The city of Salta is located on the outer edge of Argentine territory: to the west lies the narrow strip
of Chile and the Pacific Ocean beyond, to the
north Bolivia. “La linda” is how the locals refer to it,
“the beautiful”. It is a tribute to the lush green mountains that surround the place, to the mild climate and whitewashed colonial architecture – characterized by tall windows and wrought iron gates – and to the palm trees on the main square. But the main attraction remains for now a somber silhouette lurking in the background: here in the far
north, the Andean cordillera provides visitors with a kaleidoscope of landscapes that makes travelling in the area such a unique experience.
The narrow winding road to San Salvador de Jujuy starts out in the Yungas, the mountain rainforest. Lianas link the various levels of forest, orchids grow on the broad, overhanging branches. They say even jaguars have been sighted here. A couple of parrots move noisily to another tree.
We are setting out along the Quebrada de Humahuaca. This dramatic canyon, around
150 kilometers (93 miles) in length and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, offers breathtaking mountain landscapes, where cacti outnumber trees and the hillsides are studded with man-size specimens. There were once three million llamas in the Quebrada. But all that changed with the arrival of the conquerors from Europe. Nobody wanted to be seen as an Indio any longer. Instead people bought horses, cows and donkeys, even though llamas are much more suited to the region because they don’t graze by pulling the grass up by its roots.
Ruta 40, the country‘s most famous road stretches the length of
The salt flats shimmer a brilliant white against the deep blue sky, small pools of water left over from the last rains providing the only reflection of the surrounding mountains. It is the changing light
that makes a journey through the Puna such an unforgettable experience. The rolling hills dotted with tussocks of festuca bunchgrasses are particularly spectacular at sunrise, when the landscape has an almost reddish hue and the shadows from the clouds gently caress the roads and the tiny hillside cemeteries. But the clouds also attract the living. El tren a las nubes, “the train to the clouds”, runs from Salta to San Antonio de los Cobres in the Puna. To the locals it is simply “el tren”. The line climbs to dizzying heights, crossing canyons, river beds and cactus forests. There are 29 bridges in all and 21 tunnels. At times the copper-veined rock glows an iridescent red.
The train pulls a first aid car at the rear, just in case; air is thin at 4,200 meters (13,776 ft.).
Those who know the Puna but have since
returned to the valley live with the longing.
“I dream of returning to the mountains,” admits José Stauffer, a former engine driver. “The next time you head up into the mountains, will you take me with you?”