tales of our travels

After six weeks in our Buenos Aires apartment it was a case of stay there forever or move on up the trail. We were itching to get on the move but also very sad to be leaving what had become our home (actually the nearest we’ve to a home for over a year). We’d got to know people in the neighbourhood and I had got very used to the daily routine of working remotely for guys I know in the UK. But with the project winding down for a while and the north calling it was time to book a bus and repack our rucksacks.

Our semi-cama bus to Salta was scheduled to take 21 hours and we were concerned that it might be a sleepless night. As it turned out we had a comfortable journey munching our empanadas while the Argentinian countryside rolled by. If you are used to UK coach services then Argentinian buses are a absolute joy. These ships of the pampas are more luxurious than long haul flights and semi-cama is roughly equivalent to premium economy in the air. So after watching the A-Team we settled down to what was a restful nights sleep before a short transfer to the northern city of Salta.

After the cold and grey of Buenos Aires Salta felt like a breath of summer. There is something about the north of the country – the people look less European and more Andean, life seems to run at a more leisurely pace. As we hoisted our bags on our backs we were greeted by some familiar faces. A couple we met in Christchurch, NZ had come to buy some tickets to Mendoza. This seems to be the way it is in Argentina – you are destined to meet acquaintances in the unlikely places.

So we’ve made the best of the warmth by eating alfresco on the plaza, cafecito in our neighbourhood Havanna and taking the teleférico up Cerro San Bernardo. Now we’re back to the more typical cool and overcast days but we’re still enjoying the northern pace of life – so much so that we’ve extended our stay here for another few days.