Salta. When I stepped on the plane to South America, I had never heard of it. I think the first time I heard about it was in Ushuaia, as a recommendation from some Argentinians. Then I started seeing it in Facebook groups and when I changed my itinerary, Salta was put on it. It’s a long way from Patagonia, both in distance and in culture and landscape. The Incas were here and much of Salta reminds me of Peru.
In Argentina Salta is called la linda, the beautiful. The center mostly consists of small buildings and candy-colored churches. There’s a small pedestrian zone that leads off the impressive main square. Here are Saltas most important buildings with the arches and pillars of colonial buildings. The heavily decorated pink and yellow cathedral stands out. Its ceiling is painted and there’s a massive golden structure behind the altar. Well, Salta is a place of miracles. In the 17th century an earthquake hit the region. A statue of the virgin had fallen at the feet of the statue of Christ. Both were undamaged in the broken church. A miracle had happened. They must have protected the city. Whether you believe in miracles or not, the churches are wonderfully colorful.
The Christian religion isn’t the only one that’s left a mark on Salta. There were people in these lands long before the Spanish, or even the Incas arrived. Just like the Spanish brought Christianity, the Incas brought their own beliefs and gods. Whereas these days people say a prayer or light a candle, in those times gods were honered with human sacrifices that came with gifts in the hope they’d bring prosperity and furtile lands in return. The in my opinion unlucky children were brought to Cuzco and then paraded to holy places where they were sacrificed. Saltas children were found in a mountain near Chile, at 6739m! There were three children, who might be among the most well-preserved in the world due to the climate in the high Andes. They only display one of them at a time in the museum of high altitude archaeology and I had the privilege of meeting the youngest: the 6 year-old lightning girl. After burial, lightning struck the mountain and damaged some of her body. It felt strange to look at the body of a child that was drugged and sacrificed and now can’t even have a final resting place. But the museum has all the beautifully carved offerings that were in the grave on display as well and tells a good story. It was an interesting experience.
Salta sits at 1187m, surrounded by mountains and not too far from the 4000m+ and 5000m+ mountains of the Andes. Closer to the center is Cerro San Bernardo, which I visited by gondola. It was quiet when I entered. Although I ride ski lifts all the time, I shivered as the cabin went past another pole and higher into the air. The city’s layout revealed itself slowly. I saw the colorful bell towers and the green surroundings. At the top they’d created a fake waterfall with suspiciously yellow water. You could even take another cable car to another hill, but I decided to enjoy the view with some cotton candy and then make my way down by staircase. The mountain has been designed for fitness, with some outdoor gym equipment at the top. As I walked down, many people passed me jogging.
Salta’s people and culture are very different to what I’d seen thus far. Throughout Argentina people rave about the salteñas, the empanadas of Salta. I have had many delicious empanadas and salteñas didn’t disappoint! Preferably acompanied by a torrontés, the wine produced in Cafayate, in the South of the Salta province. This was the combo I had on a night out with the people from my hostel. The area around Balcarce street gets blocked off for party-goers. There is a mix of clubs blasting reggaeton and traditional peñas. Since clubs don’t really get crowded until well into the night, we got a table at peña la vieja estación. There were some singers of regional folk music, that most people could sing along to. There was also a dance with men in wide trousers waving flags and women swinging in big skirts. When the show ended, the peña quickly emptied and we were lured into club Bunker Owl with a free tequila shot. Some locals were passing around a huge bucket with wodka redbull. This surpassed the buckets I’d seen on Ko Phi Phi in Thailand.
Salta was a great place to recover from a road trip. There were relaxing cafés, a free art museum, history, markets and in general it just felt easy-going. My hostel organised shared dinners and because it was small, it was easy to get talking to other people. Although Salta’s real treasures lie in its surroundings (road trip!), I’m glad I didn’t just pass through this city.
