{"id":397,"date":"2010-05-08T20:35:08","date_gmt":"2010-05-09T03:35:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lisaandtony.com\/?p=397"},"modified":"2010-05-08T20:35:08","modified_gmt":"2010-05-09T03:35:08","slug":"purmamarca-and-la-quebrada-de-humahuaca-jujuy-argentina","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/lisaandtony.com\/travelblog\/2010\/05\/08\/purmamarca-and-la-quebrada-de-humahuaca-jujuy-argentina\/","title":{"rendered":"Purmamarca and La Quebrada de Humahuaca, Jujuy, Argentina"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>\"Cerro<\/a><\/p>\n

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Total Miles Traveled:<\/strong> 13,423<\/p>\n

Purmamarca is a tiny town ideally located in front of the Cerro de los Siete Colores (Seven-colored hill) pictured above, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. \u00a0The colors are a result of different metals in the earth in different states of oxidation. \u00a0For example, iron oxidizes and turns reddish and copper turns bluish green.<\/p>\n

One morning, I took a hike up one of the hills in the center of town and took a look around:<\/p>\n

<\/embed><\/object><\/p>\n

Here’s a view into another valley:<\/p>\n

\"Purmamarca,<\/a><\/p>\n

“La Quebrada de Humahuaca” means the Humahuaca valley or gorge. \u00a0It begins around Purmamarca and winds north through Humahuaca (about 1.5 hrs away from Salta) and all the way up to the border with Bolivia. \u00a0 Definitely worth a drive or a bus tour up from Salta or Jujuy. \u00a0Here’s a view from the highway at Maimara:<\/p>\n

\"Quebrada<\/a><\/p>\n

The town of Tilcara lies north of Purmamarca. \u00a0It’s definitely a larger, more touristy town, and features reconstructed ruins from indigenous people who lived there around 600 A.D., these people too disappeared mysteriously.<\/p>\n

\"Ruins<\/a><\/p>\n

The huts are quite small, or maybe I’m HUGE! \u00a0My broad shoulders can barely fit through the doorway. \u00a0\ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n

\"Ruins<\/a><\/p>\n

There were also a lot of cacti around – here’s Lisa pretending to be one… \u00a0I guess we were a little bored.<\/p>\n

\"It's<\/a><\/p>\n

More interesting colors and geological formations on the way up to Humahuaca:<\/p>\n

\"Quebrada<\/a><\/p>\n

Humahuaca<\/strong><\/p>\n

Finally, we reach Humahuaca, which is about 2.5 hrs north of Salta. \u00a0The town is even larger than Tilcara and still touristy. \u00a0There wasn’t much to see in the town center although there were quaint and quiet cobblestone streets, and a huge staircase leading up to a monument.<\/p>\n

\"Humahuaca,<\/a><\/p>\n

Here are some cute puppies in Humahuaca, distracted by Lisa’s cooing:<\/p>\n

\"Two<\/a><\/p>\n

This old lady couldn’t stop staring at us, so I took a photo of her:<\/p>\n

\"Humahuaca,<\/a><\/p>\n

And finally, we had lunch. \u00a0Lisa had stewed cordero (lamb):<\/p>\n

\"Cordero<\/a><\/p>\n

I had the locro, which is a hearty pumpkin stew with beans, corn, lam, green onion, and potatoes – very typical of the region and really good when it’s chilly out.<\/p>\n

\"Locro\"<\/a><\/p>\n

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Check out more photos on Flickr:<\/p>\n