Salta, Argentina

Yet another overnight bus saw us in our final Argentinian destination before Nick and I head north to Bolivia, and Sam head back to Buenos Aires to fly to the UK.

After some difficulties orientating ourselves, we checked into our hostel and got proactive on organising activites for the coming days. First up we would do a half-day horse riding tour from a ranch approximately 2 hours from Salta. For the next day we take advantage of a promotion offered by Salta Rafting for a half-day rafting/half-day ziplining (only AR230). Both activites were complemented with an 'asado' BBQ.

With this now locked in, we set off to explore the city, starting with the cable car, and then a walk through the centro area.

After some early jitters my stuborn horse eventually kicked into action, while Nick's horse seemed determined to ride against the fences of the road reserve. We then went down smaller tracks which provided views back to Salta. After the 2ish hour ride, we returned to the ranch to get into some well earnt 'asado'. Although not an all-you-can-eat per se, there was certainly no shortage of meat.

The next morning we again took a 2 hour journey (opposite direction) from Salta to Lago Embalse Cabre Corral. The first half of the day would be white water rafting through grade 3 rapids, which we had been told would be with approximately 40 staff from a local bank branch. After a quick safety course with our guide for the day, we set off into the rapids. There was 8 in our boat as well as a 'first aid dog' packed with supplies in the event of emergency. The 2 hour course consisted of a number of rapid sections with areas of placid water beween to break it up. Although it was alot of fun, having no prior rafting experience I expected the rapids to bit a bit more chaotic and unpredictable.

After another hefty 'asado' BBQ for lunch, we put our wet shoes back on to prepare for ziplining. As part of the promotion, we would do 4 zip lines across the valley, starting approximately 140m above the Salta Rafting office, working our way down at speeds up to 30km/h. Very cool! Very fun! After the initial fear of putting your life into the hands of a steel cable, the speed, height and views of the valley were well worth te effort.

Argentina: Tick!

Next move for Nick and I is north into Bolivia, while Sam's South America adventure draws to a close back in Buenos Aires (via Uruguay). Looking back it's amazing to think how much we crammed into a month, and the diversity of the country - from the glaciers of Patagonia, to the colonial mecca of Buenos Aires, over to the wine regions of Mendoza, and everything between.