A Week in Salta

Today concludes one week in Salta, Argentina. I’m staying in the city center, about three blocks from Plaza 9 de Julio. I left from Dallas and flew to Buenos Aires where I had just enough time for some milenesa y vino, and arrived in Salta last Sunday night.

Salta is a beautiful city. My first impression of my first South American city is that it reminds me of Florence, Italy, with a Spanish accent. The settings is remarkable: tall mountains that lay the city comfortably in the Lerma Valley, beautifully lit at night.

I’m living in a 5 story building about three blocks from city center Plaza 9 de Julio. The building is my company’s old office, converted into apartments for visitors like myself. It’s built from concrete like every other building in the town, topped by the characteristic clay roof.

It’s election time. Youths parade the streets at night with speakers strapped to the roofs of their cars. They play Argentinian music and pass flyers as they roam the city. I’m watching some older locals yell from their cars in the aggravated traffic from my balcony as I write and drink mate.

At night, you can hear the loud dance music from the bars on Balcare street. The bars are crowded and stay open until 5 in the morning. The locals buy coca leaves from the small stores on Balcare, legal here, for the traditional practice of chewing them for their slight stimulant effect, to stay awake late.

The city comes to life at night. After 20, the streets fill with people and families and friends travel to restaurants to share vino and a meal. It’s exciting, far more alive than I’ve ever seen Boston or Austin on a Saturday night.

The people have been wonderfully accepting of el único gringo en Salta con el español terrible. My experience in the supermarcedo was all too comically familiar to that of another traveler.

It’s a beautiful city. I’m excited for some weekend traveling to see the province, for an upcoming barbecue to try the meats I’ve heard so much about, and for whatever other adventures Salta has in store.

Ciao.