Northern Argentina

Posted by on Dec 12, 2015

Coming out of the Bolivian highlands, we spent a few days warming up and restocking in San Pedro de Atacama in Chile, before moving on to Argentina. The touristic little desert town has a calm atmosphere with a lovely plaza and stunning volcanoes surrounding it in the distance. On merely 2400m life is easy. It feels like an oasis surrounded by rough landscape. After the demanding high altitude, 8 days off-road we had spend going through the Salar de Uyuni and Ruta de las Lagunas in Bolivia, entering Chile was quite a culture shock. A rigorous border check, confiscating all fruits and vegetables, seeds and meat products we hadn’t yet consumed, led to a world where highways are all of a sudden perfect and lined with signs and rules. Every piece of nature worth looking at has a fence around it with a ticked booth and laws posted of who and what is allowed to enter. A strange contrast to the raw uninhabited land we’ve experienced so shortly before.

Nevertheless, we enjoyed the little break, visiting Valle della Luna and the surroundings of San Pedro, while we were waiting for the high mountain pass to Argentina to open up again. A couple of days of snow had closed down the Paso de Jama border crossing.

The beautiful contrast of the landscape in Valle de la Luna is particularly stunning during sun set.

ValleDeLaLuna_4__MG_2614

Big sand dunes meeting harsh cliffs create a confusing optical effect.

ValleDeLaLuna_2__MG_2572

ValleDeLaLuna_3__MG_2584

We drove through the valley with several other travelers we had met in San Pedro. Jeff’s mud-covered truck who just came back from an excursion to the surrounding geysers, made the whole thing look like a scene out of Mad Max, except that we were driving on perfect roads, with sign posted tourist attractions.

ValleDeLaLuna_1__MG_2544

Trying to avoid any more tourist crowds (we’re travelers after all!) we explored some of the roads leading out of San Pedro, to find two beautiful sink holes filled with water. Enough said.

  • 02Ojo_1__MG_2623
  • 02Ojo_2__MG_2632
  • 02Ojo_3__MG_2644

Then we hit the road again…
This is our route through northern Argentina.

Argentina opened up a whole new world. A huge country. Money soft and torn like over-used toilet paper. Great wine, and meat. A slightly forgotten Italian cultural influence resulting in pizza and ravioli everywhere, an all afternoon siesta shutting down the country from one to five pm, and cappuccinos (but in powder form). Gauchos riding their horses proudly alongside the road, hundreds of mulberry trees to harvest and make jam from, ground coffee with sugar already in it, elaborate BBQ stations and pizza ovens in campgrounds, friendly people and mouthwatering empanadas.

Driving the famous Ruta 40, from Salta to Mendoza, was wonderful! In company of the French couple Sidonie, and Vincent in their VW van, our focus was largely on enjoying good food of course. We made mulberry jam, baked chocolate cake and delicious lasagna in their dutch oven, did many many BBQs including vegetarian versions for Vincent, baked pizza, learned to drink Mate tea, and wine-tasted ourselves through the region. All along while enjoying the picturesque landscape with vineyards, adobe haciendas, rough cliffs, blooming cacti, and singing our Argentinian theme song: “chef un petit verre on a soif!”.

Tara was skeptical of Argentina at first. We told her it’s the land of BBQ but she just couldn’t smell anything in the first few hundred kilometers. This is her, before the border in front of a laguna named “Tara”.

PasoDeJama___MG_2685

We met Barbara and Mark with their MAN truck on the way. Their cheerful company and cosy moving apartment was a welcome refuge for us in the cold evening.

Purmamarca_1_IMG_4158

As a truck mechanic, Mark isn’t intimidated checking out an oil leak on the wheel, even on this empty stretch of land.

Purmamarca_2__MG_2718

We are used to curvy mountain roads by now, but Argentina makes them look good.

Purmamarca_3__MG_2741

The colourful mountains of Purmamarca. We gave up on color correction. Rainbow mountains always look wrong.

