Our drive to Jujuy began before the stray dogs were even up. We got our wake up call at 5:30 AM and were on the road within the hour.
I’ve learned to take the tour guide’s advice. When he says, “Buy some coca leaves”, do. You probably will need them later. I bought a small bag of the green leaves, just before we left the town and I was grateful for them once we began climbing the altiplano.
Jujuy was like a slideshow of breathtaking landscapes one after the other.
As we left the warmth of Salta, the earth changed from a rich red to a kaleidoscope of colours.
The hills in the background of Purmamarca reflected the bright hues one finds in many of the textiles at the local markets.
Although we arrived to Purmamarca at 9 AM, the town was already busy preparing itself for the day’s celebrations. It happened to be “El Día de la Bandera”, which celebrates the day the Argentine flag was created. Sadly, we could not stay for the procession which would unfold. So after buying some breakfast treats, we were back on the road.
As we continued driving, the towns grew smaller and further apart. We drove through an uninhabited landscape for the next few hours, comforted by the stillness of our surroundings.
As we began our ascent into the altiplano everyone in our car grew drowsier. The altitude made us sleepy, and although we tried fighting the effects with the coca leaves I’d bought earlier, most of us drifted in and out of sleep as our driver guided us through the winding roads. He insisted it happens to all tourists, but I bravely tried to keep my eyes open, not wanting to miss out on any of the scenery!
We eventually arrived at the Jujuy Salt Flats. You could see a white valley in the distance, almost within reach. One of the first things I did when we reached the flats was lick the ground. Mmm, that was some tasty salt! There were men working there, their hands and faces scorched by the heat of the winter sun. Some of them were carving salt statuettes for the bus loads of tourist who would arrive later on in the day.
After leaping through the air and snapping some shots in this whimsical setting, we got back in the car to continue our long drive.
We visited many little towns, some which were so small I thought they were abandoned ghost towns. One of the most memorable towns along the way was San Antonio de los Cobres. This town was larger than the rest since it is a stopping point for the Train to the Clouds.
We had lunch in a quaint little place where they were playing a Venezuelan soap opera. It was so dramatic and ludicrous that I simply could not stop staring. In my defence, I hadn’t watched a soap opera in years, much less a South American one! Oh, such secret guilty pleasures.
By the time we left town, the sun was slowly beginning to set. Our driver decided to take a shortcut, which was really a dirt road in dire need of repairs. There were sharp twists and turns, with crosses marking the places were drivers had lost control of their vehicles and gone over the edge. Praying with my eyes tightly shut we eventually found our way back to town.
Hasta luego Jujuy!
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