Argentina & Chile -- November 2008 -- Day 13-- Cachi to Cafayate--170km

[Mike P]

The next day dawned bright and early and we looked out to discover.....
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That the clouds had gone and that rain had fallen as snow on the mountains. My guidebook noted that the range is covered with snow for most of the year.

[David_L]

Cachi was a very pretty little town and it would have been pleasant to spend longer there. This is where we stayed, the very civilised and comfortable, if completely unpronounceable Hostal Llaqta Mawka. THe beautiful mountain backdrop of the town can be seen in the clear morning light.

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[David_L]

Mike and I took a very nice prebreakfast stroll to the edge of the town to get a better view of the mountains, accompanied by two dogs who, having met us outside the hotel, vowed never to be parted from us! I think I could cope with this as the view from my back garden if I lived in Cachi.


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[David_L]

Pushing the zoom on the camera to the max revealed that these mountains were quite impressive.

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[Mike P]

Cachi even had a river running through....
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......with water in it.

[Mike P]

Having had breakfast in the very pleasant Hotel dining room we then followed Highway 40 south out of town towards Molinos. (Yes all the Tephro. fans will know whats coming later).
We drove for 20 minutes or so along the highway / dirt road (narrow) which divided very clearly the irrigated and cultivated valley from the hillsides bounding it.
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We then stopped and scrambled up the very loose rocky hillside in search of a variety of plants. This was very hard going.

[Mike P]

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Another general view with a few Parodias dotted amongst the bushes.

[Mike P]

Of course there was also Opuntia sulphurea.......

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[Mike P]

And large clumps of Tephrocactus weberi. This form was the one with a yellow / brown tinge to the spines which I have seen in cultivation in the UK. They (along with all the plants at this location) were quite dessicated and did not seem to have benefitted from any rain.

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[Mike P]

And a close up.
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Although I have to admit the spines look quite pale in this photograph. The body of the plant is quite red.