Text: Peter Johansson
Editing: Christer Lundstedt
Photos: Christer Lundstedt, Peter Johansson
Videos: Christer Lundstedt
Wednesday 3rd of July
08.41 We are experiencing another morning here in Argentina. This time it is experienced at Alto Parque Hotel (http://www.hotelaltoparque.com.ar) in Salta. The positive thing this morning is that we have WiFi-connection. The less good thing is that the connection doesn't work that well. We, however have the strength for another day.
09.20 Breakfast is served in the lobby, right next to the entrance to the hotel. It is time to strengthen ourselves to be able to face the adventures that are approaching. Today will be our second full day here in Salta. We had first planned a bus tour but plans could change. Instead, we will see more of this nice city and also make it up to the top of the San Bernardo Mountain (Cerro San Bernardo).
10.15 We have after breakfast speculated about the day we have before us. It's clear weather and blue skies but is there any heat yet?
10.49 This will not work! It has become time to bring with us the small backpacks and get out.
11.08 Café del Convento is the place where there will be eleven o'clock coffee today. The first table we intend to sit down by was reserved. Wonder by whom? Perhaps it is some local personality. We found another table far in by the toilets. That'll do. Our café is adjacent to the old Convento San Bernardo monastery.
11.46 After some waiting for the waiter to return here to our forgotten corner of the café, Christer personally looked him up. Soon we'll be able to pay. Coffee is nice but we also have other things in the schedule today.
14.09 The descent from the nice mountain peak has begun. The two co-passengers in our gondola were also with us on the way up. This is the boy and his mother. What is the probability of this really?
17.54 It will be extra time and it just begun.
Thursday 4th of July
Peter just finished the breakfast at Alto Parque Hotel.
We walked by a nice orange tree.
A nice boat trip by the Salta sign in Lago San Martín.
Tickets are arranged for the ascent and descent.
It is soon our turn.
Towards a higher altitude.
The cable car station on top of Cerro San Bernardo.
A nice and quick way to reach the top.
An altar on Cerro San Bernardo.
Peter with Salta in the background.
A nice view of Salta.
Estadio El Gigante del Norte.
The Andes mountains are visible west of Salta.
Christer turns his back to Salta.
It is time to descent from this hill.
The Gastropub, Salta.
Salt in Salta. Peter is having lunch at The Gastropub.
Peter is dining at El Charrúa this evening.
A free drink makes a lasting impression.
07.00 We were just awake, disturbed by my phone that rang. Someone wanted to talk to me. The call was finished before I could answer. The number was +5412300003, thus a call from here somewhere in Argentina.
07.50 Now my phone has re-awakened us. This time, however, there was the wake up signal. I wonder who wanted to talk to me earlier. 08.19 A search on the internet claim that the number is fake, scam or a fraud. We have become more careful to check out phone numbers after we missed some important calls in the Maldives and in Tunisia in the belief that there was only wrong calling or scam. Incidentally, our friend and travel companion Roberth has arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa. He's in the country to visit his friend Jacques. 09.25 It is soon time to say goodbye to another hotel. We are satisfied with the Alto Parque Hotel regarding the location and room. On the down side is the weak breakfast and the fact that the door to the hotel is always locked. Every time we pass, someone at the reception has to let us out or let us in. Only one more room remains before it is time to leave Argentina for this time. 09.58 Well here we are again. Here, this time is the bus terminal in Salta. It's almost time for another long trip by bus. Today we travel straight north with the bus company Balut (https://www.balut.com.ar).
A bus arriving well ahead of time. We like Balut already from the start.
A passenger in a nice hat is interviewed by a television team.
The passengers on the upper floor.
10.12 We got slightly surprised as we saw that the bus we are going to travel with was in place well in advance of estimated departure. This has differed here in Argentina. We had begun to get used to the fact that the buses turn up a while after the time that can be read on the ticket.
