Where We Be
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| The quiet little town of Humahuaca as seen from a hillside overlook |
From Purmamarca we were driven north through
the vibrant mountains of the Quebrada (Canyon) of
Humahuaca. All the hills and mountains around this
area seem to be colorful beyond the normal range
of colors you'd expect to find in nature. Our first
stop was the ruins of Pucara where archaeologists
have rebuilt an ancient village of perhaps fifty
homes. The village is set on a hill and offers a
picturesque mix of tall cacti and colorful stacked
stone buildings. I suspect the homes look a bit
neater and nicer than the originals. The doors and
rafters are fashioned from lovely cactus wood.
Our end-point was the town of Humahuaca. We
skipped the "official" lunch with the tour group
and wandered around on our own instead. We ate
empanadas and tamales in a simple restaurant
filled with locals and had time to sit by ourselves in
a quiet central square. Because we were on our
own, we could drink in the quietness and spirit of
the place -- the cobbled streets, adobe buildings,
and dusty feel of the town. We loved seeing the
locals going about their daily lives -- including one
basketball-carrying Quechuan girl dressed in
Catholic school girl outfit listening to P!nk's "So
What" song on her iPod!
the vibrant mountains of the Quebrada (Canyon) of
Humahuaca. All the hills and mountains around this
area seem to be colorful beyond the normal range
of colors you'd expect to find in nature. Our first
stop was the ruins of Pucara where archaeologists
have rebuilt an ancient village of perhaps fifty
homes. The village is set on a hill and offers a
picturesque mix of tall cacti and colorful stacked
stone buildings. I suspect the homes look a bit
neater and nicer than the originals. The doors and
rafters are fashioned from lovely cactus wood.
Our end-point was the town of Humahuaca. We
skipped the "official" lunch with the tour group
and wandered around on our own instead. We ate
empanadas and tamales in a simple restaurant
filled with locals and had time to sit by ourselves in
a quiet central square. Because we were on our
own, we could drink in the quietness and spirit of
the place -- the cobbled streets, adobe buildings,
and dusty feel of the town. We loved seeing the
locals going about their daily lives -- including one
basketball-carrying Quechuan girl dressed in
Catholic school girl outfit listening to P!nk's "So
What" song on her iPod!
| Humahuaca, Argentina |
| I like the shadow of the enormous cardón cactus climbing up the adobe monument |
| We thought of our moms when we saw this statue in Square of the Mothers |
| This gives some perspective on just how tall the cardón cacti are |
| The wood from this dead cardón cactus is riddled with holes and quite lovely |
| The reconstructed stone village of Pucara, set on a hillside amidst the cardón cacti |
| The native inhabitants of Pucara used cactus wood in their ceilings too |
| Traditional door made of cardón cactus |
| I love the mix of colorful stones used in the buildings at Pucara |
| We enjoyed the tranquility of Humahuaca |
| Whitewashed adobe clocktower in the town center |
| Elaborate monument celebrating the indigenous inhabitants of Humahuaca |
| Backlit statue and cactus |
| Monument at the Tropic of Capricorn |
| The canyon of Humahuaca is mostly dry but has irrigated patches like this one |
| These colorful triangular rock formations loom over an ornate cemetary in the Quebrada de Humahuaca |
| Deeply eroded red rocks (with darker rocks looming behind) form one wall of the canyon |
