Atacama and Patagonia Photo Tour 2018
Day 1-3
Day 1 -- Today we arrive in Buenos Aires, a day before our tour begins. Weary from the flight, we need to keep ourselves awake. So we head for a walk to Puerto Madero. It is delightful to see that Buenos Aires, like other international port cities, has renovated its historic port buildings. A long paseo along the channel offers a chance to stroll past historic 19th century sailing vessels and brick warehouses that now house chic restaurants, bars, and ice-cream parlors.
Day 2 --The Wolfies are all together now and ready to head for remote northern Argentina. After flying to Salta, Fernando drives us with great caution on a winding mountain road, through a vicious rain storm, to Purmamarca. Even though the rain eventually slows, darkness has fallen, so we cannot see the scenery that awaits us. Instead, relieved to have arrived, we happily gather in the dining room for famous Argentinean steaks and Malbec.
View of the colorful rock formations Cerro de los Siete Colores, (Seven Colors Hill) in the Andes Mountains in Purmamarca, Jujuy Province, Northwestern Argentina.
Day 3-- This morning the curtain of clouds lifts to unveil the surrounding ochre mountains. Giant cacti adorn the gardens at our adobe hotel. At breakfast, the Wolfies enthusiastically chat about the surrounding nature. I chat with a young couple from Switzerland who are so excited when Wolf and I speak to them in German, even though they speak excellent English.
We head off to photograph rocky slopes and outcrops, layered with rich stripes of rust, yellow, and green. Exploring the area we discover one towering slope covered with cacti—a mountain with a story. Here in northern Argentina, the country fought for its independence as the Spanish army approached from Bolivia, to the north. Legend has it that the Argentinians were short on soldiers and could see that they would have a hard time fighting the immense Spanish army. Then the Argentinian general had an idea—dresses the countless cacti on this mountain lookout as soldiers. His idea worked!
In addition to wandering through the painterly landscape, we check out a reconstructed Incan archeological site.
If you are interested in a future trip, please email me at [email protected]. Thank you.