Salta la Linda

Traveling overland in South America isn't easy. The bad roads combine with often and hostile police checks; as if they were assuming everybody is guilty unless proven otherwise. The result is an inherent difficulty in planning a tight travel schedule and tiring experiences despite the wonderful sights.

Under such circumstances, I recently found myself in downtown Salta at 1:30am without neither a hotel reservation nor a specific plan where to go. I was planning to continue my trip to Tucuman a few hours later; thus finding a place where to shower and rest for a while was imperative.

Enjoying the fair weather - after all, the town is nicknamed "Salta the Fair" - I walked around, unsuccessfully trying to evade the overwhelming police patrols (was the city under curfew?), until I found Hotel America.

Façade

The unpretentious and low colonial façade of the hotel is attractive in a humble way and fits the general setup of Salta's center; it easily transfers the visitor a couple of centuries back in time.

Reception

Despite the hour of my arrival, the receptionist was friendly and professional. After closing the deal I asked casually:

"Why are all those policemen outside?"

"Don't worry, they are just making money," he said without further explanations.

Price

I got a single room for 70ARP - slightly above twenty American dollars; that is the usual price of medium range hotels in the area.

Considering I had checked-in at 2am and the check-out time was 10am it could have been a bit too much, but the room was comfortable, quite luxurious and worth the short-term investment.

Location

Located two diagonal blocks from the central square - Plaza 9 de Julio - and thus nearby all the main attractions in Salta, few other establishments in Salta can beat Hotel America's site. The bus terminal is at walking distance from the hotel and the airport is ten minutes away by taxi.

Weather Control

The rooms have air conditioner and a heating system; the redundancy is a reminder of Salta being on the Andean High Plateau slopes and thus suffers from sudden weather changes.

Other Services

The hotel offers also fax, safe box, laundry, free internet, free sauna, baby sitter and a restaurant; the personnel speaks Spanish and English. There is a swimming pool nearby the hotel.

Room

The room I got was spacious; it faced an attractive inner garden, which had plenty of greenery but was unluckily featuring white, cheap plastic furniture. A wide and comfortable bed was complemented by a telephone and cable television, as well as a tidy bathroom with truly hot water in its shower, which was the first and main necessity of a tired traveler.

Café Tobias is a typical Argentinean coffee shop with a twist: it specializes on food from the Salta area, which is intrinsically related to the Andean High Plateau, despite the town being on the slopes leading to the central Argentinean plains.

Location

Resembling any other Argentinean town dating from colonial times, Salta is built in a perfect rectangular grid of streets surrounding a central plaza. Usually, such a plaza is surrounded by the main buildings and churches of the town.

Café Tobias is superbly located on Buenos Aires corner Caseros, one of the central plaza corners. Sitting on one of the tables placed at the sidewalk allows enjoying the central plaza greenery and the passing crowds. It is at walking distance from the town's main hotels.

Prices

Despite its exclusive location, Café Tobias prices are humble and allow a thorough and inexpensive exploration of the local cuisine.

The Staff

The staff was kind enough to enlighten me on the specific names and components of the different dishes presented here.

The Culinary Angle of the Andean High Plateau

The Andean High Plateau is home to more than two hundred types of potatoes and corn of different colors; the last is grown mainly on the slopes connecting the plateau with lower valleys.

Many of the potatoes are dehydrated after being harvested, so that they would survive for longer period of time in storage; their pungent taste gives a typical taste to dishes originating there.

Despite both originating on a similar topography and climate, the corn on the Andean High Plateau created a very different cuisine from the Mexican one. The typical dishes of the last - all centered on corn tortillas - do not exist on the Andes. Corn is eaten here just boiled up, in drinks called api and tojori, as corn bread or in snacks called tamales and humitas.

Tamales and humitas

Café Tobias specializes in tamales and humitas; their quality is excellent and thus it is the perfect place for tasting these dishes for the first time.

Tamales are snacks of spherical shape, served wrapped within chalas (maize leaves); they are made from an outer layer of corn flour over a meat kernel. The spicing is minimal, but they are served - as the humitas - with a side cup of chilli, so that the customer can spice it up.

The non-meat companion of the tamales is the humitas. They are rectangular, enveloped with chalas and made of maize with generous amounts of tasty cheese. Across the border - in the Bolivian side - they are called humintas and are prepared with minimal amounts of cheese.

Salta is built around a beautiful green hill called Cerro San Bernardo; it dominates the city landscape and it is hardly possible to find a place in town from where it cannot be spotted.

The Cable Car

The "Teleferico" cable car to the hill's summit leaves from the San Martin Park, just west from the bus terminal and some twelve blocks away from the central plaza. The trip costs 8ARP (less than three American dollars) for a return ticket or 4ARP for a single trip and longs around five minutes.

Climbing Up

The best way to reach the summit is climbing through the staircase to heaven. The access is located at the eastern end of Paseo Guemes Street, where the Guemes Statue stands; behind it the wide stairway begins its way to the peak.

