Salta

I spent nearly a week in Salta, I made it my base to explore the northern parts of Argentina. I was pleasantly surprised as to the diversity that this part of the country has to offer.  Salta is also a nice city, spread out and no towering apartment buildings. It is over 400 years old and is one of the first towns founded by the Spanish.

On my first full day I set off to join the free walking tour and bumped into another girl that I had met in Cordoba on the walking tour there. She was with a friend from her hostel, and we spent much of the rest of the day together. 

After the walking tour we visited the MAAM (high mountain archaeological museum) that houses four children that were sacrificed by the Incas and buried at over 6,700m amsl on the volcano Llulliallaco. The children were all under 15 and were of privileged descent. The children were given a brew (chicha) and were buried after they fell asleep. They thus each died from suffocation. It was considered a privilege for ones child to be sacrificed as their souls would live with the ancestors. The bodies are extremely well preserved due to the environment in which they were buried-little oxygen and bitterly cold. Only one of the children are exhibited at any time.

The museum also brings up the ethical problem of retrieving bodies of ancient cultures for the purpose of scientific studies.

In the afternoon the three of us walked up to Cerro San Bernando to get a great view of the city from above. There is also a cable car available to get up.

I had four full day tours coming up to explore the region.