Destination Purmamarca

Colourful region in Northern Argentina

 

November 2022

 

by Ravi Chandra Gundakaram

 

Purmamarca is a must-visit destination in Northern Argentina, with its lovely coloured rock formations and cactuses. This post is on the route to Purmamarca, and some of the beautiful sights that you can see in Purmamarca itself.

One of the railway bridges that you can see enroute. I didn’t see a train on it, though..


Cactuses on a slope.


Huge cactuses, some about 15 feet tall!


A cactus flower in bloom. More about this when we visit Parque los Cardones.


Another flower, right on top!


We see two railway bridges here, almost parallel to each other. Since the engineers constructing the railway line had decided not to have steep gradients in the tracks, the way to go to higher altitudes is to go back and forth in zigzags, parallel to the slope of the hill.


A railway line to nowhere (as on date). But I saw work on the tracks in full swing, and people were saying that one will be able to take the train this year (2023). Some of the middle-aged people that I could talk to remembered with nostalgia how they would take the train as little children to visit their grandparents.


One sees mounds of stones in many places along the roads in the countryside. Pachamama is the Earth Goddess or Mother Earth, and the arrangement of stones called Apacheta is an offering to Pachamama. Some say that this in an Inca way of marking distances (something like milestones of today) along their trails. Others say this is a religious tradition. But the fact of the matter is that Apachetas are seen along the roads. Along with the stones, chewed cocoa leaves and fermented liquids are offered, which explains the bottles of alcohol in the midst of the stones.

An Apacheta.

Abra Blanca, the highest point on Argentinian route 51. The sign says that this point is 4080 m ‘sobre el nivel del mar’ (above mean sea level). The air is kind of thin here! An Apacheta is seen below the sign.


The barren landscape at high altitude. But llamas, vicuñas, guanacos and other wildlife consider this home sweet home!


A general view of the landscape in Purmamarca. The coloured mountains make the area look beautiful!

‘Rainbow mountain’ in Purmamarca, so called due to its multiple hues.


Indigenous people selling handicrafts and local souvenirs with the Rainbow Mountain as the backdrop. I asked one of the vendors if I could take a photograph of her. She pointed to her wares and said (in Spanish, of course), “Only of these!”


A close up shot of the hills. Reminded me so much of the terrain in the Valley of Kings in Egypt!


Faith in the mountains! An Apacheta, and the image of a saint. This one was in Jujuy province, somewhat close to the highest point on that road.


See you in the next post, folks!
Location: Purmamarca, Jujuy, Argentina

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
  From winter to Spring and back in a few days My trip to Peninsular Antarctica   November 2022     by Ravi Chandra Gundakaram I hope you have read the ‘Introduction’ before coming to this post! The ship ‘Ocean Endeavour’ that took us to Antarctica and back. It is seen here docked at the pier in Ushuaia. This photograph was clicked while waiting to board the ship. Zodiacs (more about them in a while) in black are to the right (and slightly below) the funnel, whereas the lifeboats (with orange tops) can be seen on the left. The cabin on the ship 'Ocean Endeavour' that was home to me for the duration of the trip. This is an 'inside' cabin, meaning there is no porthole or window. Inside cabins are less expensive than other cabin types. Moving away from the pier, at the start of the voyage! The city of Ushuaia can be seen touching the water, and the Martial glacier is at the back. On the first evening of the voyage, the ship sails through the calm waters of the Beagle Ch...
Read more
Image
  Tierra del Fuego National Park   November 2022   by Ravi Chandra Gundakaram The Tierra del Fuego (literally, the Land of Fire), National Park, ‘ Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego’ is the southernmost national park in Argentina. It is a short distance from Ushuaia and can be easily reached by private vehicle or bus. Pretty much every travel agency and hotel in town will be able to arrange half day and full day trips to the park. The park is very beautiful, and is rich in flora and fauna. There are also several hiking trails, but if you go as part of a tour group, you most probably will not be able to go hiking. Lago Roca (lake Roca) is partly in Chile and Argentina, and a part of this lake is in the park and is known as lake Acigami, which means ‘ basket or elongated bag’ in the now-extinct Yámana (Yagán) language that was spoken by the indigenous people of the region. Inside the park is also the end point of Ruta no. 3 (Argentinian Route no. 3) that starts in Bue...
Read more
Image
  From winter to Spring and back in a few days My trip to Peninsular Antarctica - Introduction   November 2022     by Ravi Chandra Gundakaram   “You went to Antarctica?” “Yes!” “Was it part of some research project?” “No.” “You are not kidding?” “Yes!” A few years ago, I too thought that you could go to Antarctica only for research. Or else, you were a porter or a cook or something like that, supporting serious-looking Scientists. But there is tourist access to Antarctica – to the peninsular part at least. Now, if you were to stand high in the sky right over the South Pole and look downwards, Antarctica would look like a circle – well, kind of. However, there is a peninsular portion sticking out, and the closest landmass to this is the southernmost part of Argentina, and of Chile. It is to this ‘Peninsular Antarctica’ that many if not most tourists go to. Most expedition ships start from Ushuaia in Argentina, or Punta Arenas in Chile and fli...
Read more