A journey of two lifetimes
Tips and Tools for Fellow Travellers:
Must-Have Phone Applications
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maps.me - an offline GPS app with regularly updated coordinates for campings, gaz stations, and more...
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iOverlander- an offline map with camping sites and points of interests.
Apps must be downloaded before hand.
When heading to Laguna Brava
Going to Laguna Brava is apparently not free, it costs 30 pesos (3USD) but we found this out later as no one stopped us on the way.
A group of 6 rangers keep a look out at the whole park around the Laguna Brava and even offer tours for a more in-depth experience.
Camping Comunal - Belen
Free, quiet and very pleasant location by the river bed of Rio Belen, about 10km up-valley from the town.
More Info in Tips and Tools
FINALLY
ON THE
ROAD
- December 8th, 2015 -
Calama, Chile
Day 5 - Villa Union - Laguna Brava - Alto Jague
Disappointed with the Talampaya experience, we were determined to make the best out of our next plan: Laguna Brava. A salt lake at 4200m up in the Andes. It was not really on our route north towards Jujuy but definitely something we wanted to see. So we packed and left our camping spot without having breakfast.
Along the way we drove through an incredible red-rock canyon with impressive diagonally orientated layers. A small river carved it’s way through the large rock formations (it definitely made up for Talampaya). Thanks to our robust 4x4 we were able to reach a sandy bank we had spotted off the main track. By the river, we opened up the kitchen to enjoy some nice scrambled eggs on toast with coffee before heading down to the water to get a fresh full body cleansing. With the scorching heat of the midday sun weighing upon us, washing in the river was simply delightful!
Day 6 - Alto Jague - Belem
Woke up, packed and hit the road. To get back on our North-bound itinerary we had to drive back to Villa Union. Once again we drove through the canyons only finding a different spot this time, further away from the road, out of site from any passer-by. It was naked that we bathed this time! What a feeling! If freedom had to feel like anything, bathing in cold river water in the middle of a canyon would be it! Once dried and dressed we were set to get back on the road.
It was a scorching hot day and we had over 300km to drive to get to our next stop: Belem. The drive after Villa Union started with a spectacular cactus-decorated traverse of the Questa de Miranda which is basically the other side of the Talampaya canyons. Honestly we found it much more worth-while - free and beautiful, what else? It was a stunning drive. Upon reaching the 2000m pass overlooking most of the red-rock landscape, a state-of-the-art road infrastructure hanging from the rim of the gorge on the other side leads you down to the city of Chilecito. From there it’s endless stretches of straight road across and along an immense hot and arid valley. We finally reached Belem, where trees were again part of the landscape. Several kilometres upstream from the town we found ourselves a very pleasant and peaceful free camping El Camping Comunal to enjoy our first moments of shade of the day. A large argentinian steak with mushroom sauce was our menu for dinner (to the delight of the several stray dogs around the camping site). We enjoyed a perfect night along the Rio Belem.
Day 7 - Belem - Cafayate
This morning, we enjoyed a slow and relaxing start to the day. Coffee and breakfast and a gentle breeze helped find some inspiration to put pen to paper. It was nice to finally take time to enjoy the moment rather than rush into second gear.
Around noon, we started packing progressively and I soaped up for a classic bucket body wash. Once I was covered in soap, to my pleasant surprise huge gusts of wind started blowing the dry river banks’ sand up into the air and across the entire width of the valley. Needless to say it did not help my cleansing! I barely got time to rinse before rushing into the car to take refuge. The cloud of dust and sand was so intense that after a couple of minutes with no signs of the “storm” calming down, we decided to take off. The sand storm ended up following us for 50km, taking up the entire width of the valley (easily 20km wide). Tornadoes formed as the wind grew stronger, sinking half of the sky into a thick brown cloud of dust. I had never seen anything like it. Even the locals we crossed on the road stopped to capture this impressive sight. One lady came to our window and started praying to “Jesuchristo nuestro Señor" to protect us. I thought that was a bit much... Luckily we were driving north which is where the skies were clear… Was it Jesus or simply coincidence? I’ll let you make that call.
To our surprise, later that day we ended up coming face to face with another sand storm (not as dense as the one that chased us out of Belem) but apparently it is very common at this time of year when the river beds are dry and leave the sand at the mercy of the wind...
Day 8 - Cafayate - Volcan
A walk through the canyons and some breathtaking views was breakfast this morning. Then it was back on the road destination Volcan for our much awaited whoofing experience. Once more the road offered a dazzling landscapes and an incredible diversity from arid canyons to dense and humid tropical forests.
