Little Entrepreneurs.

Mar 2 Jujuy to Coronel Moldes

After a really nice breakfast we pack up and head off with the destination of San Salvador de Tucaman, which is mostly south and a bit east. We have been told of a nice little highway from Jujuy to Salta so we set out on that route. It is paved all the way but is very narrow and really not much more that two small cars wide. The views are great and the road is very fun as it twists and turns around lakes and valleys that eventually lead to what can only be described as cottage country for Salta. We later discover that it is one of two routes available between the two cities, the other is the autopista to the east, a little farther but likely faster.

There is a road in there, can you see the car?

 

More roadside hazards.

The GPS shows fuel in Col Moldes but the only place we could see only sold diesel, then on way out of town we see a Nafta vendor sign painted on a piece of scrap iron. The young kids help us with fuel, and charge us $16Ar/liter which is only a bit more than the usual price of $13.86. I ask if the road is paved and the oldest girl says that it is all paved pointing in the direction we are heading. She was correct; it is paved all the way to the end of the pavement, then it turns to a rougher dirt road.

The paved part is very fun as it follows the lakeshore and carves its way all the way to a hydro-dam, which is also where the pavement ends.  From there it is a downhill grade to the river, this raises a flag because I am expecting it to also get wetter as we loose altitude. We pass a rafting company and a campground but there is little else until we come across a group of men pushing a car backwards up a small hill. At the base of the hill is a water crossing that looks a little daunting so we stop to check it out before attempting. Good thing because the men say that they tried but waterlogged the car motor and thus the pushing. I walk out into the current with a stick to see how deep it is and soon realize that this was not something we were going to attempt. Not so much because it was too deep but because the base was rocky and the current was strong enough to be of concern.  Not really worth the risk at this point of the trip so we help push the car up the hill then head back out the very fun twisty road back to Colonel Moldes and call it a day.

Nope, not this time.

The Hosteria has a couple of energetic little dogs to act as the greeting committee, they follow us from the bikes to the lobby, jumping on us and each other the entire way. Once we are inside they sit patiently by the door waiting for us to re-immerge. The next task is to find some supper but as usual in Argentina the restaurants are not open until 8pm, it is only 5pm so after some walking, escorted by the two dogs, we find a little place that sells empanadas to tie us over until we find some supper. Our tour of the town consisted of walking a few blocks in each direction and looking in a couple of stores for food, all the while escorted by the dogs. It seems the town is overrun with dogs, inside and outside of yards. The dogs must be known to the town’s people as they do not seem concerned when the dogs come into the stores with us.

Dogs of the Day.