Cafayate, Salta, and the Road to Cachi

I spent a relaxing few days in the little town of Cafayate. Other than the plaza (every town in Argentina has them - very Spanish!) and going for a nice walk into the countryside to see the vineyards the town didn't have much to do. Might have been more exciting but the two nights I was there, there was no one else in my 6-bedroom dorm (same as San Marcos).

Vineyard in town where I did a wine tasting

And then to the bigger northern city of Salta. I can't say I liked the town much (was kind of a dirty, less interesting version of Cordoba) but the hostel was full of people from Holland and France, and meeting cool people definitely makes a stay in any town better.


View of front of hostel

 

Plaza 9 de Julio

Cable-car ride up Cerro San Bernardo overlooking Salta

Sad to say but I think the most interesting part of Salta was leaving the city for the day and taking a tour to the small southwest town of Cachi. The drive each way was almost 4 hours, so we only stopped for a few hours in the town to look around and eat lunch, but there was lots of great sites to see along the way, including the multi-coloured mountains, winding Cuesta del Obispo mountain pass up to the 3,457m top of the Calchaquies Valley, and Parque Nacional Los Cardones, which has the most cacti in the world and the Andes Mountains in the background!

 

Cordoba and San Marcos Sierras

Music at local farmer's market

I really liked the big university town of Cordoba. My hostel wasn't far from the main square - San Martin Plaza - that had a big cathedral and events and people around everyday. My last night in town, Saturday, there were people tango dancing in the square and I even tried a few dances (apparently I like to lead even when I don't know the dance:).

Park full of rings commemorating bicentennial

The hostel had a nice patio and I met lots of cool people to hang out with. Also toured the city - art galleries, etc. and found a really good vegetarian restaurant. I went out a few nights and heard some great, local folk music, as well as going to a local club (free entrance but a drink cost more than a night in my hostel!).

How mate tea is served - notice the huge pot of sugar



Manzana Jesuitica - Jesuit Block from 17th century



Music and light show on Good Friday

Sunday I took a bus north to the small town of San Marcos Sierras (in the Sierra Mountains). The town is spread around a square and pretty quiet, so a nice place to relax for a few days. There was also a hike to look over the town.

Main square with hiking mountain in background

Tree "tunnel"

Funky tree

View over San Marcos

Yesterday I left San Marcos, took a bus back to Cordoba, then one north to Tucuman, and finally another early this morning to get to the wine town of Cafayate.

Leaving Londrina, Iguazu Falls, and Entering Argentina

What a crazy week this has been! I should have still been at the community farm in Londrina until after Easter, but instead left after five days and ended up in Foz do Iguacu early, and slipped into Paraguay for a day (went over the bridge to an area with stores everywhere).

I don't want to go into too much of a rant over why I left - even though it wasn't my norms, I was adopting the long skirts and shirts, 5am wake-ups, sexual division of labour, etc. - but essentially it was because they took a line from the Old Testament and decided it meant they could abuse their children. It was hard because they seemed so nice and welcoming in so many ways, but what they were doing just wasn't right, so I packed my bags and left. This amazing couple that was at the community store that I had never met before gave me a ride to the bus.

Spent one night in this beauty at Favela Hostel!

After an overnight bus I ended up at the Favela Chic Hostel in Foz so Iguacu - the town on the Brazilian side of the waterfalls. For a small town I liked it quite a bit. I met some really nice people from England and Germany, and the falls themselves were amazing (both on the Brazilian and Argentina side). Definitely makes Niagara look small.

Brazil Side:



They are actually quite friendly but food snatchers

There were rainbows everywhere!

The pathway below is where I took the last pic - so wet

To continue my bad luck, the regulations must have changed since the writing of my guidebook, and I wasn't allowed into Argentina. Had to go back into Brazil, (out and in and out in one day) pay a ridiculous fee online which involved a lot of running around and not getting help from the Argentinian embassy, and then into Argentina and a bit of a rush at that side of the falls (which has much more paths and falls to see - there are a lot!). My cab driver, Gines, was amazing - he drove me around and helped make sure I got everything sorted.

Argentina Side:

Train to higher up falls

After one night in Puerto Iguazu on the Argentinian side, I took a very comfortable, (meals-included with huge, reclining seats) 22 hour bus ride and am now in Cordoba. I can definitely tell I am in a different country and this city has Spanish music and busy streets filled with people everywhere.

 

Nossa Paz to Sao Paulo to Chao Community

This morning there were still stars in the sky when I woke up and walked down past lit lamp-posts to the minha (meeting/offering place). During the week the first horn sounds at 5am to meet at 6am and sings songs, have a lesson/teaching, and then have breakfast before starting the day. About 90 people live at the Chao Community/Community of the 12 Tribes, near Londrina (still in Brazil). This is a Christian Commune, and I learned when I arrived they have communities all around the world, including three in BC and one on the island.

 

 

I've only been here since Saturday night, but it is definitely interesting to see how a large community lives and functions together. I am technically here as a wwoofing volunteer, as with the last farm, but today was the first day I helped in the garden - weeding and harvesting corn for planting. I find myself internally resisting some of the culture here, (women in the kitchen; men in the fields) but it is also quite a friendly and beautiful place (someone always sits beside me and translates whatever they are talking about during the morning and evening meetings). They have a kiosk at the entrance to the community where they sell delicious fresh juice, candles they were making, and sandals and bread they currently make here now.

Persimmon fruit

Before arriving here I spent two nights in Sao Paulo, the biggest city in South America and the second largest population of Japanese people outside of Japan (I had some delicious sushi, which the city is famous for). It was a busy two days, seeing some of the sights and learning to navigate the multi-line metro. It was also interesting spending my birthday in a city where no one knew me... kind of like any other day.



Square where Sao Paulo was "founded" in 1554

View from the top of a 36th story building

Beautiful church covered in graffiti I found when semi-lost



Part of my expensive b-day lunch. This fruit was $10!

And last but not least... my  last week at Nossa Paz was quite wonderful. I helped Simon take pictures of some wooden stools and side tables he had made, crafted lavender pouches, and helped plant little coffee trees in an area we had cleared. It was hard to leave such a beautiful place, but I am very grateful I spent a month of my life there!



Internet office

Mountain spring water source

Part of the house (built into and around the rocks)