Hidden Treasures of South America ~ Mar/Apr 2018

I somehow can't get to day two . Purvis

Sorry:  I didn't understand that only day 1 was up.  Purvis

And Day Three.

 

And Day Five.

What a difference a long hot shower makes.

 

Yeah...not worth the risk cause it can go from 5cm to 30 cm so easily.

The funny thing was that my transfer from the airport said I should visit the bookstore and pointed it out on the map....and I was thinking...why would I walk so far out of the downtown for a bookstore?

Not that I had time anyway....but was tickled pink to see that they included it. It would have been worth the walk.

 

Yes, I remember that version too! LOL

Day Six is up.

 

haha.  perhaps you mean day 7.
I'm loving reading about your tour. Thank you for sharing with us all.  

Now the real Day Eight is up.

I finished the tale yesterday and just need to proof read and enable the links. I'm very pleased with myself that I managed to get so much done while I was on the road. I was able to type some up on the bus but limited battery in my Surface kept me from doing so much more so I just ordered a Dell XPS which has been reviewed by people who say they can get 12 to 15 hours out of it. It'll be very helpful storm chasing especially with a wifi connection.

 

And Day Ten.

 

Day Twelve now.

 

And Fourteen.

 

Still rolling. Day Sixteen.

Time for dinner.

 

Wonderful tale and pictures, thank you Chech.  Took me back about 30 years!  I didn't go to all the places on your tour, but most of them.  We took a train from Buenos Aires to Tucuman and then hired a car to take us to Salta, the driver was also a tour guide.  You helped me remember things I had forgotten.  I see that you ate mainly European foods besides the empanadas, I wanted to try the local cousine and ask for tamales,  they were very bland for my So. California taste, so the following day asked for some more "picante" the guy was reluctant and though I wont eat it, I accepted the challenge of course, IT WAS HOT, but I did eat it, I think he put extra hot peppers just to try me!   I imagine the "train of the clouds" was not open yet?  we took it, the old itinerary was much longer than today's, it took us about 15-16 hours total.  From Salta we took a very slow train to Formosa, it took 36 hours!   


I wonder if you heard the story about the "cardones"?, I was told that General Guemes  (or was General Belgrano?), dressed the "cardones" with clothes from the dead soldiers to fool the Spaniards  and won the battle. 


Thank you again, I know I could not do this tour now a days! I wonder if the altitude had any effect on some people?  I never got sick, but many people did, especially in Tilcara and on the train.

The altitude didn't make anyone sick. One woman didn't feel great and avoided it but she came on tour iwth a chronic cough and that took a lot of her energy away.

I didn't hear about the the general dressing up the cardones. That would have been an interesting anecdote.

Our Dutch guide lives in Tucuman. He's been there for about twenty or thirty years.