Purmamarca_4__MG_2762

Our first delicious steak – although it was llama, not beef.

Purmamarca_5__MG_2770

Our first attempts of making asado (including a vegetarian version)…

Jujuy_1__MG_2776

Jujuy_2__MG_2775

…and mulberry jam. Yum.

Stunning landscapes between Salta and Molinos made us feel like we landed in the wild west.

Molinos_2__MG_2847

Molinos_1__MG_2810

Just outside the town of Molinos we visited Finca Colome, a large, fancy Swiss-owned winery. Reservations required.

Colome_1__MG_2897

Colome_2_IMG_2899

Sidonie’s pre-birthday desert we indulged in, was so delicious, we had to give her cover so she could lick the plate out in peace and still keep her dignity. That’s how we do fancy!

Colome_3_IMG_5745

The finca hosts a fantastic museum of James Turrell — the Californian light and space artist. His works skillfully play with perception and turn every room of the building into a sensory spectacle. The experience is even more enjoyable after a glass of the Finca’s delicious wine.

Colome_4_IMG_2903

This northern section of Argentina, may be one of the most beautiful parts of the famous routa 40, although difficult to capture in pictures. The landscape is barren and dry, but dotted with lush valleys, lone trees, and small vineyards. Green parrots color the sky, adobe houses seam the street. Some have posh, roman looking pillars out front — a strange combination. The basic earthen habitats often have pizza ovens, solar panels, and seem self-suficient. We love the kind of architecture that uses material found at the site of construction. It feels respectful, and at the same time re-assuring that it doesn’t require too much to build an existence. The integration of architecture into the landscape brings a nice calmness about the land. Despite human habitation, nature still seems one. This stretch of road almost gave us an urge to settle… but only almost.

  • 40toCafayate_2__MG_2939
  • 40toCafayate_1__MG_2943
  • 40toCafayate_3__MG_2918
  • 40toCafayate_4__MG_2919
  • 40toCafayate_5__MG_2969
  • ToValleUnion_4__MG_3128
  • ToValleUnion_5__MG_3145

Many of the Argentinian paper bills are in such bad shape, they are taped together and almost falling apart. While in most other countries, people would simply refuse to except such bills, in Argentina this seems to be the norm. This makes it more apparent what money really is: over-used paper! And for some strange reason, we all agree that it has the value of the number printed onto it.
In Argentina, there is a double currency: the official Argentinian peso, and the unofficial Dollar Blue. Stable currencies (US dollars and euros) are exchanged at a rate much higher than the official exchange rate.
Argentina went through many economical crisis and doesn’t seem to be in great economical and political shape. It feels like a very developed, educated place, with European standards, but many people we’ve talked to seem dissatisfied. Once a land of opportunities and one of the world’s richest countries, this nation has made its people rich and poor many times since. Despite any hardship, many Argentinians are exceptionally friendly and have an inspiring light-heartedness to them.

Cafayate_1_IMG_4208

Cafayate_2_IMG_4211

This joyful spirit may be due to the availability of gazillions of different kinds of mouth-watering empanadas.

SanAgustin_1_IMG_4251

Never had so many in our lives!

Las Ruinas de Quilmes — a Pre-Incan civilisation that built their habitats half underground along a hillside. Strolling through the site, it becomes interesting to observe how the negative and positive spaces interplay and difficult to guess if openings are dug out or walls built.

RuinasdeQuilmes_1__MG_2983

Erdem found a perfect empanada-digestion site.

RuinasdeQuilmes_2__MG_2997

RuinasdeQuilmes_3__MG_2986

Finding a nice pizza oven on a camp site made us immediately move into production mode. Delicious! We first baked eggplants and bell peppers which then were turned into a tasty topping.

PizzaOven_1__MG_3011

PizzaOven_2__MG_3021

Traveling with a baking tray seems a strange thing to do, but has proven useful many times.
Occasionally we fry things using both gas plates at once, use it as a serving tray, or to bake pizza in this case.

