Days 57-58: Salta, Argentina

As I had mentioned, Dan and I decided to go to Mendoza as a stopping point on our way to northern Argentina (and eventually, Bolivia). Our first destination after Mendoza was a city called Salta. After our day of wine touring in Mendoza, we went to the bus station to take off for Salta. We knew we had a long ride ahead of us, but it was only after looking at our tickets that we processed just how long--we would be spending nineteen consecutive hours on a bus! Considering how massive South America is, a bus ride of this length is not uncommon. Yet it would be our longest trip yet.

Around 8:30pm, we settled into our seats and prepared for the journey. The chairs were much more comfortable than the ones you would find on a plane, and they reclined quite a bit, features which made the distance seem much less daunting. Amazingly, this long drive, which included three meals, costed a mere 60 US dollarsper ticket. Even more amazing was the fact that neither of us ended up too bothered by the trip.

By 4:30pm the next day, we were finally in Salta. Unfortunately, the city was nothing to marvel over. If it had been the only reason for our long bus ride, I would have been annoyed, but I knew we had to travel north regardless. Our first day in the city, we hung at a coffee shop for a bit before lounging at our ho(s)tel (it was called a hotel, but the price, tiny rooms, and poor plumbing said otherwise). At night, we went for a late dinner at a place that was recommended in our guide book. Or I thought it was a late dinner--people were still rolling in at midnight. The atmosphere of the restaurant was lively and the food was startlingly cheap. We enjoyed some barbecue and wine and then headed back to the ho(s)tel for the night.

The following day, Dan and I explored the town a little more. It had a cute city center, which we walked around for a bit. We then went on a hike to the top of a nearby mountain, which gave us good views of the surrounding area. 

After our hike, I went and got a much needed massage in town. The beds at our ho(s)tel were killing my back and neck, and I was in need of some TLC. I ended up getting a great half hour massage for the equivalent of 10usd--not a bad deal! 

When I got back to our room, Dan and I talked and decided we would try our luck in a nearby town, Cafayate, the following night (we had been a bit underwhelmed by Salta). The buses for our next big stop would be leaving from Salta, meaning we would have to return there after Cafayate. So we determined we would pack overnight bags and put our big backpacks in storage at our hotel. We went into town for a casual dinner that night, and then returned to our room to prepare for the following day.