Expats In Salta?

[GMXam]

I just realized that we can't do a trip on Monday...we are meeting in Salta with Noruega in the afternoon so the late return will not work with our schedule. We'll be scheduling Humahuaca, Salinas Grandes, and a few other excursions for Tuesday through the end of the week. Iruya is one that Noruega was interested in, as well, so we don't want to see that without her. Will you be in Salta (the city) Monday afternoon/evening to meet with us and Ed Rooney?

It costs 760 pesos per person, I think it stops in humahuaca as a minimum (we are on a tour from buenos aires, and we already have humahuaca scheduled for tomorrow). Alternatively, we found another (private) tour for 2500 ars or less for 2 to 4 persons (with driver) in a 4x4 vehicle. If we are just two, we won't do it because it is too much expensive, but if find other 2 people who would like to join us, then it would be awesome!


Noruega has my mobile number. We will be in salta tonight in case we should coordinate in person.

We are also looking at the option to change our itinerary with our travel agency since a daily trips to Iruya seems very unlikely,'so far.

 

[Girino]

Magically, our travel agent was able to find another couple of locos wanting to visit Iruya on a daily trip from Salta (if you are going to sleep in Humahuaca or Purmamarca, they are closer!). From Salta it is quite a long trip and just a 1:30 hrs stop in Iruya.
From Salta, it is more common to spend the night in Iruya or to combine it with other destinations.

In Salta, I recommend Cucina Andina - found on tripadvisor, it offers dishes I have never seen elsewhere! The location is odd: it is in a city mall in the main square, but it is worth it. It is open for lunch and dinner.

I will pass on the Monday meeting, sorry! I'll see you in buenos aires!

 

[GMXam]

Magically, our travel agent was able to find another couple of locos wanting to visit Iruya on a daily trip from Salta (if you are going to sleep in Humahuaca or Purmamarca, they are closer!). From Salta it is quite a long trip and just a 1:30 hrs stop in Iruya.
From Salta, it is more common to spend the night in Iruya or to combine it with other destinations.

In Salta, I recommend Cucina Andina - found on tripadvisor, it offers dishes I have never seen elsewhere! The location is odd: it is in a city mall in the main square, but it is worth it. It is open for lunch and dinner.

I will pass on the Monday meeting, sorry! I'll see you in buenos aires!

We'll be staying in Tilcara for that trip. It's nice middle ground between the Salinas Grandes-Purmamarca and Iruya-Humahuaca and it looks like a pretty interesting small town. Thanks for the Salta restaurant recommendation!

 

[Girino]

You are welcome! In Purmamarca there are not many restaurant open this time of the year. We went to el Churqui de Altura and loved it! (350 ARS in two drinking water)

There are anyway cheaper options like tortillas from street vendors. Most of the "artisans" selling along the streets anywhere are selling mass produced goods (our guide said these goods come from Peru). They are the same kind of aguayos sold in Capital! There are, however, some shops selling goods handcrafted locally, but you have to look for them because they easily blend in!

 

[GMXam]

There are anyway cheaper options like tortillas from street vendors. Most of the "artisans" selling along the streets anywhere are selling mass produced goods (our guide said these goods come from Peru). They are the same kind of aguayos sold in Capital! There are, however, some shops selling goods handcrafted locally, but you have to look for them because they easily blend in!

LOL, and I thought that it was a creativity block that caused all these artisans to dream up the same designs...silly me .

There was a mercado in Cafayate that certified the authenticity of the handmade goods being made by locals in Cafayate but only for goods in that particular store. It had an art studio with some really cool tree carvings just before you walk inside. One in particular was showing the crown of a baby as the mother was giving birth...pretty beautiful carving for those not shocked by the image of legs spread and baby head.

I'm holding out for some kind of alpaca sweateror poncho in Jujuy...

 

[Girino]

I have nothing against machine made souvenirs and stuff, but I hoped /thought they were made somewhere in Argentina and that up here it would have been easier to find real handcrafted goods, or at least different design. I thought they simply copied design from famous historical findings, but from their own area.

I saw some roadside shops with a real "alfarero" at work, usually with the help of the male children,
Whereas the mother and the daughters worked in the shop. Still, some of the stuff they sold were the same model found anywhere else, with hand grabbed the name of the location with a black marker. I bought a mask for 70 ARS and I found it again some 200 km further for 150 ARS!

No doubt some of these items sold as souvenirs are hand made, none is "original" (they are all replicas), but usually it is all a mix up of thing mass produced and hand made which I can't explain.

 

[EricBluegrassFiddle]

Hola! I am in Salta right now and I will spend two nights here, one night in Purmamarca and then another 2 nights in Salta before heading back to BsAs.
On Tuesday 19th I am on a daily tour to Cachi, and I am actually looking for other travel mates for a daily trip to Iruya on Monday 18th. It involves a full day - tour leaves at 7:30 and you get back at midnight. They require a min of 3 pax and we are just two, so this trip is "pending other guests". Are you interested, at all? We are With Evolution Travel (http://www.evolutiontravel.com.ar/) which is the cheapest one we found on the Internet. Their office is one block from the main square.

I was in Cachi back in 2007

Also visited Payogasta and "Cachi Adentro...

awesome experience, one of the best parts is the trip up there from Salta capital. My wife and I still have a friend that lives there. Salta was where my wife ( dating only at that time ) bought me my first mate and bombilla....I still have it, very sentimental to me.

 

[Gringoboy]

I'll be up there mid October and hope to catch up with Ed.