ToValleUnion_2__MG_3055

We love being on the road! Tara usually does too, but sometimes gets tired of looking out the window.

ToValleUnion_1__MG_3064

Drinking mate has quickly become a habit and gives reason to some lovely afternoon road side breaks.

ToValleUnion_3__MG_3125

A bit further South around Valle Union the weather turned from a wonderful spring-like atmosphere into several days of rain. This caused many rivers to build up and overflow across the streets. One road south was completely blocked, and the other required us to cross several fast flowing streams.

ToAnotherValleLuna_1__MG_3172

Not a big problem for a truck, but a bit concerning with a VW van. For the biggest crossing we decided to pull them, just to be safe. Tara thought this was a splendid idea and was eager to help.

  • ToAnotherValleLuna_2__MG_3197
  • ToAnotherValleLuna_3__MG_3222
  • ToAnotherValleLuna_4__MG_3236
  • ToAnotherValleLuna_5__MG_3240
  • ToAnotherValleLuna_6__MG_3279
  • ToAnotherValleLuna_7__MG_3295

It is great to encounter so many new animals in each country.

AnotherValleLuna_3__MG_3366

Argentina seems to be teeming with foxes. Some of them are very accustomed to looking through trash cans on campgrounds in search for food.

AnotherValleLuna_2__MG_3343

These Patagonian Mara are extremely interesting rodents, walking/hopping around in pairs. They are monogamous animals that seem to be a mix of bunny and deer. You can call them “beer”.

AnotherValleLuna_4__MG_3392

The last kind of the four Andean camelids (llama, alpaca, vicuña, and…): guanacos. They seem very similar to vicuñas but this species has a dark face.

We are glad we get to travel with our own animal. It is interesting to see our journey through her eyes and get an animal’s perspective on the things we experience. She is a good nature sensor and makes sensory overstimulation very apparent.

AnotherValleLuna_1_IMG_5749

AnotherValleLuna_5__MG_3399

Mendoza_2_IMG_5764

Continuing our culinary exploration, this vegetarian lasagna – made in a dutch oven which was carried all the way from Canada – was a particular delight. World class cuisine!

SanAgustin_2_IMG_4254

We continued on learning about traditional champagne production at the Champagnera Miguel Mas. We had no idea what an elaborate process it is! One thing we were shown is that sweetening grape concentrate is added in increasing amounts to the original champagne, in order to create the variations from Brut Nature to Demi Sec.

The growing number of vineyards indicated our impending arrival to Mendoza. Nestled in the midst of a significant wine region, the city has a great sophistication in selling their products. It is no wonder one can find stores with separate rooms for each grape, and precious bottles displayed like in a museum.

Mendoza_3_IMG_5774

Mendoza_1_IMG_4268

In Mendoza, our paths separated with Sidonie & Vincent. It was great fun traveling with them! We were together almost every day from Potosi, Bolivia to Mendoza, Argentina. We shared a lot more than what was laid out on the big picnic tables. We will miss them and all the imaginary characters floating around their heads. And the free French coffee in the morning… (Not the one pictured above. But still!)

Uspalata__IMG_5778

Overlanding rig spottet in Uspalata.

The pass crossing over to Chile, at Paso Libertadores, was absolutely stunning. We will be zig-zagging our way South between Argentina and Chile, but this may be the last time we see the dwarfing grandeur of the high Andes.

NoMansLand_1__MG_3505

NoMansLand_2__MG_3541

NoMansLand_3__MG_3562

NoMansLand_4__MG_3571

NoMansLand_5__MG_3618

2 Comments

  1. francesco
    December 13, 2015

    thank you! once again!

    Reply
  2. Emrah
    December 16, 2015

    Such a joy. Don’t come back, keep going…
    We love u guys

    Reply

Leave a Reply