Monday, December 5, 2011
USA
Back home in New Mexico but posts about the condors in Colca Canyon and the Floating Islands of Lake Titicaca will be up soon!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Nasca, Ica (Huacachina), and Parracas (Islas Ballestas)
This weekend we traveled south down to Nasca to see the famous lines in the desert. I didn't opt for the flight over the lines but my friend did and she got some great pictures from the little 6 passenger plane. One of the other passengers lost her breakfast after the flight, evidence that seeing the lines from the air isn't for the queasy. My host mothers informed me that last year 3 planes, full of foreign visitors crashed while flying over the lines (apparently there isn't much regulation about the upkeep of planes) so I felt better about my decision to stay on the ground. Instead, two of us opted for the Mirador (lookout tower) approach. We traveled along the Panamericana out of Nasca and stopped in the middle of the Nasca lines, although it really looked like the middle of nowhere, as the only landmarks were some hills in the distance and the tower itself. From the tower we saw the 'hands' shape as well as the 'tree.' The Panamericana apparently runs straight through the tail of the 'lizard' but it was a bit difficult to make out the entire shape. Nasca shapes also adorn a number of Peruvian coins.
After the lines we headed to Ica and then a short ride took us to Huacachina, a desert oasis, literally! The small town of Huacachina is built around a lagoon and it only takes about 10 minutes to walk around it, during which you've seen most of the town too. There are mostly restaurants and hostels with a few shops and private residences too and if you aren't a tourist, you're trying to sell something to a tourist. Still, it's a very picturesque place, and the oasis is also on the back of the 50 sol note. Like most of the lakes in Peru, there is an accompanying legend about a forlorn maiden who somehow created the lagoon. The story here describes a mermaid bathing who is surprised by a hunter and in her haste to get away, drops her mirror and the shattered pieces became the lagoon. The waters are rumored to have medicinal properties and a number of kids were swimming in the water. I contented myself with just sticking my feet in since I saw quite a few Inca Kola bottles floating around in the water. Our hostel looked like a little oasis too, with hammocks and lots of greenery. We booked an afternoon dune buggy ride and sandboarding trip to avoid the heat of the day and experience the dunes that surround Huacachina and Ica. The buggy ride was like a roller coaster on sandy wheels and we definitely caught some air while driving over the dunes. Sandboarding was interesting, it was like snowboarding very slowly. We couldn't get much speed standing on the board so for some of the bigger dunes we went down on our stomachs, which was a lot easier and more fun.
The next day we woke up bright and early to visit Parracas, known as the 'Galapagos of Peru.' The first sight we saw from the boat was the Candelabra, an ancient form on the side of a hill that's survived the test of time and even someone driving over it with a motorcycle. Then we got to the guano (bird poo) islands! Where there's a lot of birds, there's a lot of poo. Peru has made and still does make a lot of money from the export of guano, a nitrate rich fertilizer. The islands smell pretty bad but the smell was worth seeing all the wildlife. The islands are covered in penguins, pelicans, and lots of seabirds whose names I don't know. We saw tons of sea lions sunning on the rocks, including babies and huge bulls. We even saw some sea lion heads bobbing around in the ocean as we left the islands. I narrowly avoided being pooped on because the woman in the seat behind me was hit midway through the tour. Our tour guide was prepared and quickly wiped her and my seat off (I had been standing thankfully).
This bird was a bit confused, or thought he was going to be fed.
We narrowly avoided disaster when we almost headed to the town of Pisco (PEE-skoh) to see a pisco (Peru's national liquor, technically a grape brandy that Chile disputes is also their national liquor) making setup. After mentioning we were about to head to Pisco to our Parracas bus driver, he laughed and told us to go back to Ica because all of the good bodegas are there and the port city of Pisco only lent its name to the spirit because that's where it was imported from. Oops.
