Before leaving Argentina, there was one last place I wanted to visit: the little village of Iruya, on the edge of the Altiplano, 300 km from Salta and at 2760m above sealevel. On the way there, I passed through the beautiful landscape of red and ochre cliffs around Humahuaca. It was great to witness life in the countryside: fairs, farmers and locals going about their daily business. I was also lucky enough to be invited to stay a night with a family in Tilcara. I rode as far as the village of Irtube and there I decided to leave my bike and take a bus for the last 50 km over the 3980 m Abra del Condor to Iruya. The bad road conditions, the headwind and the fact I would have had to ride back the same way made the decision pretty easy.
Iruya is in a truly spectacular location, nestled on a hillside above a rugged river gorge deep in the mountains. Inhabited for over 350 years, it begs the question "why build a village here?" Perhaps the reason has something to do with its name, which means "abundance of straw" in the Quechua language. After a night in the village and morning exploring the nearby river gorges on foot, I started the long journey back to Purmamarca. Next up: San Pedro de Atacama in Chile.
Cordero asado (grilled lamb) at a small village festival on the way to Humahuaca.
A typical meal: grilled lamb with corn, potatoes, goat's cheese and "picante" sauce.
Grapes are growing everywhere.
Some of the beautiful coloured cliffs that the valley is famous for.
Local transport in a Humahuaca sidestreet.
Some kids in Irtube.
The perilous road to Iruya.
The town has quite a dramatic location perched on the side of a canyon.
Wandering the streets the next morning.
Isolated farming communities high up in the mountains.
Back down in the Humahuaca valley, some more remnants of the old railway line.
Theoretically, this is the tropics. Not too many palm trees around here, though!
Another nice spot near Tilcara.
