NW Nomad

Patagonia

North West Nomad is currently Southern End of the World Nomad, navigating treks and journeys in Patagonia.

Check back for information on the trip from Salta almost 5000 km down the backbone of the Andes to El Calafate or Ushaia.

Into Tucuman

From Cafayate it is a hoppity skip across the unmarked and unpoliced provincial border into Tucuman - where in summer you have to change your clock again as they elect to keep time with Capital.

There is a fairly drastic change in the landscape and even the light. It's a long drive to 3200 metres above sea level so a guided tour is best for the day. However, the local bus out of Cafayate chugs along to all the points of interest - just not in one day.

First stop on a day trip are the Inca ruins at Quilmes - open again after the dispute with the local tribe. This is a historically interesting large site of terraces, much less reconstructed than the Pukara at Tilcara.

Next stop is Amaicha del Valle where we visit the Museo de Pachamama - An impressive building created by an artist and a shrine to his work. There is an interesting guided tour in Spanish showing the formation of the geographical layout and the tribes who lived there.

Then we drive across the mountains and down into Tafi del Valle - the Garden of the Province. Green and verdant, Tafi is the summer refuge for rich folks from San Miguel de Tucuman - the capital, which regularly hits 40 degrees on the thermometer. Clients may elect to stay the night and next day take a trek from Tafi in 4x4s or on horseback.

I persuade all guests to continue on from Tafi to pass through the Natural Reserve 'La Sosa' - which must be emulating Heaven - its hills covered with cascades of trees and ferns. We either return to Cafayate after a stop in the verdant silence - or drop clients in S.M. de Tucuman to continue their journey back to Salta ciudad or otheoints in Argentina.

Tilcara, Jujuy

Last week we were in Tilcara and our clients were so taken with the simple hippy vibe of the pueblo, they refused to leave.

It is not essential to use a guide to get to Tilcara unless you are under time constraint. The bus leaves from Salta costing around 30 pesos - not the most comfortable in summer though. The bus station is Tilcara is in the centre of town - rather quaint.

At this time of year the weather is unpredictable, although even on a rainy day, the views can be marvellous when the clouds encircle the mountains like pearls on a Dowager's neck.

The Pucara just outside the pueblo is a good place to start a walk - avoiding the hours of the tourist bus day trips. This area is part of the Inca Trail that ran down the Andes from Peru. I prefer the reconstruction of the Pucara (Fort on an awkward hill in Quecha, the ancient language of the Incas) to that of Quilmes in Tucuman.

The houses were constructed with stones that blend into the landscape, mud and wood from cacti between 1000 and 1594 AD. Climb to the monument at the top for a stupendous view of the painters palette rock formation in the pueblo of Maimara (Where we started our community project for schools) 10 miles away and in the opposite direction, far up the Quebrada de Humahuaca.

Cross the iron bridge and turn left to take the path to the Gargantua del Diablo waterfall. Tourists tend to drive up the hill for their photo opp, but the hiking path diverges from the road pretty soon. We continue on from the fall to hike higher and be totally alone with the cacti and the view across the gorge.

The sun is fierce in Jujuy and the walk along the narrow gravel trail is tiring. Thankfully a great dinner of llama on the parilla with wild mushroom sauce and quinoa risotto awaits us at the best restaurant in Tilcara - top secret but available to anyone who asks.

Dique Cabra Corral

I couldn't resist posting these photos from the other day when we took six Aussies down to Cabra Corral for a day of white water rafting. The road out of Salta to Cafayate is pasted with tobacco plantations which were briefly interrupted by this field of sunflowers.

We had to wait to bring the Aussies back so stopped into the Hotel at Dique and lay on the terrace watching the clouds floating overhead and reflected across the lake.

The rafting is better in the rainy season - when I asked two of the Aussies 'Was it Scary?', one said 'No' and one said 'Terrifying!'