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hi guys Matt this time ! (miracles will happen!) we have been in Salta for what seems ages now trying to sort out my camera which went toes up when I was about to take a pic of this huge dorado I caught! Fortunately for the skeptics among us I did get some pics later on! Fishing was awesome - we went to a dodgeville town called Las Lajitas and then drove 4x4 through pretty hectic jungle to Rio Dorado - it was on this trip that I think the vibrations killed the 'rough and rugged' Nikon. The river was in the midst of jungle. The gurgle and bustle of the river was only interrupted by parrots nattering like old women about the intruders and other such gossip and the occasional rustle and nasal whistle of the shy and elusive tapir whose footprints dotted the banks. The river itself was crystal clear like so many Argentinian rivers and was absolutely brimming with sabado (labeo like fish), boga, catfish that scattered as we waded through it. The dorado were ferocious predators smashing the fly, jumping numerous times once hooked and only too happy to bite the finger off the unsuspecting fisherman trying to remove the hook. Their friendly nature and vice like mouths and teeth are not disimilar from our very own tigerfish in Zim.
Salta is a quiet town with beautiful old buildings and lovely, friendly people. The food is up there with the rest of Argentina - empandas (mini meat pies), humitas and tomales (ground corn, salt and various meets boiled in maize leaves), bife de lomo and llama lomo (nice light meat), pollo (chicken), pasta and pizza (Italiano influence) and yes the odd ensalada (salad) - my type of place. The towns north of here are reached by driving through a plethora of mini climates - jungle - grasslands and then semi dessert dotted with cactus. Jujuy is a very poor place and one we skirted. Further on you reach Tilcara, Pulmarca which are mainly inhabited by Indians selling hand crafts (artesanas). These were mainly made of llama, sheep and were super colourful and unbelievably cheap putting into context the fight for survival of these people. Like so many indigenous groups they are in a lot of ways still on the back foot but it was really good to see them maintaining their culture and a lot of the tourists we came across were Argentinians !(probo most from BA).
Back to the Nikon we have taken the hit and decided to buy a new Nikon (I know but giving it a second chance) D80 after many painful days debating and searching the internet and deciphering Spanish. The next hurdle is drawing enough cash to pay for it which is going to take at least 3 days. Anyway Bolivia and new adventures are around the corner!
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