Tilcara - A village in the Andes
From Salta I took a bus north to Tilcara. I picked Tilcara because I knew there were some Incan ruins and a waterfall, but also it was one of the larger towns along the highway and there were lots of hotels and hostels. I had been told that Carnival was starting for the province, so I knew accommodations would be a little harder to come by.
I was a little concerned when our bus took a detour and pulled into a garage half-way to our destination. It looked a little like a bus terminal, but there were a lot of tires and engine parts laying around, and no people or ticket offices. But, we were only there for 20 minutes or so, I figured it was a minor fix. But then our bus broke down about a half hour from the garage. Without the bus running, there is no ventilation, so everybody got off and stood around on the side of the highway. We had to wait for a mechanic to drive out and fix the problem. Something electrical – there appeared to be power at the alternator, but it wasn’t getting to where it needed to be.
I was really afraid of the bus leaving without me (I wonder why…?). But I wish I’d followed some of the other passengers when they left to find a store. A cold drink and a snack would have been nice. And just going for a walk would have been better than standing on the highway. We had plenty of time too. But, I just waited, pacing and sipping my lukewarm water.
Fortunately, I met up with a friend I’d met a couple of days earlier. We just happened to be on the same bus. It was nice to chat a bit while we were waiting.
Eventually they got the bus running. We were a couple of hours late getting into Tilcara. It was after 9 and dark and I was very glad to have my accommodations arranged. I’d booked earlier that day through booking.com. From the bus station I walked a little over a kilometer to my hostel – uphill of course, as everything is in a river valley. Had a little trouble finding the building but a man on the street pointed it out for me. At the hostel, there was no reception area, only a sign with a WhatsApp number. But I couldn’t get the number to input into the App; it kept saying “try again later”. A nice lady in the common area tried to create the contact for me, but she got the same error. She was nice enough to send a message for me from her number and a few minutes later somebody came to check me in – but… they didn’t! They told me there were no available rooms. Sigh… But it really wasn’t worth arguing about, it’s not like they could add a room for me. So I hefted my pack and started back down the hill.
I opened booking.com to see what was available. It’s cheating - I sometimes use booking.com not to book but to see what hotels have rooms and at what price. But obviously it’s cheaper to walk up and ask in person. And then I noticed the booking.com calendar – the right day and date, but the wrong month. February has that unique quality of having 28 days, so March looks the same at first glance. Ah ha! The hostel I’d booked - I’d booked it for March, not February! My fault, although I really wish booking.com wouldn’t assume I was booking a month in advance. Whatever. I cancelled that booking and looked for something available immediately.
Booking.com showed 3 hotels within 3 blocks. The first didn’t appear to exist, or the address was wrong, or they weren’t open to walk-ins (no apparent entrance and no lights). The next place looked sketchy and unappealing. The third had some good reviews and photos, but the rate for a private room was $45 USD, which is a lot. But, it was already 10:30 and I didn’t know I had much in the way of alternatives, other than sleeping at the bus station, outside, with the dogs. The hostel looked rather inviting and there were lights on inside and out, and people milling around. It was a nice, old building surrounded by gardens with tables and benches and hammocks. Through the front doors I found myself in the kitchen where somebody met me and confirmed they had a room available with a shared bathroom, for only $1500 pesos. That’s not much more than $9. I took it, obviously. But, I’d really like to know what the $45 room looked like. Or if there was one? Or… was it the same room but priced for idiots?
I slept extremely well and breakfast was pretty good (included in the price). The bathrooms were clean and there was lots of hot water. But, the room I’d stayed in wasn’t available for a second night. With the carnival winding up, there weren’t many vacancies in town. The hostel had been really nice up until that point, so I agreed to a bed in a dorm room. It was a big room with 4 beds – no bunks. The price was the same. I moved my backpack and claimed a bed, and then set off to enjoy the area.
I was a little concerned when our bus took a detour and pulled into a garage half-way to our destination. It looked a little like a bus terminal, but there were a lot of tires and engine parts laying around, and no people or ticket offices. But, we were only there for 20 minutes or so, I figured it was a minor fix. But then our bus broke down about a half hour from the garage. Without the bus running, there is no ventilation, so everybody got off and stood around on the side of the highway. We had to wait for a mechanic to drive out and fix the problem. Something electrical – there appeared to be power at the alternator, but it wasn’t getting to where it needed to be.