In the afternoon we went on a bodega tour and learned about the wine and pisco that Ica is famous for. Our cab driver/tour guide was hilarious and very knowledgeable about wines and pisco.The first bodega also doubled as a very dusty museum and we saw some random artifacts such as a stuffed Caiman crocodile, stuffed and mounted deer heads, textiles from the ancient Nasca peoples, old lamp stands, a sombrero, and World War era crank phones. The climate in Ica is perfect for growing grapes, warm and dry during the day and cool at night. None of the wines we tasted had any extra sugar added and ranged from a few months to a few years of fermentation. We learned the best pisco sours (Peru's national drink) are made with pisco acochalado, which mixes three grapes. At the second bodega we met the owner who let us sample his lime and orange flavored pisco and pisco with cream and cream and peach.
Overall, it was a great trip and the fact that it was about 80 degrees and sunny the whole time didn't hurt either.
After the lines we headed to Ica and then a short ride took us to Huacachina, a desert oasis, literally! The small town of Huacachina is built around a lagoon and it only takes about 10 minutes to walk around it, during which you've seen most of the town too. There are mostly restaurants and hostels with a few shops and private residences too and if you aren't a tourist, you're trying to sell something to a tourist. Still, it's a very picturesque place, and the oasis is also on the back of the 50 sol note. Like most of the lakes in Peru, there is an accompanying legend about a forlorn maiden who somehow created the lagoon. The story here describes a mermaid bathing who is surprised by a hunter and in her haste to get away, drops her mirror and the shattered pieces became the lagoon. The waters are rumored to have medicinal properties and a number of kids were swimming in the water. I contented myself with just sticking my feet in since I saw quite a few Inca Kola bottles floating around in the water. Our hostel looked like a little oasis too, with hammocks and lots of greenery. We booked an afternoon dune buggy ride and sandboarding trip to avoid the heat of the day and experience the dunes that surround Huacachina and Ica. The buggy ride was like a roller coaster on sandy wheels and we definitely caught some air while driving over the dunes. Sandboarding was interesting, it was like snowboarding very slowly. We couldn't get much speed standing on the board so for some of the bigger dunes we went down on our stomachs, which was a lot easier and more fun.
The next day we woke up bright and early to visit Parracas, known as the 'Galapagos of Peru.' The first sight we saw from the boat was the Candelabra, an ancient form on the side of a hill that's survived the test of time and even someone driving over it with a motorcycle. Then we got to the guano (bird poo) islands! Where there's a lot of birds, there's a lot of poo. Peru has made and still does make a lot of money from the export of guano, a nitrate rich fertilizer. The islands smell pretty bad but the smell was worth seeing all the wildlife. The islands are covered in penguins, pelicans, and lots of seabirds whose names I don't know. We saw tons of sea lions sunning on the rocks, including babies and huge bulls. We even saw some sea lion heads bobbing around in the ocean as we left the islands. I narrowly avoided being pooped on because the woman in the seat behind me was hit midway through the tour. Our tour guide was prepared and quickly wiped her and my seat off (I had been standing thankfully).
This bird was a bit confused, or thought he was going to be fed.
We narrowly avoided disaster when we almost headed to the town of Pisco (PEE-skoh) to see a pisco (Peru's national liquor, technically a grape brandy that Chile disputes is also their national liquor) making setup. After mentioning we were about to head to Pisco to our Parracas bus driver, he laughed and told us to go back to Ica because all of the good bodegas are there and the port city of Pisco only lent its name to the spirit because that's where it was imported from. Oops.
In the afternoon we went on a bodega tour and learned about the wine and pisco that Ica is famous for. Our cab driver/tour guide was hilarious and very knowledgeable about wines and pisco.The first bodega also doubled as a very dusty museum and we saw some random artifacts such as a stuffed Caiman crocodile, stuffed and mounted deer heads, textiles from the ancient Nasca peoples, old lamp stands, a sombrero, and World War era crank phones. The climate in Ica is perfect for growing grapes, warm and dry during the day and cool at night. None of the wines we tasted had any extra sugar added and ranged from a few months to a few years of fermentation. We learned the best pisco sours (Peru's national drink) are made with pisco acochalado, which mixes three grapes. At the second bodega we met the owner who let us sample his lime and orange flavored pisco and pisco with cream and cream and peach.
