We arrive in Salta in the northwest via Buenos Aires, this time collecting baggage, walking a half kilometre corridor to the other airline's check-in, then all the way back to the gate, but Aerolineas Argentina consistently take off and land early and LAN took off on time so no rush. Aerolineas is spacious, friendly, relaxed. LAN feels more like BA etc, smart uniforms, heavily made up hostesses, cramped seats but both have same minimal snacks and passengers clap with relief once plane lands and it's clear we won't skid off the runway.

Salta is a big city and we are unused to the bustle and noise. Known as Salta La Linda, the fair or beautiful, the meaning of the original Quechua name, it does have some fine Spanish colonial buildings and green Plazas named after heroes of the War of Independence in the early 19th century including of course General (don't mention the war) Belgrano, creator of the Argentine flag.

Luís the driver for our city tour greets us with a single kiss on the right cheek Argentino style. We learn that Gauchos were so-named from the Spanish insult for these outcast Indian/Spanish half castes, there being no female conquistadors. Beer comes in litre bottles.

It is Good Friday. The agency in irreligious Buenos Aires said this would have no effect, but the northwest is devoutly Catholic, mixed with worship of the pre-hispanic earth mother Pachamama, so we can't go up the hill to the panoramic viewpoint because of the Easter procession and the famous archeological museum displaying the perfectly preserved bodies of Inca child sacrifices is closed. So it is a short tour, but our guide is amiable, we practice our Spanish, she buys us coffee with a quarter of the prepaid museum entrance fee and shows us photos of her 9 month old daughter as we relax at a sunny cafe on the main square.