I was really afraid of the bus leaving without me (I wonder why…?). But I wish I’d followed some of the other passengers when they left to find a store. A cold drink and a snack would have been nice. And just going for a walk would have been better than standing on the highway. We had plenty of time too. But, I just waited, pacing and sipping my lukewarm water.
Fortunately, I met up with a friend I’d met a couple of days earlier. We just happened to be on the same bus. It was nice to chat a bit while we were waiting.
Eventually they got the bus running. We were a couple of hours late getting into Tilcara. It was after 9 and dark and I was very glad to have my accommodations arranged. I’d booked earlier that day through booking.com. From the bus station I walked a little over a kilometer to my hostel – uphill of course, as everything is in a river valley. Had a little trouble finding the building but a man on the street pointed it out for me. At the hostel, there was no reception area, only a sign with a WhatsApp number. But I couldn’t get the number to input into the App; it kept saying “try again later”. A nice lady in the common area tried to create the contact for me, but she got the same error. She was nice enough to send a message for me from her number and a few minutes later somebody came to check me in – but… they didn’t! They told me there were no available rooms. Sigh… But it really wasn’t worth arguing about, it’s not like they could add a room for me. So I hefted my pack and started back down the hill.
I opened booking.com to see what was available. It’s cheating - I sometimes use booking.com not to book but to see what hotels have rooms and at what price. But obviously it’s cheaper to walk up and ask in person. And then I noticed the booking.com calendar – the right day and date, but the wrong month. February has that unique quality of having 28 days, so March looks the same at first glance. Ah ha! The hostel I’d booked - I’d booked it for March, not February! My fault, although I really wish booking.com wouldn’t assume I was booking a month in advance. Whatever. I cancelled that booking and looked for something available immediately.
Booking.com showed 3 hotels within 3 blocks. The first didn’t appear to exist, or the address was wrong, or they weren’t open to walk-ins (no apparent entrance and no lights). The next place looked sketchy and unappealing. The third had some good reviews and photos, but the rate for a private room was $45 USD, which is a lot. But, it was already 10:30 and I didn’t know I had much in the way of alternatives, other than sleeping at the bus station, outside, with the dogs. The hostel looked rather inviting and there were lights on inside and out, and people milling around. It was a nice, old building surrounded by gardens with tables and benches and hammocks. Through the front doors I found myself in the kitchen where somebody met me and confirmed they had a room available with a shared bathroom, for only $1500 pesos. That’s not much more than $9. I took it, obviously. But, I’d really like to know what the $45 room looked like. Or if there was one? Or… was it the same room but priced for idiots?
I slept extremely well and breakfast was pretty good (included in the price). The bathrooms were clean and there was lots of hot water. But, the room I’d stayed in wasn’t available for a second night. With the carnival winding up, there weren’t many vacancies in town. The hostel had been really nice up until that point, so I agreed to a bed in a dorm room. It was a big room with 4 beds – no bunks. The price was the same. I moved my backpack and claimed a bed, and then set off to enjoy the area.
I first hiked uphill to find the trail leading to Garganta del Diablo. The trail winds up the hill above the river for 4 km to a deep gorge. The trail itself was enjoyable. There is no shade, but the 360-degree view was completely unobstructed so the view was amazing the entire hike. At the gorge, there are a series of staircases and trails that allow you to see the gorge from different angles. From there I hiked upstream on the riverbed about 20 minutes to a waterfall. I had a snack and then returned to town along the same route.
I then walked to the Pucará de Tilcara ruins. Originally built about 10,000 years ago by the Omaguaca tribe, it was eventually conquered by the Inca and soon after was abandoned when the Spanish arrived.
As it stands now, many buildings have been restored, but not accurately and more modern building standards have been employed. I find that a bit disappointing but it gives you a feel for what the town might have looked like. The unrestored areas are just cacti and rocks, but I actually preferred the unrestored areas. With a bit of imagination I could see how the town might have looked.
There was also a large, high altitude botanical garden at the site. Lots of different cacti, grasses and flowering bushes, mostly native to South America.
As it stands now, many buildings have been restored, but not accurately and more modern building standards have been employed. I find that a bit disappointing but it gives you a feel for what the town might have looked like. The unrestored areas are just cacti and rocks, but I actually preferred the unrestored areas. With a bit of imagination I could see how the town might have looked.
There was also a large, high altitude botanical garden at the site. Lots of different cacti, grasses and flowering bushes, mostly native to South America.
Pucará de Tilcara
Botanical Gardens
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Dead, dried up cactus. Hard like wood and used as a building material.
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I have lots more to write about – I have some catching up to do. But I’ll leave it for another post.