After breakfast, we packed our gear and resumed our journey north. This time, our destination was the city of Salta, three hours to the north.

Final thoughts on Viñas de Cafayate Wine Resort

• The largest of accommodations that we have seen yet, with more than 20 guest rooms

• More international in regards to guests than we have seen. We heard German, French, Portuguese, and something we thought was Eastern European but could not identify

• The architecture was more Spanish colonial than we have seen previously

• Many patios with places to sit and drink wine, each being more optimal than others depending on orientation of the sun

• Best breakfast buffet yet with options for eggs

• Laundry service, for which we gladly paid the fee, but was not available at the other accommodations

Prior to leaving Cafayate, I had transferred some money through Western Union to get one last infusion of pesos, and there were some locations in town in which to collect the cash. This time, there was no doubt that we were getting the premium “blue dollar” exchange rate. But thanks to another Google Maps failure, the location marked on the map in Cafayate was a convenience store, not a Western Union branch. Not in dire need for cash just yet, we started our journey to the city of Salta.

At this point in our adventure, we have come to a conclusion about the food that we liked the most. For us, it is the simple empanada, which is a crescent-shaped pastry filled with meat and spices, sometimes with cheese. At home, we have found empanadas ordinary and wouldn’t go out of our way to look for them. Here, empanadas are available on just about every menu and are much smaller, able to be eaten in three or four bites. The difference is in the flavor. Despite the usual lack of heat the we prefer in our spiciness, the explosion of flavor is what makes Argentine empanadas our clear cuisine winner.

Traditionally, Argentina is not known for its empanadas, but for its beef. Although we have ordered a lot of beef while here, we have found the quality inconsistent. Most of the steaks and beef cuts that we have ordered were tough to chew because of so much connective tissue, or the muscle-to-fat ratio weighs more to the fat side. Also, if you ask for something to be cooked medium, you will get medium rare to rare. There is no such thing as well-done or medium-well in Argentina. You could order it that way but they would regard you as a freak and burn it in spite. At home, the better steak houses trim steaks prior to cooking to avoid the less favorable fat and connective tissue. In Argentina, such a practice is regarded as wasteful.

The almost four hour drive between Cafayate and Salta was nauseating, due to the twisting/turning highway, but beautiful. We would like to have stopped to take more photographs of the quedabras (red rock gorges) but the prime locations were so congested with tourists, any photo opportunity would have been spoiled by assholes in flip-flops, wearing designer backpacks, pretending to be hikers.

Upon reaching Salta, our first objective was to find a Western Union branch to retrieve pesos. The first attempt did indeed lead us to a branch but the proprietor required a photocopy of my passport, which I was responsible for providing. Not having the immediate means to do so, we tried the next. Google maps led us to an extremely busy intersection, where I stood in line for 30 minutes only to find the the supposed western Union location was actually a row of automated teller machines. My patience for Google maps at this point had gone from mild annoyance to overt hostility.

A note about traffic control - This is something that we noticed the first day in Mendoza, but we thought it was a Mendoza thing until we also saw it elsewhere. There are traffic lights at busy intersections, which everyone appears to observe. However, there are far more intersections without traffic lights, sometimes with a PARE sign (stop), but most of the time there is no sign at all. In Argentina, stop signs are recomendado (suggested) rather than obligatorio (mandatory) as they are in the US. At such intersections, PARE is regarded as “continue without stopping unless doing do will result in wiping someone out (or being wiped out by someone) in cross traffic.”

Downtown Salta reminded us of New York City, in regards to traffic volume, but with no traffic control, scooters dominating traffic, and a  third-world look and odor. Trying to park involved negotiating with whatever jefe de la esquina (block baron) was in charge of estacionamiento (parking), and paying the fee to increase the chance that the vehicle is still there upon return and with its contents intact. Losing patience with the traffic and parking issues, we fled downtown toward our accommodations. This was late in the afternoon and we were famished. Google maps (yes, we were still in a relationship but considering seeing other people) was showing available restaurants but their status was popping up as CERRADO or soon to be so, due to the shutdown that occurs in the afternoon.

A note on the afternoon shutdown – The concept of siesta involves an afternoon nap after lunch, usually in warm weather zones. We aren't sure if that is what happens here, but there is a definite period of time each afternoon whereby many businesses close. This usually happens around 1:00 PM and doors reopen at 5:00 PM. This was a point of concern, particularly in Salta, when trying to find Western Union branches or restaurants, but we adapted.

By chance, we drove past a sidewalk cafe, Valle de Ama, with a sandwich board advertising pizza and empanadas, and they were still open. We had both empanadas and pizza, the former delicious, the latter, as disappointing as we have come to expect in a country that doesn’t appear to understand the concept of pizza.

Finca Valentina

Moving onward, we found our accommodation for the next couple of days, Finca Valentina. The weather upon arrival was perfect. The place only had six rooms and was fully booked. Upon arrival, we were surprised to see a party of other guests from the UK that we had met at Vines de Cafayate Wine Report the day prior.

The guestrooms were free-standing casitas, situated across the property, connected by stone paths to the main house. Shortly after being shown to our casita, I made a new friend. The staff told me that his name was Colo, which is Spanish for “sneak”.

We had made dinner reservations at Finca Valentina’s house restaurant and upon arrival at our appointed time, we struck up a conversation with a couple from Zurich, with whom Lorna had much common ground to discuss.

Supper was a four-course meal featuring a delicious chicken pot pastry, all of which we expected would spike Lorna’s sugar, but our saturation in wine softened the effect typically imposed by massive carbohydrate consumption.

Next up - Day 12: Salta

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