10.28 A man with a microphone interviews a gentleman with a hat. All is filmed by a cameraman. We see this from the bus window. Is our co-passenger a celebrity or are they just asking a randomly selected passenger for something, who knows? We're done watching, the bus starts. 11.54 The windows around us are misty. We do not see much despite our seats at the front of the upper floor. The sky is overcast and the nature green. We have left the main road (Route 34) and go on various small roads. We don't know why the driver has chosen to go here. 12.59 We have just made a stop at the bus terminal in Jujuy, or as the city is officially named, San Salvador de Jujuy. It is rainy and visibility through the front window remains limited. The journey now runs parallel to a river. We also travel towards higher altitudes. 13.33 An ambulance with blinking green lights just drove past us. We travel with mountains to the left. It might be a dry river bed on our right. The road seems to lead more and more upwards. 13.55 The bus has climbed steeply upwards through haze and fog. Now we see the sun's warming gleam. Beautiful mountain massifs surround us. The sun also helps us with visibility. The mist on the front window disappears more and more. Soon we can photograph and even film the beauty that surrounds us. 14.22 The resort is Tilcara, the height is 2641 meters above sea level and the bus is idle. Salesmen have come aboard.
We travel through the dry landscapes in northern Argentina.
This part of the country are known for the multicoloured rocks.
The road gets more narrow.
The entrance to Maimará village.
We are entering Tilcara.
Sparsely populated areas in the north.
16.24 We've made another stop. Now we are in Abra Pampa at over 3400 meters. There is not much settlement in these areas and the population we meet here is more and more reminiscent of the one in Bolivia and Peru, in other words, a larger element of indigenous peoples.
17.46 After a long bus trip, we are finally arriving in La Quiaca, a small town on the border with Bolivia. It was tough to walk the short distance from the bus terminal to the guest house Hosteria Refugio del Sol. The reason why I thought it was difficult might be because we're 3445 meters above sea level now. The air is dry and thin. Here at the guesthouse, a girl has shown us what room we are going to stay in. 18.35 We have rested and made ourselves comfortable in our room. Outside, it's getting pretty cold after sunset. We have three beds in the room. It's always practical. The extra bed is perfect as a storage place for our things. 19.44 Heavy breathing gentlemen have walked down to the restaurant that belongs to this accommodation. Tonight there will, however, be no wine. We'll settle with water. 20.48 It was actually great with water tonight. The meat with accessories was also completely OK. Now we will get control of how we will do tomorrow with border crossing and arrival in a new country, the first new country for us on this trip. 22.09 We are doing our best to read about Tupiza, tomorrow's destination. Now we know that ATM's can be used, what we should withdraw and withdrawal limit. A timetable has also been established. Other news that has not shaken us is the fact that there has been an earthquake in California. I wonder when we'll get there.
Our room at Refugio del Sol.
The third bed.
Christer is eating his dinner at Hosteria Refugio del Sol.
The entertainment comes from the newest television screen.
Friday 5th of July
08.17 We had no major problems sleeping at high altitude although Christer had some odd dreams. There is some heat in the room. It's more than you can say about the water in the shower. A check in our cell phones has taught us that it has been -7°C this morning here in La Quiaca. We don't like that temperature.
08.36 The hot water had reached the shower when it was Christer's turn. It's been pitch black in the room during the night. An unexpected event during the night was that the static electricity from the blanket in the bed created sparks around Christer when he moved around, small sparks that lit up the darkness of the room. 09.06 We have had breakfast at the same table that dinner was served at yesterday. We followed the news on morning TV during the meal. It show pictures from different locations in Argentina affected by the cold. A little south of Buenos Aires, snow had also come. 09.48 Now that everything is paid for here at the guesthouse, we will begin the journey across the border to Bolivia. One thing is certain; there will be no quick march with the backpacks. Another thing, we will also adapt time-wise to a new time zone, time will be changed back an hour. 10.02 The heat from a hot sun should not be underestimated. Despite the icy morning air it was quite pleasant to stroll down to the border post. It also went unexpectedly fine as it came to the stamina. Have the bodies already adapted to the height or are we just more alert after the night's good sleep? CHANGING TIME ZONEBOLIVIA
09.30 We crossed the border into Bolivia without any problems. We wouldn't have dared to hope it would go so fast. No one stamped in our passports. Instead, we have received a piece of paper that we will keep until we leave the country. There was no major security at the border crossing. People from Argentinean La Quiaca and Villazón on the Bolivia side wandered past the border post a little as they wanted and seemed tired and annoyed if someone demanded to see their identification. We have exchanged money, turned down various taxi drivers and are now at the small cafe Mi Delicia here in Villazón. We just ordered the second breakfast of the day. Time needs to be killed before our bus departs and we also want to rest for a while.
