Back in the city of Salta, where the streets come alive around 10 p.m., especially Balcare Street, which is lined by Parillas, restaurants, bars - all with sidewalk seating - which entertain patrons with live music until the wee hours of the morning.
On Balcare is also the sister 'pena' (pub/restaurant) of Los Cardones just down the street from my apartment in Buenos Aires.
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| Pena Los Cardones on Balcare Street in Salta |
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| The 'pena' Viejo Estation' - old station - features several very good local Saltena bands, as well as dancers performing the Zamba and the Chacarena |
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| Dancing with abandon.... |
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| A quick visit to the Salta Cathedral, which opens to the public AFTER mass and before the cleric takes their siestas at 12:45...siestas are sacred, especially for men of the cloth.... |
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| A little cafecito in the main plaza with a beautiful view of the Cathedral of Salta |
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| El Cabildo, one of the oldest buildings on Salta's main square, used to be the town hall, but is now converted into a museum |
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| Cupola of Salta's Cathedral, which covers a whole city square |
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| A bank is the only modern building at the edge of the Salta's main square, its glass walls reflect the cathedral's bell tower |
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| The French Club on Salta's Main Square. The private club, which is still in existence as the rich have not yet died out here, has been kicked out of this marvellously luxurious building, and occupies a somewhat less flamboyant venue - but still showing upper class exclusiveness - in a different part of the city. |
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| Inside the former French Club, historic hang out of the very rich of Salta |
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| Now, the Club houses Salta's Cultural centre. The stairways, leaded glass windows, elaborately decorated halls are open to the public |
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In between umbrellas of a sidewalk cafe, a view of the Cabildo.
49 pesos bought a large pizza and a liter bottle of Salta beer. As there were two of us sharing, that came to about $ 5 each...and the Pizza was so good, people on a diet even eat the crust. The Argentinean pizza crust must be a national secret, as I have never enjoyed such delicious pizza as here, not even in the birthplace of pizza: good old Napoli in Italy |
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| Provincial Government building, alsmost a Casa Rosada |
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| Salta's crest on the roof of its Provincial Government building. |
Definitely a visit to remember, this short four day journey through parts of Salta and Jujuy provinces. Life is a little slower here, except the night life, which throbs just as much as in the big city. Street crime, although existing, not as common as in Buenos Aires. Poverty more visible especially in the rural and more deserted regions of the provinces. Multiculoured high mountains and volcanoes, the only area that is as flat as the Pampas surrounding Buenos Aires is found in the Salinas Grandes, the great salt flats.
More Andean indedinous people live here than in Buenos Aires, but also more tourists from European countries make their pilgrimage to this remote corner of Argentina.
Back to the Big City of Buenos Aires for the last four weeks of cosmopolitan excitement....
