Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Back in the saddle and a change of plans

So, where we left, we were leaving Embarcacion to Jujuy to start riding again on Monday June 17. We had a couple of challenges, after two bus rides we made to San Salvador de Jujuy, and got there with some light left to find the hotel that our friend Agustina had reserved. It was not easy to find but we did it only to find out the gate was closed and nobody there. After a while I jumped the fence and was greeted by a nice cat in the porch. After a while Steve passed the bags and bikes over the fence and then jumped in. We essentially broke in the place… when the owner came about an hour later he was a little startled but everything turned out all right. Next morning we were ready to go at 8 when we realized it has been raining all night and still drizzling, this is supposed to be the dry season. Agustina joined us in our ride up to Purmamarca, the traffic out of San Salvador was busy and slippery at times but as we climbed passed the clouds the weather go dry and warm. San Salvador is about 4000 feet and Purmamarca about 7000 so our out of shape friend Agustina really struggled and decided to hitch a ride to a town Volcan to have lunch with us and then take a bus to Purmamarca. We kept on riding and got into town before 5, Agustina had found a wonderful place to stay called El Viejo Algarrobo (The old mesquite). Before getting to Purmamarca there was a sign stating that Paso de Jama into Chile was closed due to snow and ice. After evaluating options on how to continue we decided to skip Chile and keep going north on the famous Argentinian Quebrada de Humahuaca to “La Quiaca” to cross into Bolivia. It would take 3 days of reasonably difficult but doable riding. Day 1 to Humahuaca, Day 2 to Abra Pampa and Day 3 to La Quiaca, border town with Bolivia. After a very nice and cold evening with Agustina and a wonderful rest in the hotel with an electrical heater and a couple of blankets we parted ways with Agustina and today we made it to Humahuaca. The scenery is fantastic and hard to describe with words, even the pictures don’t do it justice to how beautiful the mountains, the sky, the cactus, the braided rivers are. We steadily climbed from 7000 to close to 10,000 today we will probably stay above that until we go to Lima at the end of the trip. We are feeling the altitude especially in the steeper up hills but since we are gradually climbing 13,000 tomorrow our bodies are adjusting nicely. Pictures: leaving San Salvador de Jujuy in the rain, Steve on the road today, a cemetery in the middle of nowhere and the church in Humahuaca.

1 comment:

  1. Becoming a very interesting trip! Darn weather just won't cooperate sometimes. Console yourselves that the locals are probably glad for rain. You can send some to Tucson. We're ready for monsoon! Beautiful landscape, some of it much like N. Peru. Can't wait to see your photos of Bolivia.

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