Empanadas

From Estancia San Lorenzo, a little more than a day's drive took us to Salta, the main centre in the Argentinean andes. What a change of scenery! From the green, lush landscapes of the Northeast to a rocky mountainous desert. We were going to be based in Salta for a few days to have the opportunity to explore the surrounding area as well as the town. Unfortunately, we made a few mistakes in the organisation of this trip; mistakes that we were going to pay for in the not too distant future. But that's a different story.

We hired an Astra sedan for travelling around Argentina; when we collected the car in Iguazu we found out it was much too small for 4 people plus luggage. A lesson to learn for the next trip. Moreover, roads in the Argentinean andes are mainly unsealed; a 4x4 would've been a better choice of vehicle. But once the deal is done, what can one do but forget the discomfort and enjoy the scenery. And what a scenery! Our first day of driving took us north of Salta, past Jujuy and through the Quebrada de Humahuaca towards the border with Bolivia. Other than the landscape, the culture was dramatically different compared to the rest of Argentina. The Andean influence was palpable, tapestries were on sale everywhere and more than one stereo blasted El condor pasa. I am sorry to say, but I did not feel as welcome as I did elsewhere in Argentina; in certain places I felt as I was a 'walking bank', locals seemed to be interested in tourists only in terms of how much money they could make from us. And no, it is not the same everywhere. I have travelled enough to experience the joys of commerce in different cultures. Nowhere have I been insulted or attacked for refusing to buy souvenirs.

However, the landscape was fantastic. The Quebrada de Humahuaca is a narrow valley created by a river, which was dry when we visited. The erosion of the stone by the elements has created a combination of colours seen nowhere else on earth. Throughout the valley, small adobe-built villages uphold the Andean traditional way of life. We visited Purmamarca, home to the Cerro de Siete Colores (Seven colours mountain). But the colours were everywhere, yellows melting into reds, purples and blues, which light up with a red haze at sunset. We drove for hours marvelling at the rocks' hues, then went over a high pass to the Salinas Grandes, salt flats reminiscent of the ones in South-West Bolivia. From a rainbow of colours to total whiteness, the contrast was spellbinding. Had we had a 4X4, we could have continued to Salta via San Antonio de los Cobres, a tiny settlement at 4200 m of altitude. Instead we visited some traditional villages on the way back to Salta, including one where we were invited to see the house of a local artisan who made handicrafts with cactus.

Salta is a very interesting city. Small and compact enough to visit in a couple of days, it offers nice plazas, churches and museum. My personal favourite was the Museo De Alta Montana, which hosts the mummy of an Inca girl who was sacrificed to the gods. It was my first brush with Inca culture, of which I was to get a generous dose in Peru. Child sacrifices were common in Inca times. The ritual was called capacocha and involved children between the ages of 5 and 15 who were chosen for their beauty. They were led from their hometown to Cuzco, capital of the Inca empire. Given the extension of the empire at the time, the trip could be thousands of kilometres. After being blessed by the Inca emperor the children were taken to high mountains, believed to be sacred places in Inca times. There the children were drugged and killed, or they were buried in caves and left to die exposed to the elements. The excellent degree of conservation of these mummies is due to the cold temperature at the burial sites, which could be at over 6000 m of altitude. The museum offers a good insight into the culture of the Inca and the practice of capacocha, reminding the visitor of how something that was common practice could be seen as inhuman after only a few centuries.

My favourite place in Salta has to be Patio de las Empanadas. As the name suggests, it is a courtyard were different stalls sell freshly made empanadas. Empanadas are small deep-fried or baked pasties with a variety of fillings, the most popular are beef and cheese. As one enters, hawkers fight for custom; we tried empanadas from different stalls and they were all good. Served with tomato concasse and an icy-cold Quilmes, they are the perfect street food for me. I tried several empanadas in Argentina, from service stations on the Ruta 40 to fancy cafes in Buenos Aires and Mendoza. I have to say, Patio de las Empanadas wins hands down.