Soon it becomes a quite narrow path surrounded by dense, moist foliage, which mercifully obscures the sunlight; the path gently climbs at angles that never let the pilgrim see much of the way ahead or behind. The stones path is occasionally replaced by short sets of steps.

After such half an hour of pure delight, the summit is reached. There, a beautiful cascade of artificial waterfalls visually refreshes the visitors and provides a pleasant prelude to the city views.

Summit

At the summit, there is a coffee shop, which is open only at the afternoons and an additional set of stairways, which allows descending through the hill opposite side, leading to a residential area of the city.

View

From above, it is possible to distinguish the rectangular, colonial grid typical of Argentinean cities; in a clear day, the central plaza, the Franciscan Church, the cathedral, the basilica, the San Martin Park and all the other landmarks of the town can be recognized easily.

The Fountain

Due to the way the summit fountain was constructed, it is possible to enter below it without getting wet and see a distorted view of the city through a thin curtain of refreshing water.

The Milestone

At the summit, a milestone states with almost milimetric precision: 284.92m above the city and 1458.42m above sea level.

Nepal

A worldwide pilgrim cannot avoid making comparisons from time to time; especially, when the setup of two remote places is so similar. While climbing Cerro San Bernardo, pictures from Nepal kept coming to my mind. Despite the obvious differences, the lush vegetation, humid climate and steep slopes were remarkably similar, reminding me that we all live in one planet and that each one of us is responsible for keeping it green and healthy.

Resembling other colonial Argentinean towns, Salta was built in a perfect rectangular grid of streets surrounding a central plaza; that plaza was bounded by the town's main buildings and churches.

The Surroundings

In the late afternoon, after the local siesta ends, the central 9 de Julio Plaza becomes a lively place where the denizens gather to socialize and to breathe some fresh air; there is no better place to meet people while watching the city main attractions.

Information

Salta's tourist office is on Buenos Aires 93, by the southeastern corner of the plaza. They have maps, brochures and updated information on the Train to the Clouds.

The Walking Streets

Two parallel walking streets begin at the southwestern corner of the plaza: Peatonal Alberdi and La Florida. This is where the main commercial activity of the town takes place: ambulant sellers, fast food stalls, jugglers and shoppers compete for the same limited space.

The Churches

Beyond the beautiful classical colonial plaza and the typical walking streets of Argentinean towns, the traveler should pay attention to three big and beautiful churches placed around the plaza: the Cathedral is at its northern side, while the Basilica and the impressive red structure of the Franciscan Church are placed in opposite sides along a diagonal line, one block away from the plaza each. The Franciscan Church has the tallest belfry in the Americas.

The Museums

Caseros Street, delimiting the plaza to the south, hosts three historical sites. The 18th century Cabildo, at Caseros 549, hosts the Museo Historico del Norte that specializes on local art and historic artifacts. The Museo de Arte Popular is at Caseros 476 and offers a wider collection of crafts from the Americas. All these locations are closed during the siesta time.

Cinema

On Buenos Aires Street, on the eastern side, there is an old cinema showing the latest hits.

The Food

Café Tobias on the Buenos Aires and Caseros plaza corner offers food typical of the Andean High Plateau; namely humitas and tamales - see the entry dedicated to the place in this journal.

Next to it is the Tano Café, offering the ubiquitous Argentinean "café con leche" (coffee with milk) or a cortado (a macchiato). Tano is the Lunfardo nickname given to people of Italian origin in Argentina; Lunfardo is a slang dialect spoken mainly in Buenos Aires.

In front of the Franciscan Church, La Tacita sells excellent Argentinean empanadas.

Argentina was an important target for the early twentieth century massive immigration from Italy. One of the results is plenty of Italian eateries; a good example in Salta is the pizza specializing La Salteñita by the end of Peatonal Alberdi.

Fast food stalls abound along the walking streets; the needed local slang for food is easy to master: Papuchas is the name for French Fries and Pochoclo is popcorn served with honey.

The Minor Basilica of San Francisco is one of the most striking structures in Salta and Argentina. The decision to build it dates back to April 16, 1582, which was Salta’s foundation date. Located next to the central plaza, the Uriburu House and the Cabildo, it occupies one of the most important and accessible spots in the town.

Construction

Originally it was designed as the "Iglesia y Convento de San Diego de Alcalá" (church and monastery); its first structure was built during the late 16th century. The magnificent actual structure dates back to the 18th century and survived a fire in 1761. After a basic restoration, it was reopened in 1767 and closed again in 1772 due to another fire. The Franciscan brothers moved then to the nearby Jesuit church and the restoration process from then onwards was very slow due to the political turmoil in Argentina during the 19th century.

Reconstruction

In 1857 funds arrived from Rome and the reconstruction began seriously with the help of Italian architects. In 1865 the monastery was reopened and in 1870 the actual church was inaugurated, though the marvelous terracotta façade was reconstructed two years later due to fallacies.

The Plaza

At the small plaza next to the entrance, there is a statue of St. Francis of Assisi which was added in 1926.