For lunch we stopped on the banks of a large lake with all kinds of birds and grazing mammals. As Sarah made sandwiches I fought with the coffee machine. 3 coffee attempts later I was about to through the damn thing into the lake! It just wouldn’t stop leaking, with no signs of coffee in the top compartment what-so-ever. That pissed me off for a while.
I gave it a little taste of the surrounding dirt to release my frustration. Fuck it we’ll have water!
Turns out I had forgotten to put the rubber ring that keeps the whole thing hermetic. I hate to admit it.
WEEK 1 - PART 2
Refreshed and full, we got back on the road. Once free from the depths of the canyons, the road opened up onto a huge plain with the Andes waiting for us on the other side of the valley. We drove along the longest stretches of straight road we had ever driven on (easily 10km without a single curve). We made our way back into the Andes where the unavoidable uphill zig-zags began. There we spotted our first llamas! Grazing from the small mountain bushes in herds of 15-20, they looked up at us curiously as we passed and captured their funny profiles. We continued upwards… The air was becoming thinner and much colder as we climbed.
When we finally reached the natural spectacle of the Laguna Brava it was like landing on the moon. (Yes I know exactly what that’s like). A truly unique sight. Grey volcanic rock covered the entire landscape, not a bush or plant in sight, a vast white blurry lake spreading across the entire plateau within a ring of volcanoes and mountains (as always). We were completely alone. Not a single form of life in sight. Wait, no, actually, what?! Flamingoes! At 4200m, on the banks of an out-of-the-ordinary lake, in a lunar environment, flamingoes felt right at home! Their long straw-like legs knee-high in the salty water, they sank their beaks in the search for food (whatever could possible survive in the water). Apparently they found their “bread” because they all seemed very busy and completely undisturbed by our presence, not to mention the ridiculously strong winds that blew across this barren landscape.
We drove around as we pleased making our own tracks upon this seemingly limitless rocky desert. By then we had added a couple extra layers to the light clothing we had started the day with. The wind was cold and sharp.
After having set foot on what would be as close as we’re ever get to the moon, taken a couple pictures to bring back to Earth and filled up on our red blood cells, we let the 1.7 tons of our craft pull us back down the steep mountain roads back to a more sustainable environment.
That night we camped in the isolated village of Alto Jague.
I stayed pissed off.
Once back on the road we crossed the city of Salta and then zig-zagged through thick forest along a very narrow road (ruta 9) to reach San Salvador de Jujuy. 20km later and beyond the clouds, we reached the isolated paradise of Hosteria Rumiyoc. The 3km dirt track leading to the site was the drop that spilled the cup. Literally. Upon arriving at the gate at the end of the bumpy ride we found the hinge to our back door to be completely loose (both screws that secures it to the main structure of the car had disappeared) and we had apparently lost part of our kitchen on the way. We said hola to Rodrigo (the house keeper and homme à tout faire) who was there to welcome us, and then hiked back down the track to gather our material. Shaver, shower gel, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, tiger balm, salt and that damn coffee machine (which I would have been fine with leaving behind) and a couple other random objects… With all our gear retrieved (apart from the two screws that we quickly gave up on) we were set to start for our first ever whoofing experience.
Sarah made dinner - tomato and avocado salad with vinaigrette (that’s right vinaigrette! No matter where we are or how we travel there’s always space for a bit of balsamic and olive oil) with cheese and mustard hot dogs… I prepared the camp fire. I set up a circle of rocks around a small pile of dry branches and thorns, and upon accidentally knocking two rocks against each other a spark appeared, sparking my curiosity. We decided to try to light the fire the neanderthal way… Sarah and I spent the next 30 minutes knocking rocks against each other while putting toilet paper and dry grass around the point of contact.
We ended up opting for matches… We felt humiliated and defeated by nature. Luckily the hotdogs and salad and the heat of the modern-man’s fire warmed up our spirits.
That night, we woke up to enjoy a divine exhibition of stars.
Eventually we arrived at the famous wine-city of Cafayate. Set in the middle of a beautiful valley decorated with vineyards and cacti, Cafayate seemed like a lively and charming little town. People were out in the streets, there was something special about this authentic pueblo. We didn’t stop though, we drove off ruta 40 to head north-east onto ruta 68 - direction Salta. An incredible road winding through the most amazing canyon we had seen yet. Red rock, of course, completely softened by years of erosion, giving birth to spectacular shapes and sculptures. With the last rays of the sun coating the scene with a dark orange tint, we drove along in awe before finding a deep gorge to set up camp for the night.
- Jonathan -
