Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Cafayate to Salta




On the second day in Cafayate, Charlotte and I returned to the Rio Colorado and hiked up to the area where the waterfalls were. It was a fun hike, crossing back and forth over the water, climbing over large rocks and up through a cave along the way. Going into the hike we had some interesting jumps and sometimes sliding down rocks that were too slippery to stand on. I knew it would be entertaining to figure out how to get back up when we returned but figured there must be a way, there were lots of people along the river lying in the water in the areas where it pooled next to a little fall. If all these folks (young and old) could all make it out there, there must be many different ways to get back.

After hanging out for a bit and enjoying the cool water I noticed a small frog just next to where I was sitting. They change colors depending on where they are and the light but this one was bright green. I grabbed a couple of photos but never saw it open its eyes. I guess he was enjoying the sunshine as well. We decided to make our way back before dusk; I didn’t want to get lost in the low light. We made our way safely and only had trouble in one spot where we had jumped down before; there wasn’t anything to hold onto and we needed to get up the side of a rock. I boosted Charlotte up and then she pulled me up from a small crack just barely wide enough to get your feet on. From there we could use a tree for the rest of the climb. These truly are the types of hikes I like to make; it’s more of an adventure than a walk in the woods.

On our way back out we stopped by the campsite to check on our friend David. He was resting in his hammock and cooking up some Chabrito (I think its lamb or goat, not sure) over a fire. We chatted a bit and he showed us a fig tree just next to where he was camping, we each ate several off the tree within minutes. Tasty tasty tasty. Afterwards we started walking back to town. About 10 minutes down the road we encountered a girl who called us through the thicket to a large stone. She and her friend were German, from the exact same town as Charlotte but the gentlemen had grown up there in Cafayate so they were in town to visit his family. He gave us a history of the stone. It was large and flat, on top where something like 30 holes in perfect circular shape of equal sizes. One theory states they were used by the Indians as a mortar and pestle vessel to make flour from wheat and such. The other, more common theory is that it’s a mirror for the stars. The layout of the circles mirrors the constellations during the month of May, it’s believed they fill the circles with water and the reflection has some mystical or religious significance. Either way, it was neat to see but I couldn’t get my flash to work and it was too dark to get a good picture so you’ll just have to take my word for it. He also showed us a short cut back to town and I practiced my Spanish with him during the walk while the two girls went on in German. Another great day in Cafayate. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any gluten free food in town so I decided to head to Salta the following morning. Charlotte decided to stay for a couple more days to explore more. Off to Salta I went.

1 comment:

  1. Sure glad I got to know your blog through Morgan. I'm sure he'd love to still be travelling, but glad I get to continue my vicarious trip even though he came home!

    M.R.

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