Reply To: Trip Report – South America, 7 countries

[davefl]

Everything about Bogota felt right. Priority bag tag meant it was actually off first (unlike everywhere else on this trip where it was demoted to dead last seemingly by spite). Uber worked, the Sheraton was absolutely delightful. Having advised them on the app that I wouldn’t be checking in until around 11am because of the previous night’s cancellation I was absolutely amazed when the folio only showed 2 night’s stay rather than 3. That was a lovely gesture. Was also granted a 4pm checkout with my Platinum status.

A plate of macaroons in the room was followed by turn down service at 2.30pm with chocolates, further macaroons an hour later, then housekeeping with towels/water etc.
The lounge wasn’t as good as Quito but still very good, and on the second night the attendant vanished around 8pm as there were no more guests and conveniently left the bottle of wine by the counter.

By the time I got to the hotel I’d started to come down with germs that I’d likely picked up in the many hours I spent at Cartagena airport. 1st a sore throat and then generally was wiped out for the next week.

Bogota itself had a great vibe, did a couple of walking tours. It’s one of the best cities in the world for street art but nothing more to say as it’s just a nice place to spend a few days. No clue why anyone would pay £500/night for the Marriott when the Sheraton for £100/night on the same block is perfectly acceptable. They both have an excellent free shuttle to the airport. Only drag is that they’re a 25 min Uber ride from downtown.

Back to Bogota airport for a 10.30pm flight to Asuncion. Thanks to the 4pm checkout I was reasonably refreshed but still feeling terrible. The Latam diamond lounge had enough wine to keep me going, and we boarded on time. Very weird pricing from Latam on this, approx £800 for an economy seat with checked bag, but only £620 for business with lounge access. The route is only flown 3 days a week, and 4 days before departure they emailed offering $280 if I would take a later flight. Well that was a big fat no, the next flight was in 2 days time and I was only going to be in Asuncion for 2 days.

After 5 hours of turbulence we arrived on schedule at ASU. My bag was dead last on the belt with its priority tag flapping merrily. So by the time I got to the hotel (Hilton Tribute) is was nearly 7am and I had a walking tour booked for 8.30am. Temperatures during my stay were approaching 40C with a UV index of 12. I didn’t know there was a 12 but I subsequently had a day where it was 13.

Asuncion’s old town has been neglected for 50 years. I have no idea what the gleaming new town is like but they really need to resurrect the old glory as in its day it must have been magnificent. I spent most of the 2 days in bed, only venturing out for the walking tour and a visit to the chair museum (where I was refused entry by the lady that answered the door) and the worst botanical gardens I’ve ever seen. Since it was valentines day. All restaurants were pre-book only, and I ended up at burger king. Music from street bars and motorbikes revving until 4am didn’t improve my mood.

The Palmaroga Tapestry looks great but isn’t. They were completely uncontactable prior to my stay. When I checked in at 7am having paid in advance for 3 nights all was well. The next day my stay showed 2 nights on the app. I asked for it to be fixed at reception, at checkout and subsequently by email and they agreed each time but nothing has been done so I’ve so far been screwed out of 8000 points and a qualifying night. I will complain to Hilton but I need to wait 14 days.

Next morning it’s off to Salta on Paranair. This is a new route for the airline, just twice a week and I’m on the second rotation since it began 2 days prior. Everything as slick as could be expected and then it’s an easy if time consuming car pickup at the Avis desk at Salta airport. The agent was lovely but despite Preferred status every form and piece of info had to be filled in and photocopied. Then we went out to inspect the car. He took his own photos, marked all the damage on the form, gave me a copy and then we had to go back inside for him to process payment and deposit seperately.

Time for my first time driving in Argentina – Roads were a little crowded and confusing getting out to Route 68 to Cafayate but thanks to Google Maps all was fine. Stopped at the various viewpoints such as Garganta del Diablo and El Anfiteatro. I’d planned a quick hike in one of the canyons but I could see all around that storms were closing in, forked lightning in the distance and it was getting towards 6pm so I dashed for Cafayate as my hotel reception closed at 8pm

Never experienced anything like the rain when I arrived in Cafayate. I didn’t realise there was a car park around the rear and the ramp in front of the hotel was full of cars so I parked across the street. Huge mistake. I waited for a gap in the rain, jumped out of the car, grabbed my rucksack and tried to cross the road but the water was halfway up the wheels of the car. I went down the street, managed to cross one part, but then became trapped on a corner, watching the water nearly come up to the sills of the car.
The person who’s house I was sheltering under the eves invited me in but I declined and ultimately ended up taking my shoes and socks off, rolling up my jeans and wading shin deep through the raging waters across the corner to the hotel where I dripped all over their reception.

