Backpacking South America

We had such a wonderful time in Cafayate that we decided to take the 3.5 hour bus ride back to spend a few more days, which turned into more than a week.  Cafayate is a town that either wraps you up and makes you want more, or is so small that you’re ready to go after one or two days.  Obviously, we fell into the former group.

On our bus trip, we met a nice family that had made reservations at the hostel we were planning to stay at, the Rusty K Hostel.  The Rusty K is the most recommendable hostel that we have stayed at thus far.  It was well laid out, not overly cramped or large, but with lots of open space on the patio that you couldn’t resist grabbing a beer (quite cheap at this hostel) and lounging for a bit.  It was also extremely clean and well run by a super friendly and helpful family.

Our First Asado

One of the nights, we decided to try our hand at the parrilla with our new found friends.  So we grabbed meat for four people, green peppers, 3 types of cheese (soft, hard and blue), and a bag of carbon (already burnt woodchips).  With the help/guidance of Walter, the owner of the hostel, we got the fire started.

After leaving our dear friend’s at the Estancia, we settled into Salta, for what was supposed to be a week of catching up on the blog, reviewing Spanish, and enjoying the city.

Over the weekend, we took one big excursion into the puna, the high altitude areas north and west of Salta.  We followed the route of the Tren de las Nubes, visited Salinas Grandes and took some great photos.

View our photo sets

Then crossed a pass at 4170 meters above sea level.  On our way day, we visited Pumamarca and the Quebrada de Huamaca.

View our photo sets

The city has a very unique charm, with its large colonial buildings and churches.  The city really comes alive at night with people and the buildings are lit up.

View our photo sets

Unfortunately, our stay in Salta coincided with a heatwave and everyday was right around 100 degrees.  We did our best to soldier on, but it is amazing how heat can really keep you down.   We typically tried to get out in the morning to walk around, then found a place to retreat for the afternoon – usually the hostel or a café (AC and wifi).

View our photo sets

We recently realized that there are a number of things that we say on almost a daily basis. So if you were a fly in our packs, you would probably be pretty tired of us saying them by now.

We’ll keep you guessing as to who says what.

… This CAN’T be safe.

…Seriously…

…No matter what happens (If we die), I just want you to know that I love you.

…This is so inconvenient.

…There HAS to be a better way.

…Um, what did you get from that? What do you think he said?

…Tranquilo…

…I love you.

…I can’t believe these kids are still awake. (Often said at a restaurant around 11pm)

…This is disgustingly dirty.

…I think I just got pooped on!

After Cafayate, it was off to meet our friends Paul and Kathy outside of Salta on an Estancia. We had intended to stay one night in Salta and leave first thing the following morning for the Estancia.

Once we arrived into town, we checked into our hostel and decided to wander the city to get the lay of the land and get a snack. After walking around the center plaza, we were heading back to a café we had passed by to get a bite to eat. I asked Jared, “What about that café?” As I was scanning the patio seating, there were Paul and Kathy! This world is seriously too small. We were all so pleasantly surprised.  They had, on a whim, decided to catch a ride to Salta with the owner of the Estancia and were in town for only 2 hours.

So, we joined them for a drink on the patio and were chatting about our travels and the random encounter that just happened. They then twisted our arms and asked them to join them at El Bordo for one extra night. We said “Definitely!” We promptly grabbed our bags and caught a ride back to the Estancia.