh, in case I haven't mentioned it yet, THUNDERSTORMS, also in Salta as the rainy season begins.