Well ok, it wasn't hot at all in the City of Salta last weekend, but the plaza was so beautiful with all of the historic buildings restored and beautifully lit, and I just wanted to write Hot Salta.
The lovely and leafy Plaza 9 de Julio reminds me a lot of Oaxaca, Mexico, surrounded as it is by old arcades and restaurants with umbrella-topped tables.
You can spend many pleasant hours here--eating, drinking, dancing tango (more next post), attending Mass, watching the changing of the guard, visiting the Inca museum, shopping, theater--it's all here!
Read more on the Salta Wiki.
And on Miss Tango's blog.
We caught the Changing of the Guard at the 18th century Cabildo, where the soldiers' uniforms de gala are gauchesco in honor of General Guemes, the hero of Salta.
Now I've saved the best for almost last: the teams of men ringing the large and small Cathedral bells in native rhythms!! The coordination, effort and strength of keeping the Chaya folklore beat going as the men took turns in the bell tower was absolutely breathtaking! You should have been there!
You can also see the Children of Llullaillaco exhibit
at the Museum of High Mountain Archeology on the square. The perfectly preserved 500 year-old bodies of three Inca children were recovered from the ice and brought to Salta to study. Only one at a time is shown, and it's done respectfully.
No comments:
Post a Comment