Ravi Raahi

  Campo Quijano Town in Northern Argentina November 2022   by Ravi Chandra Gundakaram Campo Quijano is a town about 35 km southwest of Salta. It is famous for its railway station, which is one of the stops of the tourist ‘Tren a las Nubes’ (Train to the clouds). One reads that one can take the train for the 450 km of so of its journey, and can return to Salta the same night by the return train. But at this point, it seemed that the train was running only for a shorter distance. I saw the tracks undergoing repairs in many places and a tour guide said that the train should be ready this year (2023). The beautiful surroundings of the station in Campo Quijano. A view of the station, with a heritage steam engine on display. Another view, showing the railway line. Inside the steam engine seen above. Schoolchildren on a visit, seen from inside the engine! A painting on the wall, showing a lady in traditional attire carrying a baby, and a man buying tickets for him and his kid at th...

  San Antonio de los Cobres Mining town in Northern Argentina   November 2022   by Ravi Chandra Gundakaram   San Antonio de los Cobres (literally, ‘Saint Anthony of the Coppers’) is a small town in north-western Argentina located at an altitude of over 3700 m above mean sea level. The mountains surrounding the town are rich in minerals containing copper (cobre in Spanish), and mining the metal is an important economic activity in the area. The other thing you would like about this town is the railway station, which is along the line through which the Tren a las Nubes (train to the clouds) passes. View of the town and the surrounding mountains. The train, parked for its next trip, and the station at the back. The station, which looks straight out of the sets of a Spaghetti Western! Who knows? Clinto Eastwoodo might be lurking somewhere, ready to pull a gun on you!! A signboard in the station shows the distances to several towns and cities. Not that the Tre...