Four short months after our last departure from Buenos Aires, we are back again, on another journey to visit more of this amazing continent. Our travels will take us through the Andean Northwest of Argentina, then into Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia, where we’ll ship our camper back to Europe.
Our itinerary through Argentina 2016
Over the past two years we have seen almost all of Argentina and were sad to be leaving it. This was our first time traveling in winter, though and it was strange to see everyone bundled up in warm clothing. We chose this time of year only because it is the dry season in the northern regions we wanted to visit… dry but sometimes freezing at night!
A brief stop in the fascinating city of Buenos Aries was fun, then we stopped in the rural town of Pergamino to pick up our camper which our friend José had stored for us.
Lunch with our friends Fabian and Romeo, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Caminos & Sabores Cultural Fair, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Our drive northward was mostly uneventful as we went through a mostly agricultural region. In one area there were cotton fields, which we found surprising. As always, we loved the villages and the friendly locals that we met.
Camping at San Martin de las Escobas, Argentina
On our way northwest we stopped at Termas de Rio Hondo, a place renowned nationwide for its thermal water. We camped there for a couple of nights and enjoyed the thermal pool as well as the chocolates for which this town is famous.
Termas de Rio Hondo, Argentina
Typical parrilla (grill), Termas de Rio Hondo, Argentina
Abuela Haure’s Chocolate Shop, Termas de Rio Hondo, Argentina
Abuela Haure’s Chocolates, Termas de Rio Hondo, Argentina
City Center, Termas de Rio Hondo, Argentina
The Argentine Northwest is one of the most amazing regions in the country. We had already seen half of it on our last trip and had loved the colorful rockscapes, traditional handcrafts and indigenous communities. The climate here is arid, dotted with cactus, and quite chilly in the winter evenings. We toured Jujuy Province on our way to the Bolivian border. The city of San Salvador de Jujuy is said to be the most culturally indigenous and we enjoyed learning some of the history, traditions and mythology of the ancient people at The Museo Temático de Maquetas Tupac Amaru. This is a charming museum that is housed in a local political organization and presents indigenous history in a series of dioramas. Through a guided tour we learned about Tupac Amaru, the last Incan monarch, as well the educational and social programs that are now available.
City center, San Salvador de Jujuy, Argentina
School for indigenous students, San Salvador de Jujuy, Argentina
Historical diorama, Temático de Maquetas Túpac Amaru, Jujuy, Argentina
Mural of Túpac Amaru, last indigenous monarch, Museo Temático de Maquetas Túpac Amaru, Jujuy, Argentina
From there, we continued north to the awesome colors of La Quebrada de Humahuaca. It is a harsh but vivid landscape of spectacular scalloped formations and the palette of colors is incredible. In Jujuy we had been told that the sky is always blue there. It was foggy until we reached about 2,000 m (6,500 ft) and then, voila, the color of the sky against the multicolored rocks was magnificent! This area is listed as a UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE site and the valley is full of dusty, picturesque, indigenous towns. There are quaint adobe churches and homey restaurants, serving local specialties that are perfect for cold winter months, such as locro, a stew of maize, beans, pumpkin and meat (sometimes llama fillets).
Street vendors outside Purmamarca, La Quebrada de Humahuaca, Argentina
Market in Puramarca Plaza, La Quebrada de Humahuaca, Argentina
Market in Puramarca Plaza, La Quebrada de Humahuaca, Argentina
Tilcara, Argentina
Exhibit at Museo Arqueologico, Tilcara, Argentina
View of Humahuaca, Argentina
Quebrada Humahuaca, Argentina
Frozen waterfall, Quebrada Humahuaca, Argentina
La Quiaca, Argentina
Mural, La Quiaca, Argentina
Before crossing the border into Bolivia, we made a slight detour to the indigenous village of Yavi. It’s a small, slow moving out of the way place, with two interesting colonial era buildings, the Casa de Marqués Campero and Iglesia de Yavi. Both buildings date back to the 17th century. The house belonged to a Spanish marquis and now displays beautifully restored furniture, exhibits on Puna (high Andes) life and a charming library, which unfortunately was closed at the time of our visit. The Marquis built the church, which is covered in gold leaf, is a standout in northern Argentina.
Casa de Marqués Camparo, Yavi, Argentina
Casa de Marqués Camparo, Yavi, Argentina
Mining exhibit, Casa de Marqués Camparo, Yavi, Argentina
Iglesia de Yavi, Yavi, Argentina 17c
Iglesia de Yavi, Yavi, Argentina
Yavi, Argentina
We returned to La Quiaca to cross the border into Bolivia as we looked forward to continuing our adventures in a country that is new to us…
Fantastico! I didn’t go to this part, so thanks for the lovely pictures. The colors are so sharp. The church is a gem.
I am glad things are going well and that you are encountering friendly people. I am assuming that with your van going to Europe this will be the last trip to S Am for a while,. Enjoy all you can.
What a fabulous adventure! Your narrative and photos are great as usual! You are amazing!
I love your pictures and your narrative. I feel like I am there with you! I don’t know how you keep up the energy to travel from city to city, day after day! yOU ARE BOTH AMAZING!