Overall, it was a great trip and the fact that it was about 80 degrees and sunny the whole time didn't hurt either.
Continuation of Machu Picchu weekend
Pictures up from the rest of the trip.
Artisan textile shop in Chinchero, chicha brewery, llama/dromedary farm and lastly pictures from Cusco.
Artisan textile shop in Chinchero, chicha brewery, llama/dromedary farm and lastly pictures from Cusco.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Pictures from Mancora and Museo Larco
Here's a link to a few Mancora pictures and photos from our recent trip to the archaeological Museo Larco.
Mancora
Two weekends ago we traveled North to the lovely beach town of Mancora. The weather was perfect and we had sunny days our entire time there. Our hostel was right by the ocean (literally, walking out the back door you're walking in sand). The town is essentially one main street with lots of hostels, restaurants, shops and plenty of places to rent surfboards. On the beach there are people selling snacks, cold drinks, ice cream, jewelry, horse back riding lessons, and the owners of beach side restaurants walk around with menu so your can order (and get delivery) right from your spot in the sand.
All of the restaurants had great fixed menus (appetizer and main dish + drink) so being on the beach I had fish in all of its forms. Pescado frito or fried fish, pescado a la chorillana or fried fish with sauteed onions and tomatoes, chicharron de pescado or bits of breaded and fried fish, chaufa de mariscos or fried rice with bits of shrimp, tiradito or fish in lime juice with aji (a spicy chile), and ceviche or tiradito with onions. All washed down with delicious maracuya or passion fruit juice. Yum.
(Image from the web but my plate looked like this plus french fries and minus the fancy red pepper action on the rice tower. Rice is always served in a little bowl/mound shape. )
(Ceviche in Huanchaco, but it's the same idea. Potato on the top left and yuca on the bottom. Coke with real sugar too!)
We also visited a nice vegetarian restaurant called Angela's started by an Austrian woman, the restaurant's namesake. I had some great falafel and a very flavorful curry with rice and veggies.
During our weekend there we missed the earthquake in Lima, which we ended up hearing about a few days after it happened.
All of the restaurants had great fixed menus (appetizer and main dish + drink) so being on the beach I had fish in all of its forms. Pescado frito or fried fish, pescado a la chorillana or fried fish with sauteed onions and tomatoes, chicharron de pescado or bits of breaded and fried fish, chaufa de mariscos or fried rice with bits of shrimp, tiradito or fish in lime juice with aji (a spicy chile), and ceviche or tiradito with onions. All washed down with delicious maracuya or passion fruit juice. Yum.
We also visited a nice vegetarian restaurant called Angela's started by an Austrian woman, the restaurant's namesake. I had some great falafel and a very flavorful curry with rice and veggies.
During our weekend there we missed the earthquake in Lima, which we ended up hearing about a few days after it happened.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Machu Picchu and other sites
One of our fist stops was at a small textile shop where we learned about the kinds of plants used to make certain kinds of dyes for cloth. We got to feel the difference between llama and alpaca and see how it was washed and then spun into thread.Then we learned about chicha beer, which is made out of corn and is left to ferment for a few days, the longer the stronger. We visited the ruins of Ollantaytambu (sp?) and got some stair climbing practice before Machu Picchu. Then we took a train to Aguas Calientes and spent the night there. The big hike was for the next morning
Machu Picchu was amazing. Easy to see why it's visited so often and why it's a UNESCO World Heritage site. We arrived early in the morning to hike Huayna Picchu, which is the big mountain to the right in every picture of Machu Picchu ever. Whew, it was quite a climb but there was a beautiful aerial view of the terraces waiting for us at the end. Climbing um the mountain involved a seemingly never ending series of stairs and lots of water and catch your breath breaks. After descending the mountain and telling everyone on the way down that the view was a amazing, we took a tour of Machu Picchu. Our guide explained that the site was more of a retreat for the scholarly/wealthy Incas way back in the day. The fact that the site was built in the shape of the mountain and more or less flowed with the topography of the site helped in stay hidden from the Spanish, who had a penchant for destroying neat Incan things.
