Humahuaca, Argentina

We have a fabulous breakfast this morning with a really friendly lady who makes a few suggestions as to what we can do today. She completely sells the town of Humahuaca (pronounced more like ‘mawaka’) showing us a picture of a series of rocks with awesome zigzag colours, 14 apparently. Once sold we cannot find a tour to join that will take us that way, but she suggests we could do it ourselves via a bus and then there are guys with pickup trucks who will take us up to the view. This sounds a little dodgy but we merrily set off to the bus station to get on a local bus. This is easy and super cheap, depositing us into the centre of Humahuaca. We know the road to the jeeps but a friendly guy called Carlos is happy to show us the way. The jeep is a good model and they obviously only go once they have 4 passengers to fill the ride. Luckily for us there are a Argentinian couple already waiting so once introductions are done we set off. It is actually further than I imagined, ascending a windy gravel path to 4350metres. We pass a herd of Llamas on the way up and as we move higher the Argentinian girl offers coco leaves. These are traditional used by locals to ward off the effects of altitude sickness. You fold a pinch of leaves into a parcel and wedge it into your top gum. I didn’t realise Inka hadn’t used before and so it was a few minutes until we spotted her chewing on them. This would be disgusting as they are like bitter tea leaves, she happily spits them out and tries again. We reach the stop and get out, the view is jaw dropping and I genuinely can’t believe it is this spectacular. There is a short walk down to the Mirador del Hornocal where you can take in the full panorama. I didn’t count the colours but it was impressive seeing the craggy rocks weave colour through the valley in front. The walk back up to the jeep is actually harder, probably due to the altitude but we make it and descend back to Humahuaca. This is a lovely town, a little bigger than Tilcara but the same Adobe houses lining the streets. The first stop is coffee and Humita, which is a traditional snack of creamed corn in a steamed parcel. There is a pretty little square and lots of people selling stuff to keep Inka happy! With the sun out it is too hot for me and I regularly have to just sit in shade. We climb up the monument to independence and look round the cemetery before setting off back to Tilcara on a faster bus this time. The buses and jeep ride cost us around £15 each which was a bargain compared to the tours and very easy to do. We still have time to walk around Tilcara when we get back and visit the church before the sun sets and it starts getting cold. Of the 3 places in the are we have visited I like Tilcara the best, feels a good size with a warm welcome. Dinner tonight is Locro at La Piladita, a traditional meal of maize, meat and beans a bit soup or stew like. This is nice and warming on a 6 degree evening, which seems crazy after the 24degree heat of the day.