Leaving the city of wine behind, I travelled up north on overnight buses stopping over in Córdoba for a few days and then heading up to the northwest town of Salta. I’m really impressed with the standard of buses in the country… the seats recline back and are pretty comfortable, you get meals and it’s a lot cheaper and less hassle than trying to take a flight anywhere… although I’m still always paranoid about being mugged and continue to hide money in my socks!
I made some great new friends in Córdoba… we wandered the streets of the student town, sampled a lot of local dishes (and ice cream!) and frequented the local markets together.
Local dish of Humita (corn) with cheese

Delicious ice-cream in Córdoba: fruits of the forest and peaches & cream

Arriving in Salta after a 14hr bus ride, I was welcomed by a freak thunderstorm with hailstones the size of ice cubes! Apart from this, I had an amazing time in this city. It’s a beautiful city with old colonial buildings still preserved. The cable car ride up to the top of San Bernado hill was a lot of fun … but the best part was enjoying a cold beer in a café on top of the hill, while looking down over the whole city with the afternoon sun shining! It’s really small moments like that which still make me think ‘I can’t believe I’m here’!
Views of Salta from on top of San Bernado hill




Although I prefer being outdoors and seeing natural attractions, I was particularly fascinated by one of the museums in Salta… the MAAM (Museo de Arqueología de Alta Montaña). It’s all about Inca culture and the child sacrifices that were discovered at the peak of mount Llullaillaco in 1999. They have one of the three mummified children on display in the museum… this was quite eerie to see but also really interesting to learn about the Inca traditions.
Travelling outside of Salta, I visited the province of Jujuy and the stunning mountain scenery in Pumamarca and along the Quebrada (gorge) de Humahuaca. The Hill of Seven Colours was particularly spectacular … it has all these different colours due to the different minerals in them (and their different levels of oxidation).
Hill of Seven Colours and Quebrada de Humahuaca


View from Pucara de Tilcara in Jujuy

I also managed to squeeze in a quick trip to the wine-producing town of Cafayate to try Malbec and Torrontés ice cream… although it’s not as delicious as you might originally think!