Hola to all!

We arrived in the northern Argentine city of Salta by bus from Mendoza late on a sweltering afternoon and, like a couple of pack animals ( which would be llamas in this part of the world), we climbed a narrow wooden staircase to the second floor of an old colonial building. A part of this ancient building is now the Hostal el Alcazar. A skeleton key opened the door to our tall, narrow, green room. To the right was a well-worn double bed and opposite, a casement opened to a tiny balcony trimmed with wrought iron. Perfect for only two chairs for two to overlook life on the street below. And so we did … with full color commentary of course, made all the more colorful with the aid of a bottle of cheap but delicious red wine. (Hey, we’re in Argentina after all!)

Besides wondering about so many things on the street below the Museo de Archeolologia in Salta caused me to wonder about so many more things. Museums have a way of doing that. This museum focuses on the Inca culture. At it’s center are the mummified remains of a boy child. These remains are those of one of three children found on a peak in the Andes in 1999 and are believed to be child sacrifices left by the Inca. Such was their bond with the earth and with all living things? Climatic conditions preserved the bodies almost perfectly, retaining the color of woven clothing, feathers and skin. Truly fantastic and so moving.

The following day Jose-Maria, our guide for the day, shared his yerba-mate and coca leaves with us … solely for the prevention of altitude sickness … while guiding us through the colored canyons of the Quebrada de Humahuaca which are north toward Bolivia. The mountainsides along this river valley look as though they have been sliced open obliquely to reveal undulating ribbons of rock. Dusky colors … amethyst, sage, honey, rose, blue-grey and maroon. Layer upon layer of colored rock like some marvelous confection. What an indescribable and magnificent sight! Homes, walls,walkways and fences of the villages alongside the canyon are still built of bricks of tawny clay taken from the river bottom and mortared with mud and straw. Village life is changing and the fences that once primarily contained the llamas are now hung with colorful weavings, carvings and pottery for visitors to buy. Sigh…

Tomorrow we will cross the border into northern Chile with plans to stop for a few days in San Pedro de Atacama, a town in the middle of a desert, parts of which have never recorded rainfall. Bliss!
I will send photos once I get this techie problem solved … still haven’t found a card-reader but I am not trying very hard, sorry.

Buenos noches and love,

Monika

PS: A special goodnight to you Dorothy