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We took an eighteen hour night bus journey from Mendoza to Salta. When we arrived we went straight to our hostel, inti huasi, and then just walked around for the day. There was a barbecue in our hostel that night so we just stayed there and had a few drinks and just relaxed.
The next day we hiked up Cerro Bernardo which gives great views of Salta. We Walked around the top for a while and then had lunch. When we came back down we were able to visit the famous Guemes monument. We went back towards the main plaza and went to the Museo de Arqueologia de Alta Montana, which documents the amazing discovery of three mummies found at an altitude of 6700m on the Llullailaco volcano. The climate kept the bodies and a collection of textiles and sacred objects almost perfectly preserved. We have no pictures as you are not permitted to use your camera in there. It was extremely interesting but a bit weird to see the child mummies with everything perfectly preserved down to their eye lashes!! The mummies are over 600 years old and were only found in 1999. They were children who were sacrificed by their families during Inca times, that involved a lavish ceremony and it was seen as a huge honour for your child to be selected.
The next day we went to an Estancia for two days. We left early in the morning and arrived at the ranch after an hour journey. It was a working ranch and very old style which is what we wanted. The ranch itself was an old convent which was a little creepy at night. The only way the family could buy the convent was if they kept the chapel and they did!! We went horse riding for the morning for around two and a half hours and then had a barbeque lunch and headed out again after for another three hours. It was relly good as we went over mountains and had loads of freedom to gallop with the horse. We could see various animals and beautiful scenery along the way. We learned all about the traditions of the estancia which was interesting. That night we had dinner in the house and and a bit of wine. It was only four of us and one girl who worked there and no one else, a little creepy in a convent in the middle of nowhere!! The next day we walked around the farms and the nearby countryside and then headed back to Salta. When we got back to Salta we were fairly tired so we just walked around for the evening. A really good two days, just what we wanted!!
The next day we rented a car between the four of us and drove to Cachi and then down to Cafayate where we stayed the night. We drove back to Salta the next day. The scenery and the landscape along the journey was absolutely amazing. It was certainly one of the highlights of our trip. Its hard to explain it and the pictures dont do it half justice but take a look anyway!!
On our last day in Salta we went and visited the Iglesia Catedral which is an amazing church. We walked around the markets and got our night bus that night to Villazon at the Bolivian border.
Salta Done!!
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