Salta

Bienvenidos a Salta, Argentina! Behind me in the photo is the Iglesia San Fransisco and the hill of San Bernardo.

Salta is the eighth largest city in Argentina, where around 470,000 people call home. Originally established as an outpost between Peru and Buenos Aires in 1582, Salta played a key role in battles for the war of Argentinian independence, which ended in 1818 and left the city bankrupt. The city did manage to spring back to a rather prosperous life, largely helped an influx of Spanish and Italians, and to a lessor extent some Syrians and Lebanese.

Salta is a great mix of a romantic past and most modern conveniences. While there were some chain restaurants, by far small cafes and larger unique establishments dominated the food scene. However, despite being a mix of many cultures and having a large population, there were not many specific ethnic food restaurants.

The people are friendly, and proud to tell you about their beloved city, but English is not well known, so it's best to know at least some Spanish for the essentials.


The Iglesia San Fransisco is impressive during the day, but at night it really seems to come alive! The bright orangish-red, mustard-yellow, and starch-white trim simply pop when contrasted against the dark night sky.



Inside the Iglesia San Fransisco the colors are a little more tame, but no less beautiful.



Below is Catedral Basílica, the main cathedral of the city of Salta. Its light pink paint and creamy filigree visually dominates the Plaza 9 de Julio.



Here's another shot of Catedral Basílica. It puts on an impressive show at night too.



The churches weren't the only sources of great architecture in the city. Many homes were built with a neo-classical Italian or Spanish style, making walks around the city full of nice surprises.



I believe this was the city governor's office.



I'm just hanging out in another one of the city's plazas. On the weekends, vendors set out booths stocked with everything from leather goods to beaded jewelery.



Ah, a plate full of empanadas. Empanadas are very common in south and central America, which each region tweaks to their own unique tastes; and the empanadas in Salta are known to be some of the best in Argentina. In Salta, they are baked dough pockets traditionally stuffed ground beef, a little bit of finely diced potato, a touch of salt, and chopped green onion. Also on the table you can see some espresso. The Italian immigrants brought their love of premium and powerful coffee, making it somewhat of an institution in Salta. And on the little dish with the sugar packs... tiny sandwich cookies with dulce de leche filling! Yummy! :-)



Spice booths like the one below accounted for about 20% of the booths in this marketplace. This is like the Argentinian version of Hamburger Helper, only there's no box, no instructions, and the spices are fresh. ;-)



Argentina is known for producing some great wines, and so it naturally has some wonderful wine shops, like this one.



As you can see, I'm taking in a little of the local culture. There's a healthy appreciation for culture in Salta, blending Spanish, Italian, and a little Syrian and Lebanese influences with those of the historic Inca natives.



I was fortunate enough to have an opportunity to drive out to Quebrada de Humahuaca. Quebrada de Humahuaca is a narrow mountain valley with some spectacular geological features and coloration.



All I have to say is WOW!



The scenery along this drive ranks as some of the most beautiful that I've ever experienced.



It was really a feast for the eyes, and was perfect for a road trip. Although hiking or bicycling may have been an even better way to appreciate the landscape, there were no real hiking trails and the road was not designed with bicycling in mind.



It was about a two hour drive from Salta, and was worth every minute!



On the way back I took a side road to a small town called Purmamarca to behold "el Cerro de los Siete Colores", the Hill of Seven Colors. I think I count many more than seven!



Check out this farm in Purmamarca. This is the life!



More colorful hills around Purmamarca, with some houses in the picture for a sense of scale. All I have to say is dulce! That's "sweet" in Spanish, and that's it for me!

Buenos Aires

Bienvenidos a Buenos Aires! Buenos Aires is the capitol of Argentina and, when including the surrounding urban areas, is home to over twelve million people! That accounts for over one quarter of all of the people which live in Argentina. I'm standing in front of their congress building in the photo above.

Buenos Aires is a real gem of a city enriched by a multitude of cultures. However, the dominant influences come from its past which experienced large-scale immigration from Europe, and primarily from Spain and Italy. This heritage is reflected the city's architecture, which collectively has come to be known as Rioplatense baroque style.


The Metropolitan Cathedral edifice includes a frieze depicting scenes from the Old Testament. In the center is a portrayal of the dramatic scene where Jacob literally wrestles with God; thus spawning the name Israel.



This wide thoroughfare is incredible. Right through the heart of the city there are four traffic lanes going one way and four lanes going the opposite direction, separated by a wide, grassy median. Then, on both sides of the eight lanes there are two lane, two directional streets. Driving here is not for the timid!



Check out this puzzle store; for all your puzzle needs... just in case the traffic wasn't puzzling enough for you!



All around the city are wonderful pieces of architecture, parks, and public areas.



Here's a look down a busy street. If you look all the way down to the end, you can see the Obelisk, a structure which looks quite a lot like the Washington Monument in Washington D.C.



This beautiful park was full of mature trees and adorned with statuary. The trees provided a pleasant canopy of shade throughout most of the park.



This bustling street is Florida. With only foot traffic permitted, it is like a long, outdoor mall full of boutiques and cafes, and a McDonalds.



Here is photo of a side-street which crossed Florida.



Not your average shopping mall! Check out this beautiful ceiling mural.



It was really a delightful walk around the city, with random scenic views and parks welcoming you.



Quite the impressive and triumphant statue, no?



I got a kick out of the name of this place. Literally translated, it is "Museum of the Ham". I didn't get a chance to sample their ancient pork products, but I still got a chuckle. :-)



As you could guess when you've got over twelve million people, you need a rapid transit system. Also, as you could guess when you've got over twelve million people, you may just have to wait in line for a bus. This is the line which formed right around the close of the business day. You can't even see the end of the line in the photo!



This impressive building hosts the Spaniards Club. You can see the influences of Moorish architecture in its attractive design.



This building has a few different names, but is most often called Casa Rosada; the Pink House. It's the Argentinian equivalent to the White House in the U.S. The president of Argentina often lives and works there. Not surprisingly, the public square right in front of the building, known as Plaza de Mayo, often hosts protesters as well as political rallies. From the balcony of this building, Eva Perón rallied the poor working class into a solidified political force.



You just don't find details like this in many modern buildings.



Just north of the city is the Paraná Delta. Like any major river delta, its got many streams and channels allowing the brackish water to work its way into the ocean. It also has many islands, and on many of these islands people have built houses. The cool thing is that there are no roads there. The only way to get to these houses is by boat. Many of the residents rely on water taxis to take them into town. Below you can see one of the oldest surviving homes in the delta, which the government has acted to preserve by encasing it in glass in place!



Hi there! Just taking in more of the impressive architecture around town. But unfortunately, it's time for me to go. I'll see you next time.