It was amazing to think about carrying heavy stones around to build walls when we were getting winded just climbing a few stairs. But somehow the Incan cut thousands of stones and built walls that are still standing today. We say a number of different kinds of dwellings on the mountain. There were store houses that had second story windows to allow ventilation as well as sites of worship such as this stone that is in the image of a condor.
There were a number of llama peacefully grazing on the terraces but this was only a teaser for the llama/alpaca/all types of dromedary relatives farm we were about to visit! I'm still not quite sure which animals were which but it was fun to feed them and see the variety of colors they came in.
The next day in Cusco we were free to explore and got to see the weekly Sunday parade complete with military processions and dances representing various regions.
Machu Picchu was amazing. Easy to see why it's visited so often and why it's a UNESCO World Heritage site. We arrived early in the morning to hike Huayna Picchu, which is the big mountain to the right in every picture of Machu Picchu ever. Whew, it was quite a climb but there was a beautiful aerial view of the terraces waiting for us at the end. Climbing um the mountain involved a seemingly never ending series of stairs and lots of water and catch your breath breaks. After descending the mountain and telling everyone on the way down that the view was a amazing, we took a tour of Machu Picchu. Our guide explained that the site was more of a retreat for the scholarly/wealthy Incas way back in the day. The fact that the site was built in the shape of the mountain and more or less flowed with the topography of the site helped in stay hidden from the Spanish, who had a penchant for destroying neat Incan things.
It was amazing to think about carrying heavy stones around to build walls when we were getting winded just climbing a few stairs. But somehow the Incan cut thousands of stones and built walls that are still standing today. We say a number of different kinds of dwellings on the mountain. There were store houses that had second story windows to allow ventilation as well as sites of worship such as this stone that is in the image of a condor.
There were a number of llama peacefully grazing on the terraces but this was only a teaser for the llama/alpaca/all types of dromedary relatives farm we were about to visit! I'm still not quite sure which animals were which but it was fun to feed them and see the variety of colors they came in.
The next day in Cusco we were free to explore and got to see the weekly Sunday parade complete with military processions and dances representing various regions.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Superlatives from Argentina
Brought to you by my nifty pocket Guia.
The subway in BA, inaugurated in1913, was the first in South America.
The Teatro Colon is the most important lyrical theater in Latin America and is one of the five most famous theaters in the world for its acoustics.
The highest mountain in America is Aconcagua, located in the Andes in the province of Mendoza.
The bus, pen, electronic fingerprint system and dulce de leche are all Argentinian inventions. (Dulce de leche is made by very slowly cooking sugar, vanilla, and milk. It is said that in 1829, Juan Manuel de Rosas' maid had forgotten some sweetened milk she had been heating. The GOvernor tried the sticky brown substance and liked it. )
The subway in BA, inaugurated in1913, was the first in South America.
The Teatro Colon is the most important lyrical theater in Latin America and is one of the five most famous theaters in the world for its acoustics.
The highest mountain in America is Aconcagua, located in the Andes in the province of Mendoza.
The bus, pen, electronic fingerprint system and dulce de leche are all Argentinian inventions. (Dulce de leche is made by very slowly cooking sugar, vanilla, and milk. It is said that in 1829, Juan Manuel de Rosas' maid had forgotten some sweetened milk she had been heating. The GOvernor tried the sticky brown substance and liked it. )
Monday, October 3, 2011
Notes on Lima
My first weekend here I decided I loved Peru, and I haven't had to change my mind since. Lima reminds me a bit of Miami. There are palm trees everywhere and there's greenery everywhere. The medians all have grass and flowerbeds and are very well kept, just like the yards in front of houses. I've been to three malls so far and they were both huge and very nice, two had open air walkways. Some familiar faces in terms of restaurants are KFC, Papa John's, Pizza Hut, Burger King, Subway, Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, and of course McDonald's. Even though there are lots of these fast foods restaurants Peru definitely has its own unique, delicious cuisine that I'm only beginning to experience.
