Salta, Argentina

Upon arriving in Salta, I was picked up from the bus station by my hostel. If you ever go to Salta, this is the place to stay; Molles del Puertozuelo is up on the hill just away from the center of Salta and its surrounded by trees. There is no street noise or loud music to interrupt your slumber and you are blessed with the sound of birds and insects all day long. To top it off the owner, Tito, is one of the nicest people I´ve ever met. The first day he met me I told him I was gluten free and immediately he was offering to make me some gluten free bread. For breakfast, the traditional fare here is bread, instead I was greated with fresh fruit and yogurt everyday. Tito made a wonderful loaf of gluten free bread and he also suprised me with gnocchi and some pizza crusts. Of course the rooms are great and I was more than ready to be away from the noise of town. My friend Charlotte arrived a couple of days later from Cafayate and we moved into the apartment where we had a kitchen and more room for hanging out. Tito was so helpful and his family was so kind. It has been a great treat to stay here with all of them.

On the second day Charlotte and I went to San Lorenzo just a 20 minute bus ride away. For something like 40 cents, we jumped on a local bus and before we knew it we were there. Folks this is the place, if I ever have the extra cash to buy a second home, I think it will be in San Lorenzo. Its a quiet little sleepy town with lush green rolling hills and mountains. The houses are a mix of Spanish and Italian influence but most were absolutely beautiful with large lush yards. From what folks have told us, these nice houses would go for something around 80k. Not bad if you ask me, sounds incredibly cheap for the type of houses and the land. Unfortunately there isn´t much work here, most of the money in this town is from tobacco farms and old family money. Either way, I recommend it if you ever make it to the north of Argentina. The canyon area near by was also beautiful and full of families playing and relaxing in the water that cut through the middle of the hills. We made our way around a hiking loop at the Quebrada and to the top of the mountain, from the top we took a zip line back down. It was the first time for Charlotte so I went first and snapped a few photos of her. Afterwards we returned to Salta and spent a few more days enjoying the hostel and relaxing. On Sunday, Tito took us to another Quebrada about 25 kilometers from Salta in the open jeep. We had a nice hike to the waterfall and along the old train tracks. Of course, being in an open jeep means it had to rain on us. Once we got back into the jeep we didn´t get far before it was pouring. We were laughing and trying to get to the closest village as fast as possible, once there we dashed into a small restaurant and snuggled in for a feast while we waited out the storm. I had my first humitas, similar to a tomale but with fresh corn (not flour) and cheese which are steamed in corn husks. Yum town! Check out the new photos I posted on Flickr.