09.54 We had mulatto coffee (coffee with milk), two pieces of bread, margarine and marmalade. The next goal is to continue the hike up through the city to a park or it is a square. Maybe even both. At least it's Plaza 6 de Agosto. 10.40 We picked up speed, stepped briskly past the square/park and continued with big step towards the bus terminal here in Villazón. It is newly built and is located in the northern outskirts of the city. The last part of our walk went along a long dusty dirt road. I'm surprised I could go all the way without a bench break. Yesterday afternoon, it was tough to walk only 200 meters. The form is, to say the least, diverse.
Old radio receivers in the Refugio del Sol restaurant.
We are leaving our last accomodation in Argentina.
The bus terminal in Villazón can be seen at the horizon.
Nueva Terminal de Ómnibuses de Villazón.
The mini bus from Trans Segovia is made ready for departure.
Seated inside the vehicle taking us from Villazón to Tupiza.
11.01 A minor problem has just arisen. We have not found the bus company Trans Segovia's office or ticket booth. That is where we will show the confirmation and get our tickets to Tupiza. To order tickets here in Bolivia we used a site called Tickets Bolivia (https://www.ticketsbolivia.com). You book and pay the tickets on the internet and change confirmation document for real bus tickets at each company's ticket office.
11.35 After many walks around the bus terminal without getting wiser we asked an elderly lady from another bus company. She referred us to the buses outside the bus terminal. We did what she said and saw her again just before we found what we were looking for. We think she wanted to make sure we went right. This is what we call helpfulness. She left her own office to check that we found the way to the competing company. We have checked ourselves in and got two seats in a minibus. Trans Segovia is not a big bus company; it is simply a bunch of minibuses that carry people between Villazón and Tupiza. They didn't have a ticket office, just a room where they kept luggage. 11.58 The luggage is secured at the roof and the luggage owners are all in place inside the minibus. The bus hostess goes around outside and calls out the destination. This feels familiar from past trips we made in Latin America, Africa and Asia. 12.29 The matter of transport runs through a dry landscape. Here and there are some kettles. In the distance there are mountains. 13.55 Our minibus has stopped at the bus terminal in Tupiza and we got our possessions brought down from the roof. A short walk then took us here to Hotel Mitru (http://www.hotelmitru.com), the city's best hotel. This is room 105. It's good to be there. Soon we also need to take a late lunch. After all, our bodies still believe that it's 14.55. 14.36 To ease our hunger as well as to try some of the local food we have walked across the street to Milan Center Pizzeria. Here it will be pizza and we drink the Bolivian beer Potosina from the world's highest altitude brewery in Potosí. The bottle is at the full 1,25 litres. 16.40 Great beer and food at an OK price. It was probably really expensive to be in Bolivia but acceptable to us after all. Now we are at home in room 105 for washing of clothes and some other necessary things. The room is already cold. What about when the night comes? We're still at a high altitude. Tupiza is located 2850 meters above sea level.
The nature is dry in Bolivia too.
Peter inside room 105.
A view from Hotel Mitru.
There are big beer bottles in Bolivia.
Christer´s pizza at Milan Center.
18.07 The current situation feels familiar. Our room is freezing cold and we watch CNN on our TV. It is trouble in Venezuela, problems between the United States and Iran and the United Kingdom has, at the request of the United States, boarded an Iranian oil tanker suspected of being heading to Syria. This happened near Gibraltar.
19.34 What this room needs is a source of heat. What we also need is a lighter dinner. 20.37 It is going to be a vegetarian dinner tonight. We eat pasta but the minced meat was out here in our Italian restaurant. It's a little unclear what it's called. The same owner family runs a number of similar restaurants in the neighbourhood and there are signs in the restaurants that advertise other restaurants in the same group. However, we believe that this one is called La Capresa. At least it says so at Google Maps. Incidentally, there are plenty of semi-good Italian pizzerias in the city. Someone has suggested that the city should be called "Tupizza" instead. 21.37 It went fine with the vegetarian dish; it was delicious to eat pasta with cheese sauce. Now we're going to unwind and Christer's camera battery needs to be recharged. It's a little warmer in the room now. At least it feels that way. Have we warmed it up with our own bodies?
You can see 69 photos from July 3 in this photoalbum.
You can see 22 photos from July 4 in this photoalbum.
You can see 22 photos from July 5 in this photoalbum.