Peru basically invented food. Way back when, Peruvians domesticated potatoes, pumpkins/squash, tomatoes, avocadoes, quinoa, and various corn varieties. They make drinks out of corn, chicha morada (purple corn with spices) and various types of chicha beer (fermented chicha). Fried corn nuts (just like our corn nuts) are eaten as snacks, and so are toasted and salted individual corn kernels (surprise, they taste like popcorn). I had some recoto relleno (chile relleno cousin) which was a spicy red chile pepper stuffed with a meat sauce (kind of Sloppy Joe-esque) with a cheese and potato pie/cake on the side to cool off your mouth. Had some tasty chicharones (just like Garcia's!) that I could have definitely eaten another plate of, accompanied by huge corn kernels (forgot to mention, the corn on the cob they eat here has quarter sized corn kernels, no joke, so there are 10 kernels per row on a cob of corn) and habas (lima beans, which you're supposed to peel but the shell isn't really that tough). I can't wait to try guinea pig, or 'cuy.' We had some stewed alpaca this weekend and it was pretty tasty, kind of like a beef roast. Authentic ceviche is next on the list of things to try, yum. Also the chicken a la brasa (grilled) is recommended and I have to give the local burger chain Bembo's a try! Inca Kola, the national soft drink, is delicous in its own quirky way. It's highlighter yellow like Mountain Dew and tastes like bubble gum, so you know it's healthy.
There's a large Asian population here so there are tons of 'chifa's on every corner. The food they serve is supposed to be kind of a mix of Chinese and Peruvian but so far it's seemed mostly like Chinese food (which is still super tasty) but I'll just have to try more and see!
Carambola (starfruit) juice = delicious. The famous maracuya (passion fruit) is here, of course, so I can get my fix. Hoping to get my hands on some fresh papaya soon too.
Taxis are an adventure here and very different from Argentina. After you flag one down you have to see if they know the place/intersection you want to go to. Apparently the government changes street names willy nilly so you have to give directions in terms of major streets and landmarks like gas stations and supermarkets. After the approximate location has been agreed upon, you can negotiate price. So far it seems like you should be able to get anywhere you want to for under 15 soles. And of course if the cab driver doesn't give you the price you want you can wave him on his way and grab another taxi. The one advantage of this system is that the cab driver will take you where you want to go as efficiently as possible to save himself gas whereas in BsAs he could run up the meter driving you in circles if you weren't sure where you were going. On the downside, no one has a GPS so if you're going somewhere obscure and you're not quite sure where it is, you're out of luck.
Peru basically invented food. Way back when, Peruvians domesticated potatoes, pumpkins/squash, tomatoes, avocadoes, quinoa, and various corn varieties. They make drinks out of corn, chicha morada (purple corn with spices) and various types of chicha beer (fermented chicha). Fried corn nuts (just like our corn nuts) are eaten as snacks, and so are toasted and salted individual corn kernels (surprise, they taste like popcorn). I had some recoto relleno (chile relleno cousin) which was a spicy red chile pepper stuffed with a meat sauce (kind of Sloppy Joe-esque) with a cheese and potato pie/cake on the side to cool off your mouth. Had some tasty chicharones (just like Garcia's!) that I could have definitely eaten another plate of, accompanied by huge corn kernels (forgot to mention, the corn on the cob they eat here has quarter sized corn kernels, no joke, so there are 10 kernels per row on a cob of corn) and habas (lima beans, which you're supposed to peel but the shell isn't really that tough). I can't wait to try guinea pig, or 'cuy.' We had some stewed alpaca this weekend and it was pretty tasty, kind of like a beef roast. Authentic ceviche is next on the list of things to try, yum. Also the chicken a la brasa (grilled) is recommended and I have to give the local burger chain Bembo's a try! Inca Kola, the national soft drink, is delicous in its own quirky way. It's highlighter yellow like Mountain Dew and tastes like bubble gum, so you know it's healthy.
