Today we drove through the Quebrada de los Conchas (Gorge of Shells or Shell Ravine). Geologists have found sea shells and other fossils in the rock, proving that the area was once under water, then forced upward when the Andes were formed 90-60 million years ago during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras. There are numerous…

We drove west from Purmamarca on Ruta 52 up the Lipan Slope to 13,681 feet on a very twisty turny road. We are moving slowly again today because of the elevation. I think the coca candies are helping. They taste like gritty honey-flavoured herbal cough drops. We are still huffing and puffing walking on flat…

The word quebrada means ‘broken valley’. The Quebrada de Humahuaca is a mountain valley that has been in use as a cultural route between the Andean highlands and the plains for over 11,000 years. It is part of the original Inca trail. People in the small towns still speak Quechua and Aymara and often take…

We had time to sleep in for once this morning. Typical of us we are trying to cram a few months worth of trip into a single month. This is the view out our window this morning. Today was definitely one of the weirder things we have done on vacation! Caravana de Llamas is a…

Samuel picked us up again this morning – he’s been a great driver. Kris managed a whole sentence in Spanish asking for the transfer! Today it is finally sunny here at Iguazu Falls, oh well. We flew to Salta via Buenos Aires. Same seats that Kris selected months ago – these planes are getting mighty…

Iguazu means “Big Water” in the local Arani language. There are 275 separate falls from a huge horseshoe-shaped cliff on the Rio Iguazu although there can be as many as 350 in the full rainy season. We are here in the wet season when the falls are at their fullest. Our flight into Iguazu landed…

Salina Chica (the small salt lake) is one of three large inland salt lakes on the Peninsula Valdes. At 42m below sea level, the lake is one of the lowest points in the country. The lake is pink due to the tiny shrimp exoskeletons living in the salt. The road down was a little sketchy,…

Most of the Peninsula Valdes is parkland or privately owned, and many of the beaches are off limits unless you are on some sort of tour – this is strictly enforced. All roads are gravel so driving is quite slow. We had to leave early this morning to drive up to the north end of…

We left Buenos Aires this morning en route to Trelew on the east coast. We are definitely not ready for more flights yet but the timing is based on some other location later in the trip. The domestic airport (AEP Jorge Newberry) is only a few minutes from our hotel and much smaller than the…

Our trip has progressed with many flight updates being (what felt like) constantly updated over the summer. We scored a crazy good deal from Vancouver to Buenos Aires with AirMiles and managed to be Business Class the whole way. I think every single flight (we have 9 separate flying days on this trip) has been…