March 13, 2006
Day 166
The main cathedral in town.
I arrived in Salta today on an overnight bus. My main goal of visiting Salta was to go on the "Train to the Clouds," a train that goes all the way to the nearby mountains with breathtaking views of the region. I walked around town trying to figure out how to get on the train only to find out that it wasn't running. From what I gathered, there was a mudslide awhile back that derailed the train and they were still trying to figure out a way to fix it. I wish I would have known about that beforehand as it was the only reason I came this far north.
I spent the rest of the day checking out the town. It's the smallest place I've stayed in weeks, a nice change of pace from the big cities further south. The town is full of nice churches, restaurants with outside seating, and a big hill overlooking the entire city. It's a lot hotter and more humid here than anywhere I've been in awhile, so it will take some adjusting.
Salta is also near Bolivia, so I've been hearing stories from other travelers who just came from there. It's been nice reminiscing about the "distant past" of four months ago with them. There appears to be much less European influence in the people here. Most people I have met in Argentina could trace their entire ancestry back to Spain and Italy, but almost all of the people here are "mestizo," a mixture of European and native cultures. It will be nice to get a reminder of my traveling past for a few days before heading back south again.
The photo album for this entry is here.
