11-hour elapsed bus journey Humahuaca, Argentina to Uyuni, Bolivia; home of the Salar de Uyuni, a giant salt flat; 12,000 feet above sea level. The day started with a bang: the taxi we had arranged the previous day to take us and our colosssal suitcase to the bus station didn’t show up. Fortunately some nice Colombians with a car had moved into the rear apartment in our building, and they were willing to drive us. Made the bus, had some fun interactions. The bus trip had 2 pa

Last day in Humahuaca. Dinner at Aisito Restaurant, after which this combo played for a couple hours. Very good. Just a snippet here, i have videos of full songs:

Iruya is a mountain town, we spent a night there. A big part of the adventure is the bus ride there. In the first several minutes, you’re joined by school kids and people returning feom shopping in Humahuaca: Then you turn onto Ripio and go up over the mountain: Our hotel, hostal nahiara: Took a hike up to mirador de Condor. Extremely steep, and we ar at 9100 ft at the bottom, 10,400 at the top: Made it; around town next day: Breakfast of fried tortillas & something else i

Took a day trip to Tilcara. The road there: A bit around town: Tilcara is the home of Cascada Gargant del Diablo, waterfall of the throat of the devil. It’s a couple hour hike up the mountain; quite remarkable: Stopped at a roadside spot for lunch. Lots of people open their homes to serve food: Tilcara is also the home of a 15th century Incan fortress…which was pretty well lost through overzealous tourism promoters in the early 20th century, who rebuilt it without preserving

Staying six nights in Humahuaca, with side trips to Tilcara and Iruya. The road Salta - Humahuaca: Our difs in Humahuaca. Primitive but functional & inexpensive: Around Humahuaca: Nice dinner @ Aisito: Next day, around Humahuaca: Scheduled a trip up to Hornocal, mountain of 14 colors, for 5:30pm. Dicey weather; a bit disappointing: You could walk down a steep embankment to a lower promontory…sign says yer at 4350 meters elevation - 14,270 feet. Of course we went - and encou

Passed back through Salta for a day before heading on to Humahuaca. On the bus feom Cafayate to Salta: Stayed at the Portezuelo Hotel: Kicking about Salta that evening: They like to dance. .

Took a bus to Cafayate for 2 days. There’s a music festical there, she said, we’ll hear some pipes & accoustic guitars, & see some some traditional dances. It’ll be an experience. Well…1st clue - only ‘full cama’ bus tickets available. 2nd clue: no accomodations available. Finaly found one - way over our usual budget but maybe it’s time for a splurge peaceful weekend in nice surroundings. On the 4-hour bus ride there, we stopped for the driver to have lunch. There was a calf:

Stayed 2 nights in Salta, a city of 600k.  It’s centered around a square - Plaza 9 de Julio, and has a hill adjacent with a funicular and great views of the city.  Arrived late on the 25th, had the whole day the 26th, left on an early bus on the 27th. Happened into Museo de la Ciudad - Casa Hernandez: In & around Plaza de 9 Julio (why yes, that is our anniversary): Cerro San Bernardo: And later in tje day, back to Plaza: .

Mendoza, in the Uco valley, is the center of the biggest wine making region of Argentina. We got an airbnb in town. Not much curb appeal, but nice & functional inside: On the first evening we had much action - a soccer celebration (our first clue northern Argentinians sing): And a torrential downpour: 22nd AM there’s a huge park right in town -Parque General San Martin: A guy called Mauricio, recommended by friends if Adrienne, took us to 3 wineries. Some things we learned

Spent 2 days with friends JJ & Inez. Thu 19th - had dinner at la Mallin (pronounced machine): Fri 20th - AM right outside their back door Arelauquen: Poked around downtown, took a bus back in the afternoon. Getting back in took some doing; i am now registered: Sat 21st - hiked to the top of the mountain: …and flew to Mendoza.

Last driving day, cosovó across the border back into Argentina and back to Bariloche. Left Cabaña Bellavista: Passed by Volcán Puyehuy (?): Through the border crossing (you park the car and walk through first Chile exit, then Argentina entry): The volcano erupted in the early 2010s and the landscape is still affected, in Chile and Argentina - miles of charred trees: Approaching La Angostura Argentina: There is an estancia just up the mountain from La Angostura, Estancia Inalc

48 hours in paradise, the Parque Nacional Pumalin Douglas Tompkins. Tompkins & his wife Kris bought over 2 million acres of land in Chile & Argentina, and donated them as national parks, set up to restore & preserve the wilderness. There are a few eco-lodges to let tourists see what can be done and provide consevation-minded jobs for the locals. We stayed the first night in the ‘Hobbit Huts’, 5’ high doors; and the 2nd night in domes. Arrival the 15th: Midnight: The huts & s

AM, clean car, through Puerto Cárdenas to the south entrance to Parque Pumalin: On to lunch in Chaiten: Stunning view at Lago Rio Negro: Hike break to the lakeshore: …and arrival at Caleta Gonzalo - ferry terminal and location of the Park Pumalin lodge, on the farm Doug and Kris Tompkins built:

Left La Junta, dropped the bags at El Mañio Cabañas in Villa Sanra Maria & did another hike, ventisquero Yelcho: Got to talking to a french hitch hiker, took him to dinner: Here’s our cabaña: …and in the AM, pulling out: _

Next stop: La Junta. On the (paved) road there: Stopped where we are staying, the @RanchoPatagon / Doble AA / Acogedora cabañas, dropped off the bags, and did a pretty strenuous hike up the side of a mountain - “Las Bardas”. Their dogs Lola and <unknown perro> came with us: Good dinner @ mi casita de the, stroll around town, spoke with the proprietor Victor. They’re setting up to be a wwoof location - world wide opportunities for organic farming. People come and spend some w

Leaving Hospidaje Bopp after a great breakfast: Ripio, feels like we’re getting into a rainforest: in the town of Puyuhuapi, where we stayed at Hostal y Cabañas Robinson:

A very good day. Left Bahia Murta for Cerro Castillo and Paredón de las manos, 3000 year old hand prints on a granite wall: And on into Coyhaique, kind of a drab town, reminiscent of the US midwest or pacific northwest. Stayed out of town at Hospidaje Bopphouse, had a good dinner at Brewery D’olbek: .

Another amazing day. 11:00 reservation for boat tour of marble cathedral etc in Rio Tranquil, 66km as the crow flies, a 2+ hour drive on the Carretera Austral. Milled about the town square ‘til Cafe Tero opened at 8:30: The Carretera Aistral is ripio (gravel) at that point, and very scenic. Passed through Puerto Bertrand. Nescafe is the only coffee in town, tried 2 places (1 a converted bus): Stopped at the crossing of Río León: Made Rio Tranquil in time for the 14:00 tour: W

This was an amazing day. Left Perito Moreno early (before 9) & headed for the Chilean border and the Carretera Austral and our first nights’ lodging outside Cochrane. BTW it bein’ high season, & having to have changed the route radically because we couldn’t get ferry tix, we booked every night in advance. There are a couple of possible routes, we chose the wilder - through Entrante Baker. It’s all ripio, through astonishing, other-worldly landscapes. Here’s the view from Mi

Driving the Carretera Austral, south to north. Here’s the whole shebang: Day 1 - full day drive to the southern-most point in Argentina, Perito Moreno, from where we will cross to Chile & the Carretera Austral on day 2 and work our way north over 10 days. JJ & Inez’ place in Arelauquen Bariloche: Stopped for gas en route, in Tecka, picnic in a rare shade patch by the side of the road: First night outside Perito Moreno at Chakra Kaiken Lodge. Very nice, recommended: