Che, back in town. Humahuaca

Sadly but inevitably, I had to leave Bolivia. 30 days isn´t even enough for me to get a gut bug, let alone get to see this incredibly beautiful and diverse country.

24th April. Had to take 4 am bus to Villazon, the bordering town to Argentina and got there about six, sleep in the eyes and all. There, in the freezing morning, we started to walk to the boarder, crossed, and took our first Argentinian bus. ooh the comfort, the top deck view, the stretch of the legs and the vast open spaces, flat, dry with protruding mountains in the distance, and we had descended about 2000m. Marlene was ultra excited and infected me with the thrill of being back in Argentina, and i stopped lamenting leaving Bolivia.

We got to Humahuaca, a place i really wanted to get to last time i was this way but didn´t have time. Dry, sunny in the day and cold at night, it´s very country and gaocho (cowboy). We stayed there a while but in between we took a side trip out of town for a night. Went to a town called Iruya and the 3 hour ride, albeit in an old school bus, was phenomenal. We ride up, to 4000m again, to see this amazing view of coloured mountains below them a patchwork of fields and then a massive chasm like an ancient earthquake separated the world and left space for a huge wide river, which was running low this time of the year.
And them we descend, again. Down, down in the chasm, winding all the way down and along, to reach Iruya at 2730m. It sits on a cliff face, at risk every year of simply falling off from the river swelling up and erosion. But opposite sit an array of mountain ranges the colours of all the pastels, but as well as stronger colours, blues, greens, purples, yellows, red browns, pinks, oranges...

First thing, we decide to talk a long walk along the river to reach a nearby town, called SanIsidro. Starting at midday and knowing it was 2.5 hour walk each way, we thought we´d make it in time before dark. Not knowing however that it was 11km each way, with a slight incline, and even thought the river was low, we would still have to cross it several times (since we didn´t really know the best places to cross) we got wet only shine high luckily. Spectacular as it was, it was 3.5 hours later that we say another joining river and a church on a cliff face which didn´t really look that far. But it would be another half hour climb, exhausted and desperate for a ride back. Marlene said when we arrived to the village, let´s not look too desperate for a horse... But there was no one willing at that hour of the afternoon, there was no choice, we rested for 5 minutes and began back.

On our way back we bumped into a local, carrying an oven on his back together with his pregnant companion, who was going our way so we followed their lead. With them we made it in half the time with much less river crossings. But those two! both burdened by weights managed to always walk way ahead of us. Anyways, when we made it back and we felt on top of the world.

Geeez that drive to Iruya was fabulous and impressive. Back to Humahuaca and within a couple of days to SALTA.

ps. anyone know how i can put a caption under my photos?