Our Promaster van intrigues folks on the highway partly as a result of the RAM model is a fascinating decide up and so they’ve by no means seen a van with the well-known brand, in order that they think about my Ram is one thing intriguing…
…and partly they’re curious as a result of most foreigners they meet in Argentina are driving leases. One man got here as much as me on the salt flats and requested why I had a Florida tag on my van. As a result of we drove from Florida..? I mentioned slowly. That led to a protracted clarification about my Fiat Ducato that has a gasoline engine, and retirement, and having no offspring and so forth, all of the angles of my life on the highway. His eyes lit up. You’re doing retirement correctly he mentioned. You’d be stunned how optimistic folks we meet are about our random nomad life. Within the States we’re homeless bums, right here we live giant.
One fellow traveler within the mountains coming from Chile had a warning for me as we talked in regards to the 15,900 foot Jama Go simply forward. He mentioned to watch out because the roads in Argentina proceed to be steep within the mountains of Jujuy Province on the highway to the town of Salta, our vacation spot. He wasn’t kidding.
Within the US this could be a Nationwide Park, however round right here it’s simply one other day on the highway.
This drive was a surprise, one other shock on a continent that’s stuffed with them.
Freeway 52 from the Salt Flats to the city of Purmamarca was a Disney journey and totally superb.
I worry mere images normally taken from the entrance of a shifting van with no matter mild was out there gained’t do justice to the countryside we drove by way of.
I can say that we now have pushed the Andes in numerous chunks from Santa Marta on Colombia’s Caribbean coast to the Martial Mountains, the backdrop to the Southernmost Metropolis of the Americas, Ushuaia and this drive was among the many most spectacular.
Freeway 52 from the salt flats descended by way of a canyon to the facet of the mountain and from there descended 1000’s of ft zig zagging into one valley or canyon after one other.
There have been no indicators of life, no energy strains, no facet roads, no huts or farms or fences. Simply the highway descending for flip after flip.
You’ll be able to see from the display screen shot an estimated 48 minutes to drive 25 miles with a velocity of 19 miles per hour doesn’t compute.
Saguaro cactus at 12,000 ft.
Layne too was photographing as we went. We stopped for a forty five minute break to chill the brakes nevertheless it was a protracted afternoon of descending to eight,000 ft.
Ultimately at decrease elevations we noticed indicators of life, herds of goats and guanacos, adobe homes, kitchen gardens and fields of corn. I’ve by no means been to Central Asia (but) but when we drive there in the future I anticipate Tajikistan would look rather a lot like this.
Civilization: a bus, a church and energy strains, all you want.
The valley flooring round 9,000 ft.
This village was the aim. Purmamarca has been related to the surface world with first rate paved highways and the thought has been to make it a transport hub and vacationer heart. The vacationer factor goes nice weapons as we will see. However for now we paused, purchased a few souvenirs and a solar hat for Layne. We’ll be coming again to the village later.
The plan was to press on within the valley driving north towards Bolivia 150 miles away. Besides we had been going to drive one hour, discover a camp and the subsequent day (Monday) we’d go and have a look at the Mountain of 14 colours. And by the way in which it was one other epic Andean drive – on grime, at all times my favourite.
