From Villazon we crossed by foot into Argentina. As we stood on the border of both countries we were greeted with the sheer vastness of Argentina, a sign read that to our south Ushuaia was 5000 km away. In under two weeks we would be standing at a similar sign but highlighting the reverse and the distance between the most Southern and Northern places of Argentina.
Leaving Bolivia took longer than expected (we were mere minutes at the Argentina border receiving our access for 90 days) and it was 11 am before we were able to take the next available bus to Salta. My version of direct differs from that of South American bus companies and we spent most of our Saturday stopping at every town en route to our destination. Salta is a city in Northern Argentina and one we’d added to the list to break up the long journey to Puerto Iguassu. After a couple of weeks of non-stop tours and multiple modes of transport we needed a couple of days of rest. Salta’s grid system was easy to navigate and we easily spent two days enjoying the pleasant weather and the beautiful squares and buildings of the small city. In Salta we stayed in Balcon del Ville. I’d mixed feelings about here, breakfast was poor and they considered a four bed dorm to be a private twin but it was affordable and spotlessly clean. Across Argentina we found that our budget for accommodation was stretched, we could stay in a private in the lesser known hostels and B&Bs or stay in dorms in the thick of it for the same price. As we worked our way through Argentina and Chile over the subsequent weeks we alternated between the two depending on our mood.
Iguassu falls are located on the border of Argentina and Brazil, near Uruguay. Transport websites in South America tend to be quite poor with few offering the service to book online. Also, in Argentina cash is king which is frustrating because the ATMs limit you to taking out only €200 at a time and charge you 5% for the privilege (Argentina was the first country in South America where we encountered additional, unavoidable fees at ATMs). During our stay we had to make the return journey to the bus station to book our bus to Iguazú (if certain of your departure date its easier to buy onward tickets when you first arrive but once reaching a destination the last thing we want to do is spend undue time in a bus station). There’s a few options to get from Salta to Iguazú all involve two if not three buses and at least a solid 24 hours of travel time. In the end we purchased tickets with El Norte Bis quite simply because they left later than the others the following day at 6 pm rather than 4 pm and allowed us to utilise the full day. The bus ticket to Iguazú cost just shy of €100 each.
Before our impending bus of doom we indulged ourselves with a visit to Sayta ranch. We visited here on the high recommendation from my sister who had been there 5 years previously. We were collected from our accommodation and taken 45 minutes outside the city to Chicoana and the ranch. We had a simple second breakfast of coffee, bread and cake before donning chaps and been helped onto the patiently waiting horses. Our group were all novice horse riders with little or no experience of being in a saddle. After the initial nerves we settled into an enjoyable morning of horse riding. We were guided by two gauchos (South American cowboys) but the well trained horses knew when to turn and when to trot on the familiar path. After three hours our circuit brought us back to the ranch. We quickly swapped reins for local, unlabelled Malbec and enjoyed the gardens as we waited for our lunch. What a feast we were treated to – countless salads and beautifully barbecued beef, carefully rested and served pink in the middle. With the wine free flowing we enjoyed a leisurely meal and the companionship of our group and eccentric host Enrique. We were dropped back to Salta and the bus station just in time to board our bus. We didn’t see everything Salta had to offer in our short stay but it was the perfect place to recharge our batteries.