There's a large Asian population here so there are tons of 'chifa's on every corner. The food they serve is supposed to be kind of a mix of Chinese and Peruvian but so far it's seemed mostly like Chinese food (which is still super tasty) but I'll just have to try more and see!
Carambola (starfruit) juice = delicious. The famous maracuya (passion fruit) is here, of course, so I can get my fix. Hoping to get my hands on some fresh papaya soon too.
Taxis are an adventure here and very different from Argentina. After you flag one down you have to see if they know the place/intersection you want to go to. Apparently the government changes street names willy nilly so you have to give directions in terms of major streets and landmarks like gas stations and supermarkets. After the approximate location has been agreed upon, you can negotiate price. So far it seems like you should be able to get anywhere you want to for under 15 soles. And of course if the cab driver doesn't give you the price you want you can wave him on his way and grab another taxi. The one advantage of this system is that the cab driver will take you where you want to go as efficiently as possible to save himself gas whereas in BsAs he could run up the meter driving you in circles if you weren't sure where you were going. On the downside, no one has a GPS so if you're going somewhere obscure and you're not quite sure where it is, you're out of luck.
Lujan and Dia del Campo
Our last full weekend in Argentina we visited Lujan and a nearby estancia. The only place we stopped in Lujan was a famous cathedral.The cathedral was, as Catholic churches in South America tend to be, huge and beautiful. Outside of Lujan we visited an estancia, or working farm that hosts visitors. There we saw a number of traditional dances and dress and had a delicious meal. I'm pretty certain all of the dances were from Southern Argentina since that is 'gaucho' territory. The gaucho is sort of the cowboy of Argentina. He roams the open plains (Pampa) with only his horse and his knife. Typical dress is boots, kind of balloon like pants, jacket, hat, and belt with knife. He is supposed to be an excellent horseman, hunter, and all around outdoorsy kind of guy.
We were served some delicious meat empanadas upon getting to the estancia and after being welcomed with a dance we were allowed to roam around the estancia to look at all the animals. There were turkeys, peacocks, chickens, geese, a goat, emus, cows, horses and dogs so this kept us busy for a while. We got to take a short carriage ride and do a little horseback riding.
Lunch started off with salad and bread, then chorizo, blood sausage (tried it, not my favorite), chicken and some tasty beef. We were entertained by more dances after lunch and eventually everyone joined in and danced too.
After lunch we watched some games of skill on horseback. A small ring (about the size of a bracelet) was hung on a large metal frame (large and tall enough for 3 on horseback to pass under) and the object was to catch it on a small stick the rider holds. The rider approaches the ring and frame on horseback at a full gallop. Only one of the 5 or 6 riders was able to do it. After each had a few tries at this game, a larger ring was hung on the metal frame and the riders carried much larger poles. The riders didn't have too much trouble with this and quite a few were able to catch the ring on their pole.
We were served some delicious meat empanadas upon getting to the estancia and after being welcomed with a dance we were allowed to roam around the estancia to look at all the animals. There were turkeys, peacocks, chickens, geese, a goat, emus, cows, horses and dogs so this kept us busy for a while. We got to take a short carriage ride and do a little horseback riding.
Lunch started off with salad and bread, then chorizo, blood sausage (tried it, not my favorite), chicken and some tasty beef. We were entertained by more dances after lunch and eventually everyone joined in and danced too.