The Belfry

The splendid tower was built from 1881 onwards and includes four superimposed structures, thinning up as they approach the bell. The belfry reaches fifty-three meters and is one of the tallest in the Americas. The bronze bell is called "Campana de la Patria" and was made from the cannons used in the Salta’s Battle during the Argentinean War of Independence.

The Nave

The church has only one narrow nave; the walls were constructed with stone and bricks. It has eight lateral altars and treasures two notable images. The one is of San Pedro de Alcántara (made by Alonso Cano, a Spanish sculptor) and the second is of Nuestra Señora de las Nieves.

The Museum and Library

The richness of works stored in the church justified the opening of a small museum exhibiting a variety of religious images from the 17th and 18th centuries and a library where many important editions are stored. An important painting of Saint Francis in the collection is of uncertain origin. The books collection includes an important incunabulum (a book printed before the year 1501 in Europe).

The Monastery

The monastery is notorious for its entrance, which was carved in 1762 from a single carob tree by the indigenous people; sadly the convent is closed to visitors.

The Status

In 1941, the Iglesia y Convento San Francisco was declared an historical monument and in 1992 the Vatican declared it a minor basilica.

The Color

The striking color of the structure, a kind of earth-toned orange-red, creates a distinctive look that shapes up the town’s central area. At night the whole structure is wonderfully illuminated creating an unforgettable sight.

Salta is the biggest city in Northwestern Argentina and doubles as the area’s travel hub. Beyond the obvious international airport, it is possible to reach three countries from here with the help of comfortable buses. Some of these trips are obvious and direct; others possess the evasive nature of connoisseurs’ shortcuts. This entry deals with the crossings to Chile, Bolivia and Paraguay from Salta.

Chile

Reaching Chile from Salta is simple; direct buses connect the city with Santiago, Iquique and other locations. Despite the comfort, the buses are rather expensive.

Bolivia

Traveling to Bolivia from Salta is literally a dilemma; there are two main routes, one through La Quiaca - Villazon and the second through Pocitos - Yacuiba.

From the Argentinean side, the Pocitos option looks better since the buses from Salta do not climb the Andean Plateau and travel thus faster; however, the situation inverses once in Bolivia and the traveler looses a whole day in the way to La Paz, climbing up the Altiplano. However, if crossing the border through Villazon, the traveler is already on the Andean Plateau and La Paz is just twenty hours away.

Buses from Salta to La Quiaca and Pocitos leave from Salta regularly during the light hours. I recommend checking around all the companies, since the prices vary wildly; most companies offer tickets that cost between 35 to 40ARP.

There are two main routes to La Quiaca, the one goes there directly while the second passes through Jujuy, the northernmost Argentinean province. Jujuy is a hybrid town, sharing Argentinean and Bolivian characteristics.

Buses from Villazon to La Paz leave in the late afternoon, thus the traveler should leave Salta early in the morning to avoid stopping overnight at the border. The buses reach Tupiza, a couple of hours after crossing the border; the last is a magical town enclosed within a narrow valley bounded by red mountains.

Potosi, which if traveling with the late afternoon bus is reached well after midnight, was once the biggest city in South America and an important silver mining center, and is worth a special visit.

The other option is crossing through Yacuiba with a direct bus from Salta to Pocitos. After crossing the border, a shared taxi is the best way of reaching Yacuiba, a couple of kilometers north of the border. Direct buses to La Paz leave from there, but they are not recommended since most of the forty–eight hours trip is through unpaved roads. A better option is taking a night bus (or train) to Santa Cruz and then reaching La Paz from there. Conveniently, the bus and train terminals in Santa Cruz are combined within a single building.

If traveling to Bolivia, the travel is undisturbed, but in the opposite direction, there are several severe Argentinean customs checks along the way.

Paraguay

Salta is unorthodoxly functional in speeding up the trip from La Paz in Bolivia to Asuncion del Paraguay.

The problem is geographical in nature, since the isolated, wild, almost inaccessible Chaco plains separate between Bolivia and Paraguay. A direct bus takes two days and costs sixty–five dollars, which is an amazing sum of money to spend for two nights sitting on a rolling chair. Breaking up the trip through frequent stops in the Bolivian lowlands would lower the total price but would not improve the travel conditions significantly.

The Argentinean bypass through Salta offers a beautiful and restoring break, cuts the overall cost and improves the travel conditions. This route begins with a night bus to Villazon from La Paz (70BOB - ~9$; the price varies seasonally). Afterwards, it continues with a border foot-crossing to La Quiaca and a bus to Salta (35–40ARP - ~$13).

The last long leg is done with a bus to Formosa or Resistencia (less than 65ARP - ~$21) through the Argentinean Chaco. Formosa or Resistencia offer microbuses to Clorinda (20ARP - ~6.5$) the border-cross to Paraguay; once there, a local bus leaving from the main avenue reaches the border (0.75ARP). Paraguayan Falcon is across the bridge; Asuncion is fifteen minutes away. The cost of this route is $49 while traveling in better conditions than through the Bolivian-Paraguayan Chaco.