At first glance, it seemed as though school was out for the summer in Salta, with school children, music and shredded exercise books all through the streets (ahh the memories). But here is where things really start to get tropical, the scenery changes as do the people. The proximity to Bolivia starts to show in peoples faces, and I was excited to see cultural dress being worn by the women. It makes things feel more authentic.
After sneaking my first peek at a desert-like landscape I arrived in the sleepy city at 830am, and uniting with a Dutch comrade we were both ready for a day of exploration in the city, alongside good food and beer (of course). The ascent to the city view was interesting to say the least. And after passing 3 of the 14 Jesus shrines displaying images of Jesus being carried away on a cross, reaching for a drink of water etc. I couldn't help but feel as though it was an accurate depiction of how I felt at the time. It was hot, and after passing a few shrines I was regretting the joint decision to walk uphill and catch the cable car back down. A rookie move.
A standout for me was the ice cream. In Argentina it is of high standard however in Salta it also cheap! At around $2 for 3 scoops from a selection of many interesting and creative flavours it is a definite must in Salta especially. Almost every daily activity began with the question helado? (Ice cream). This was usually followed by 3 enormous scoops of the tastiest stuff on planet earth.
All in all, my time in Salta was a short one. To top it all off, a huge feast was had including the milanesa napolitana (schnitzel with tomato, cheese, ham, egg) fries, salad and a fair serving of wine and froffies. As nice as the colonial architecture is (churches, plazas, museums etc) I had seen my fair share of the same thing in previous cities. As a result, I had made the split second decision to get on a bus and travel 4 hours north with Dutch Michael in search of greener pastures and rockier landscapes.