Jujuyyyy

Two weekends ago we traveled up to the northern-most province of Argentina (Jujuy) for a trip with our program. We went with UBA (the public university) so we spent part of the time learning about the history of the indigenous populations living there.

Driving from the capital out to the tiny towns where we stayed was a lot like driving through central California - rolling, golden hills. As we moved farther north the mountains turned to shades of green, red, and brown and made for some gorgeous hikes.

Our second day there we drove a few hours out to the Salinas Grandes - or the giant salt flats. I can't really describe the flats and the pictures dont do them justice, but try imagining as far as you can see in every direction as simply flat and white. Spotted along the flats are also little, bright-blue pools of water used to better remove the salt for sale.

We also spent a lot of time in the various towns at their ferias picking up some Christmas gifts - get excited! The food was also a highlight of the trip with empanadas, tamales (!), and a delicious asado. One night we even ate llama, a delicacy in the province! I can see the disgusted look on all of your faces, but it was surprisingly good!

Our last night there we went to a local bar for a night of music and dancing. 30 gringos filled up the place pretty quickly, but the 10 or so locals who stayed despite our presence taught us some traditional dances which quickly broke down into a massive congo line - great way to finish up the trip!