Andes, Safari to the Clouds from Salta to Purmamarca

I Have a Feeling We’re not in Kansas Anymore.
Sometimes you travel to places you have seen in books and movies, and deja vu envelops you. And then there are those places uncharted that you had no idea existed. Our journey into the Andes Mountains through multicolored mountain ranges, salt flats that look like snow covered fields, and indigenous sites enflamed our scenery senses and awakened us to the beauty of this remote location.

We were picked up early at our hotel in Salta, Argentina located in the foothills of the Andes. Our tour was called Safari to the Clouds, and as we climbed up into the Andes, the morning light was shrouded in wispy clouds.

Cloud Train
On the way we often crossed over the tracks of the train known as Tren a las Nubes or Train to the Clouds. Built in the early 1900s, it’s an amazing engineering feat meant to connect Argentina and Chile. There are 29 bridges, 12 viaducts, 21 tunnels, 2 gigantic loops and 2 switchbacks. The name comes from the eerie sensations of crossing the bridges where vapor clouds formed around the train cars giving the sensation of floating. Right now the train still runs, but the schedule is spotty and the distance has been shortened. For my first visit, I am happy we chose a tour by jeep because we covered much more territory, but on a future visit I will board that train to the clouds.

The Hills Are Alive with the Sounds of Color
The sculptural mountains, artistically hued, bedazzled us. There is one peak named Cerro de los Siete Colores (Hill of the Seven Colors) and another peak called Catorce Colores (Fourteen Colors), but all of the mountains we passed were varicolored based on the different minerals like iron and copper, types of rocks and time periods they were formed in. The photo below really highlights the cathedral like chisled spires and pillars. The mountains’ painted peaks alternated with scorching orange reds and soft verdant greens and yellows–a new rainbow around each corner.

Home on the Range Where the LLama Roam
Instead of cattle roaming the range, llamas, alpacas, vicunas and wild burros spreckled the Argentinean landscape.
Llamas are domesticated pack animals widely used for food here. A relative of the camel, they are definitely the prettier cousin with their long black eyelashes and snowy wool. Llama stew was the main course of our lunch menu. I did feel sheepish (mixed metaphor) eating the doe eyed creatures, but they are a staple in the Andes.

We also passed several herds of vicunas, a smaller browner version of the llama with long, slender necks which have not been domesticated and are harder to spot because they blend in with the background.
Alpacas resemble a small llama and are used exclusively for their wool. Wild burros also roamed the hillsides.

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas: Salt Flats of the Andes
And now for something spectaular! Really! We had heard of the Salt Flats and our guide pointed out some salt formations in the distance as we were driving. Disappointed to say the least, we had expected so much more. And then we arrived.
OMG
The official name is Salinas Grandes. It’s free. The highway runs through it, and it looks like snowy fields forever. I felt like it should be cold to the touch, but, obviously, it’s salt. While it’s not snow, it is blindingly white, so be sure to don sunglasses. Turquoise water from the lake basin contrasts with the pure white salts.

Purmamarca
With the day winding down, we are dropped off at Casa de Adobe Hotel in Purmamarca in the Jujuy (who-who-eee) province in the Argentinean northwest bordering Boliva and Chile. A short walk into town, Purmamarca is small, the local market’s stunningly bright textiles and crafts dominating the streets. Best of all, the Hill of the Seven Colors lies behind the pueblo and the morning light is ideal for viewing.

The next day we returned to Salta, but the beauty of the Andes and its glorious delights will forever be tattooed on my brain. And just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, we fly to Iguazu Falls.