Purmamarca, Tilcara, Humahuaca

"Painter's Palette"
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The second day of our trip to Salta we took a tour even farther north to the province of Jujuy. The mountain views were just beautiful, full of colors and rock formations. We made several stops along the way including Purmamarca and Tilcara. Purmamarca had great views of the mountains and an Artesanal market (the first of many we saw that day). Once again there were blankets, pashminas, musical instruments, local foods, yarns and ceramics in mass quantities. I bought a very nice bowl (-ish, it's square, but still a bowl, if that can be...) that I hope to display in my own house someday.

The market in Purmamarca
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Our next stop was Tilcara. We went to the top of a mountain where archaeologists had uncovered a town. After it was all uncovered, it was restored to look as it did back in the BCs. The view from up there was breathtaking. Also, the restored houses were really neat. They were all stone, from the walls to the roof, and they were very cool inside. They were also very small and I can't imagine fitting a family inside of it, especially if they had any amount of possessions. Also in Tilcara we saw what had to have been the world's biggest cacti. They were huge! More importantly, there were llamas there which I am becoming very fond of.

At the top of Tilcara
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After Tilcara we made our way farther north to the town of Humahuaca. Upon arrival we ate lunch at a restaurant specializing in local food and were also able to see some local people performing with traditional instruments. Then we got a tour of the city and learned about people and dates that I can't quite recall anymore. I do remember that they have a "carnival" every year and during this week-long fiesta both men and women are considered single. Somehow, I don't think that this practice would fly in the US. And you should have heard about the pre-marriage customs!

The band in Humahuaca
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We stopped at the Tropic of Capricorn and a rock formation called the Painter's Palette on the way back. All in all it was a great little excursion with lots to see and lots to do.