Northern Argentina (Salta and Cafayate)

After our incredible tour of the Salar de Uyuni, we wanted to take the train from Uyuni to Villazon on the border with Argentina on the evening of October 30th. This train only runs twice a week and the timing would have been perfect. However, since the situation in Bolivia has not calmed down, the train company (national company) went on strike. So we had no choice but to stay another night in Uyuni and take a bus (private company) to Villazon at 6am the next morning. After only two hours, the comfortable bus ride came to an end as it broke down (or maybe there weren't enough passengers?). So we had to switch to a collectivo (minivan) for the next four hours. We packed our luggage and wanted to get our passports stamped on the Bolivian side. Well, at least on that day it didn't work out and we simply got a stamp in our passports from Argentina for 90 days. After another 8 hours by bus, we arrived in Salta at night.

The next day, we felt the effects of the 17-hour journey in our tiredness. So we took it easy in Salta, which is known as La Linda (The Beautiful). We enjoyed the warmth, the sun, and the cozy atmosphere. During a walking tour, we learned that the main squares in Argentina are oriented north and south. In the north, there is always a cathedral and this is where the rich people lived. In the south, there is the city hall and this is where the poorer population lived.

Over the weekend, we took a four-hour bus ride to Cafayate. The region is known for its white wine and vineyards. So on Saturday, we enjoyed a wonderful afternoon at Finca Las Nubes with a bottle of white wine and a cold platter. The bottle of white wine was cheaper than three glasses of wine. In the evening, there was a heavy thunderstorm and the streets turned into streams within hours. As a result, we could not go on our excursion to Quebrada de las Cochas the next day due to the road conditions (lots of sand). Is the weather ever on our side on this trip?

We visited the Bodega El Esteco with a small tour and wine tasting. This winery produces 80 million liters of wine per year. Carla liked the Torrontes white wine the best, which is famous for this region.

So on Monday, we returned to Salta with few memories, where we are now sitting at the airport today (Tuesday) waiting for our flight to Iguazu. It's nice to fly a stretch after spending over 100 hours on buses in the past few weeks.