Thursday 1 March
Up at 5.15am and brekky duty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Aaaaargh. Breakfast was simple and we actually drove off 3 minutes early. We had 13 hours on the road today. Vegetation began with low grasslands like we had seen in Patagonia, occasional salt pans and farms and villages like you would see in Africa. Mud earth homes and rickety branch fencing and yards. After a nap we woke to very lush, green farmlands growing mostly sugarcane. At the pee pee stop here we were feasted on by mossies. We then began the ascent into the mountains on some very narrow switchback roads. Some very large cacti in this region. 
The afternoon peepee stop had the girls come across a small herd of donkeys all with foals. Very cute. There was some very good scenery in the afternoon as we wound through a mountain pass with snow-covered peaks away to the West in the main Andes range. Some of the rock faces were actually red beyond orange and the final approach to Cafayete was along a wide flat valley between two ranges. The valley was carpeted in vineyards and in the late afternoon sun it was quite idyllic. I was reminded of Stellenbosch, which I visited fleetingly 30 years ago and probably wouldn’t recognise.
We arrived barely in time and I (C) have started on the Syrian bug-killer pills. The camp shop didn’t have toilet paper – just the huge kitchen rolls, which actually looked more relevant for my needs. We wandered towards the town centre, but I suddenly remembered urgent business at camp so J completed the mission solo.
This is a pretty swish town. All the buildings on the main street and around the square are in very good condition and contain upmarket restaurants and shops. Has a very nice touristy vibe about it.
Art & craft shop - the best building in town
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