Humahuaca, Iruya, y San Isidro

When we returned from our road trip, we spent a couple more days in Salta with Steffen eating ice cream, hanging out with people dressed as giant kidneys, and visiting a folklórico museum dedicated to a banker, bohemian, and patron of local arts who went by the name Pajarito (little bird). Sadly, we had to say goodbye to Steffen yet again, but we hope to meet up with him in Cochabamba or in La Paz. Steffen took a bus to Missiones and Iguazu Falls and we got on a bus that took us through the otherworldly Quebrada (canyon) de Humahuaca to the town of Humahuaca. We got there after dark so we didn't get to see much of the town, but I did get to have my first taste of llama. Put it on the recommended list.





Early the following day we got on a bouncy bus that took us over a pass over 4000 meters above sea level (over 13,000 ft.) and down to a wonderful little indigenous village called Iruya nestled in another spectacular canyon. That day we took a walk up to the holy mirador to look down on the city and also visited the chanchos (a word that means both filthy and pig). We slept in a very comfortable and inexpensive hospedaje with a view of the muddy river and we were joined by our Austrian friends, Katrin and Wolfgang, who we met in San Martín and Mendoza.







In the morning we started walking down the canyon and then up another to the village of San Isidro. On the way we met a nice woman from Buenos Aires named Gabriella. After a while the trail crossed and recrossed the river. We saw a couple of locals do it but it was very swift and deep. We started up a trail that took us high up above the river but I foolishly turned us around because I thought the trail was too dangerous. It turned out to be a good alternative to crossing the river. Hilary kindly told me to go on to the town. San Isidro was similar to Iruya only smaller and inaccessible except by horse or on foot. After crossing the river several times, I came to enjoy it and ended up crossing it twelve times on my walk back to Iruya. The evening sun in the mountains was spectacular and donkeys stood patiently at the sides of the trail. It is a very different world in northern Argentina.










After two nights in Iruya we took a bus back to Humahuaca, had a little time to explore, spent the night, and then got on a bus to the unknown unknown that is Bolivia.