Well after another luxurious overnight bus ride this one being more comfortable as we passed a Tupperware place on the way and invested in two mugs to drink wine on the way, we ended up in Salta, which was quite a shock initially, being so close to the Bolivian border that people looked completely different despite still being Argentinean.

Arriving at our hostel after passing through the immaculate town square we rocked up in what has probably been one of the best hostels we have stayed in throughout the trip, it was lovely and rustic intentionally as opposed to being rustic by accident i.e. s***hole. after enjoying a nice breakfast we ventured out in the sun to explore the city, noticing that all the buildings were very European a sign of the Spanish occupancy here.

We also ventured up the telefronico (sky lift) to the top of the San Bernado hill to get some great panoramic of the city, but our very unpredictable batteries ran out on us, luckily there was a touristy shop offering replacements. So there is evidence we where there.After promising the guy at our hostel we wouldn't turn up last thing at night to book a tour into the northern countryside, in true miles and jones fashion that is exactly what we did and the tour was fully booked.

Instead we entertained ourselves with a trip out the suburbs of Salta into its very own countryside which was lovely we occupied ourselves with a stroll round the foothills of the mountains taking in some gorgeous water cascades along the way, this was all done in flip flops and there was grazing cows along the way which meant a few dung incidents; luckily enough there was a river to wash off in along the way. That day was finished of in perfect style empanadas, a couple bottles of Quilmes and a argument over the last chip (really this is true!).

Day three in Salta seen us occupy ourselves with this trip out into the countryside while we waited for our bus to San Pedro (it didn't leave till Sunday) it was a painfully early start (it was even dark) and we were in the minibus heading to Purmamaaca a tiny mud hut town full of indigenous people selling all sorts of rugs hats and ponchos; and you bloody needed them being quite a bit above see level it was freezing cold and my nipples are still recovering. The scenery around the village was amazing as it was shadowed by the lovely colorful mountain of seven colours. After a few pics it was back on the bus heading towards a town called Tilcara which is famous for its ruins when the locals moved their town onto the top of a hill to avoid the Spanish invasion, smart fellows it worked, they also came up with the ingenious idea of dressing the local cactus´ in ponchos and hats to make them look like soldiers and that worked too! The Spanish soldiers not that brigt then. The day was getting longer and we still had more to go and more metres to climb above see level as we headed to see another colorful mountain "The painters pallete" and then on too Humahuaca were we struggled out of breath to even get ourselves into the restaurant never mind climb the hill to see the village monument, honestly this is genuine and not the past nine months of alcohol abuse.On the way home we stopped in the regions capital for half an hour San Salavador Jujuy there wasn't much too see and it didn't look that attractive so me and miles headed to the nearest cake shop in need of a sugar boost and loaded up on strawberry tarts for the journey home.

On the fourth day in salta and we still had one more thing to do we had been trying to get into the local museum but this town has the biggest siesta, lazy b*****s. But it was one of the most amazing museums we have been to, it was that good it kept our attention span even though all the English translation cards had been nicked and we didn't understand a word. Well anyway it was about three mummified children that had been found at a very sacred burial sight 6000 meters above sea level and there bodies had been completely preserved for 500 years and put on show, me and miles were debating weather it was child scarification but all the same it was really interesting and quite freaky.E

arly morning Sunday we were off to catch the bus into San Pedro de Attacama Chile with disastrous results, but that's another story. Loads of Love Miles and Jones XXX