I caught the bus accross the border from Paraguay to Argentina - you only have to stop once as they have sensibly got the two immigration controls at adjacent windows next to each other - rather than the normal 1/2 km apart. But it was all going too smoothly - when the customs dogs went on the bus they sniffed out some drugs which led to a search and several young guys been dragged away for questioning!! 21/2 hours later they were back with their knuckles wrapped for having a few joints - lucky they weren`t sitting next to me as I would have hit them harder as I ended up missing my connection bus becuase of their stupidity!! I mean how daft are you to take a couple of joints accross a controlled border!!
Unplanned I spent the night in Resistencia - again you could tell immediately that you were in a different country, for one people were still active after dark!!
Resistencia is a modern commericial city - it is known as the City of Sculptures as it has hundreds of sculptures all over the place after a competion a few years ago. There is now tax benefits to anyone who erects a new one. There wasn`t too much else to see here given I had a full 24 hours to wait - though about 6 onward buses a day to where I want to go they all leave within 30 minutes of each other - sensible??? But I did manage to do some shopping and replace a few worn out items!
In the Plaza in the centre of the town a group of people had set up camp as some kind of political protest. Though conditions were basic they all seemed to have mobile phones!!
Feliz was impressed with his first Argentina bus when they served him up some dinner..
The bus station in Salta even had slot TV`s so you could fill the long wait between buses.
There are loads of police checks on the roads in Argentina - even the buses are stopped a reasonable amount though not as much as the cars and trucks thankfully.
Two buses and 17 hours later I arrived in JuJuy and decided to spend a few hours here to break up my journey and stretch!! Unfortunately as it was Sunday and Siesta (which is taken very seriously in Argentina) most things were closed and the streets pretty deserted.
Feliz also enjoyed stretching his legs but was glad the train line was no longer in use.
He also made friends with the local policman who was quite amused by the fact I was carrying a teddy!
The locals kids ignored siesta to play in the streets.
I don`t know the name of this tree but the cotton wool type stuff comes from a fruit after it ripens and you see the birds take it for their nests.
A nice souveigner to take home??? Have seen this type of ornament on sale a few times - would you put it in your living room??
A long journey with a few stops but I finally made it to the town of Humahuaca - one of the towns along the Quedbrada de Hamahuaca - a colourful gorge that stretches over 100km between Argentina and Bolivia. A nice wee town to hang out for a few days - though a few tourists here it was pretty traditional and I stayed in a lovely family run hostel.
Dogs everywhere you turn in Argentina.
The kids were cute though lots of them did not want there photo´s taken but I found a few who didnt mind! The wee boy is the son at the hostel I was staying at.
The band playing at the resteraunt where I had dinner.
I went for a 20km trekk up to Coctaco a pre Columbian site where I was told there were some ruins - all I found were some old stone foundations and some houses which did not look pre-columbian (in my expert opinion!!). That said as there are no signs or information avaiablle I could have been looking at it or been in the wrong place. But it was a lovely walk with some beautiful scenery.
With not much life in the area I don´t know who got the biggest fright when we came accross each other me or this giant hare!!
I met this goat herder on my way back down the hill - lovely old lady who was trying to get some food from me - I didn´t have any but I did have a spare bottle of water which I gave her.
And a donkey.....
The bus station at Tilcara which is about an hour south of Humahuaca - this town is popular spot for Argentinian tourists who come to get away from the big cities.
Though there is a small town centre with toursit resteraunts and shops most of the town has a pretty traditional feel about it with small brick houses and easy going attitude.
The local kids entertain themsevles....
Whilst this one helps his mum with the shopping.
Pucara de Tilcara - a few km´s outside of the town is the old pre inca (re-constructed) fortress - traces of habitation here go back 10,000 years with the earliest tribes being both warriors and craftsmen (potterers, weavers etc) who lived in the small brick houses. They would have also had herds of Llama for wool and food. This fort is stratigically positioned with a 360 degree fantastic view around it. It didn´t stop the initial occupants being conquered by the Inca{s in the 15th century or the subsequent invasion of the Spanish!! But still impressive.
Some of the views from the fort and the surrounding area and the colourful hills.
Maimara another small town in this area - on the tour list for it´s bright and colourful cemetery...
Back in Tilcara I visited the Archeological museum which had some interesting pieces from pre and post inca times that had been found in this area like this old sandal - which is actually in better condition than my current pair!!
These stone carvings were found in the hills at Coctaca - probably why I couldn´t find anything there as it is now all in the museums!!
What the archeologists think a traditional house from the Inca periods would have looked like.
And a very old statue which I think from my limited understanding of the Spanish information sign was a tribute to the sun gods....
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