What a welcome to Cafayate. Waters subsided after about 2.5 hours, and I made it into town for my 1st decent Argentinian steak of the trip.

Next morning, I set out on the renowned unpaved route 40 heading north to Molinos. Well, stupid me didn’t realise how inappropriate my little Toyota was for what was now a series of river crossings, and roads which had turned to stretches of mud. (some of it shown in the pics). Took around 4 hours, crossing 8 rivers, and very nearly did both a Clarkson and a Hammond in various places (Top Gear reference for those that haven’t watched their antics)

I tried to get to Colome winery via the road from Molinos but as I turned on to the road was met by a farmer driving a tractor pulling a police pickup truck, carrying a dozen locals in the back who I assume were trying to get to town to do their shopping. The only way across the raging river was to be pulled by said tractor in a high wheelbase vehicle, so I quit whilst I was ahead.

Haicenda Molinos turned out to be an absolute gem of a hotel. Dating back to the 1700s with authentic blacksmith made ironwork for door catches, hinges etc. It turned out that not only was I their only patron in the restaurant that night but I was their only guest in a 20+ room hotel. Breakfast was set for one, and I think they were very disappointed when I just wanted a croissant and coffee. Every hotel wants to make eggs for my breakfast

I realised the night before that the rain had taken out two bridges between Molinos and Cachi, I had less than half a tank of petrol and there was only one alternative route to Cachi and one gas station en-route (a road that was worse than the previous day on Route 40) Made it to the petrol station after 2 hours, and FFS, no credit cards, only Pesos accepted, so on I go for another hour to finally get to the only petrol station in Cachi. Thankfully they took cards. The queue for the pumps was so funny, an ambulance, tractor, motor bikes, and a garbage truck, plus knackered cars and pickups.

The long and slow (speed limits) road through Parque Nacional Los Cardones on Route 33 is absolutely spectacular and if I only had one day I’d skip route 68 to Cafayate and just do that. Llamas running, jumping over fences and across the road as I was driving was a bonus. I didn’t realise they’re as mobile and agile as deer.

Salta – Well if just goes downhill. The apartment I’d rented via Vrbo was absolutely disgustingly dirty, The pics on the listing must have been at least 10 years old. The cleaner hadn’t even removed the leftover food from the fridge from the previous occupant. Anyway I was exhausted so went to bed. During the night I rolled over and felt something hard in the bed. After pushing at this “thing” it dropped to the floor and it was a knife!!! As in “knife and fork, cutlery”, that had been placed underneath the base sheet. I can only assume it was the previous occupant as an indicator that the bedding hadn’t been changed. Next morning I woke to more biblical rain, roads flooded (see pics) and I just wrote off the only day I had in Salta until evening when I managed to get on a 6pm walking tour which I can highly recommend. Met a young Russian guy who wanted to share a table for dinner and had the most unbelievable portion of Skirt steak that I’ve ever seen or tasted (it was approximately 2 feet long and 4 inches wide), and some really good chat, excellent service and wine. 5 free refills on some lemony champagne cream thing that the waiter insisted on bringing us.

Next morning it’s an Uber to the bus station at 5.30am for s a 12 hour bus ride from Salta, across to San Pedro de Atacama in Chile. I was prepared for a long journey, but I wasn’t prepared for 12 hours where the only stop was 2 mins for a driver changeover at the halfway mark and then an hour and a quarter at the most chaotic immigration/customs post I’ve ever experienced.
However it did mean that I didn’t need a 12 hour day trip to Salinas Grandes and I saw plenty of amazing scenery from the front of the top deck. At one point the bus hits 4170m/13700ft in elevation which is approx 770m higher than Cusco in Peru, so was a little breathless until we started to go downhill.

Quick footnote on trying to get Argentinian Pesos – I’d had a nightmare trying to get $100 USD bills in Panama. The ATMs in Ecuador and Panama only dispensed $20. So I had $500 in 20s that I needed to swap. The hotel couldn’t and recommended one bank in Panama, they refused, recommend ed a different one, 1st teller said no, made me go to a different one, who finally agreed.
Then when I finally got to Argentina I headed 1st to Cafataye, then Molinos, and it wasn’t until the final evening in Salta that I managed to find one of the cambio guys to finally swap my bills at the blue rate. I had the misfortune to have to use the ATM at Salta airport and one near Salta in a small town (because I needed to get the car valeted before I took it back to Avis), both absolutely fleeced me in charges with the max withdrawal being the equivalent of £18 and the Atm fee a massive £8.

Paraguay https://photos.app.goo.gl/7KZgGfVSggWHEovCA
Salta Province https://photos.app.goo.gl/jyNFkVt6kNiamYf99

Next up, Chile.