After lunch we watched some games of skill on horseback. A small ring (about the size of a bracelet) was hung on a large metal frame (large and tall enough for 3 on horseback to pass under) and the object was to catch it on a small stick the rider holds. The rider approaches the ring and frame on horseback at a full gallop. Only one of the 5 or 6 riders was able to do it. After each had a few tries at this game, a larger ring was hung on the metal frame and the riders carried much larger poles. The riders didn't have too much trouble with this and quite a few were able to catch the ring on their pole.
Teatro Colon
A belated entry, but our last week in Buenos Aires we saw an opera at Teatro Colon. It was a piece by Wagner and we got some seats in the 'Women's Only' section following the recommendation of the ticket office. We were in a 'standing' section so of course we sat, it was a bit of a squeeze but you could get by sitting cross legged on the floor. I'm not acoustics expert but everything sounded great from as far away as we were and we could see everything on stage.
Lovely stained glass above the cafe.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Thursday, September 15, 2011
More Salta
Our second to last day we traveled to the 7 colored hills and the salt flats. The hills get their colors from their different mineral content.
The salt flats are a working source of salt and to collect the salt, slabs are cut from the ground down to the water below and the water is allowed to evaporate, leaving the salt behind to be collected. Our tour guide noted that sadly all who work on the salt flats eventually go blind because of the strong reflection of the sun.
Endangered vicuña, if you look really hard for the light brownish specks. Their wool is extremely valuable because it's so fine it can be knitted into an extremely warm windproof garment. Wikipedia article on them.
The salt flats are a working source of salt and to collect the salt, slabs are cut from the ground down to the water below and the water is allowed to evaporate, leaving the salt behind to be collected. Our tour guide noted that sadly all who work on the salt flats eventually go blind because of the strong reflection of the sun.
Salta continued
The next day we visited an anthropology museum that had artifacts such as pottery, cooking, and hunting tools from a number of indigenous peoples from Northern Argentina. The museum detailed the dwellings people lived in and how they hunted and cooked.
We also visited a museum about Pajarito Velarde. Pajarito was only a nickname but he became so well known that one only had to draw a picture of a bird on an envelope and write 'Salta' on it and the letter would find its way to Pajarito's house. Pajarito attended university but the only piece of paper he returned home with was a certificate showing he had one first place in a tango competition. Back in Pajarito's day, dancing tango was a bit risque so when he returned to Salta to teach the dance, the quiet Catholic town was scandalized. Pajarito became a patron of the arts and was very generous with the little money he had. He gave instruments to aspiring musicians who had none, and helped poets publish their work and helped musicians record their music. A number of people famous in the tango and literature world stayed at Pajarito's small one room house. Anyone who was anyone would visit Pajarito when passing through Salta. Pajarito became a banker of sorts and still somehow managed to make it to work every morning after throwing amazing parties with live music that lasted through the night.
The next day we trekked into the mountains, winding our way through them by way of a road cut out of the side of a mountain (a la the road to Los Alamos). Can't beat natural desert beauty.
We also visited a museum about Pajarito Velarde. Pajarito was only a nickname but he became so well known that one only had to draw a picture of a bird on an envelope and write 'Salta' on it and the letter would find its way to Pajarito's house. Pajarito attended university but the only piece of paper he returned home with was a certificate showing he had one first place in a tango competition. Back in Pajarito's day, dancing tango was a bit risque so when he returned to Salta to teach the dance, the quiet Catholic town was scandalized. Pajarito became a patron of the arts and was very generous with the little money he had. He gave instruments to aspiring musicians who had none, and helped poets publish their work and helped musicians record their music. A number of people famous in the tango and literature world stayed at Pajarito's small one room house. Anyone who was anyone would visit Pajarito when passing through Salta. Pajarito became a banker of sorts and still somehow managed to make it to work every morning after throwing amazing parties with live music that lasted through the night.
Gifts from all over the world decorate Pajarito's home.
The next day we trekked into the mountains, winding our way through them by way of a road cut out of the side of a mountain (a la the road to Los Alamos). Can't beat natural desert beauty.
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