Ravi Raahi

  Salta Gateway to Northern Argentina   November 2022   by Ravi Chandra Gundakaram Salta is a city in the north of Argentina and also capital of the Salta province. The city is huge; it seems half of the entire population of the province lives here, and so no wonder that it does seem crowded. Colonial vestiges can be see throughout. Salta is the starting point for day trips and also for multi-day tours of northern Argentina, which itself is a beautiful part of the country. The landscape surrounding the city is filled with campos, valles, arroyos, quebradas and more, and is very different from what you will find down south in the Tierra del Fuego! There is actually much more to Salta than you will see here; this post intends to just give you a feel for some parts of the city. A view around Plaza 9 de Julio, the City Square. A statue of General Juan Antonio Álvarez de Arenales in the middle of the plaza. He fought in many wars, and was later Governor of Salta prov...

  El Alfarcito Ecclesial Community in Northern Argentina   November 2022   by Ravi Chandra Gundakaram El alfarcito is a community in a remote mountainous region in the Quebrada del Toro, on the way to San Antonio de los Cobres from Campo Quijano. It was established by the Rev. Sigfrido Maximiliano Moroder, affectionately known as “ Padre Chifri ”. It seems he used to reach remote mountain communities by paraglider, until an unfortunate accident while left him paralyzed. El Alfarcito was established by him after his mobility got reduced, and according to a signboard on the premises, is today an ecclesial center for training, production, tourism and crafts. There is a small shop on the premises that serves tea and some delicious local snacks. A view of the community. A view of the Church on the premises, around which the community is built. Inside the Church. The mortal remains of ‘ Padre Chifri’ are interred here. A photograph of ‘ Padre Chifri’ below the altar. An...

  Salinas Grandes Salt Flats in Northern Argentina   November 2022   by Ravi Chandra Gundakaram Salinas Grandes are the salt flats in northern Argentina, stretching across the provinces of Jujuy and Salta. The mean altitude is 3450 m, and the area is over 200 sq. km. Although not as vast as the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia, Salinas Grandes have their own draw! The surreal landscape of salt! The Visitors’ Centre, so to say. The llama to the left of the flag , as well as the huge dish to the right of the centre of the photograph, are made of salt. Apacheta, an offering to Pachamama, in Salinas Grandes. More about this on the post on Purmamarca. To make salt for human consumption, and also for industrial purposes, the top layer is cut by several tens of centimetre. The water below the surface comes up, as seen in our photograph here, and evaporates over a few months, leaving pure salt for collection. Quite a slow process, you’d say. Quite. One of the many troughs of s...

  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...