The barbeque fire from last night was still burning when we woke and with a few bits of kindling, soon burst into life to keep us warm while we were having breakfast.
The truck was loaded and we drove into Cafayete town, leaving Dave to catch up on a few emails using the precious internet access that always seems to be intermittent, either because it doesn’t exist or is switched on the day that we arrive.
Cameron dropped us in Placa San Martin and to ward of the morning chill we sat with Shay and Alex and had Café con Leche in a café on the corner of the square. Half a dozen stray dogs roam this piece of turf but did nothing more than cruise curiously by as we hugged our cups for warmth.
The sun rose gradually and the heat picked up by the time the truck came back with Dave. Climbing on board, we set off for the adrenalin activities planned for the afternoon and tomorrow morning.
Our destination was Salta Rafting, not to be confused with Salta city, some 200km away but where coincidentally, they did have a shop and where we would be going in a couple of days’ time.
We spent a few hours on the highway with a few U-turns and a stop for food and then peeled off onto a minor road that passed through a few villages in a largely agricultural area. Eventually we descended along a river which soon became a large lake which we skirted for an hour.
Gradually it became more developed and boats started to appear in inlets that were forming along the water’s edge. Attractive houses soon followed and before long we reached a narrow strait through which the lake flowed and we crossed over a substantial concrete bridge, high enough to let sailing boats pass underneath.
The final few kilometres became increasingly bumpy as we got closer to the rafting centre until Cameron was choking on the dust that her tyres were throwing up from the rough track which wound steeply down to the centre.
We were greeted by three excited golden Labradors as we stepped down from the truck and then by a friendly red headed Argentine who took us in hand and sorted out our activities for the next two days. We put up the tent despite the absence of poles and spent the night praying that the calm weather would continue and that the tent would not collapse on us in the night.
The river ran by the camp site and as soon as the tents were up we walked down to the fast flowing water and waded in. It was freezing so we climbed straight back out again apart from Dave who was washed downstream in the current and over the waterfall.
We fished him out of the plunge pool and stitched him back together.
He soon recovered and we returned to the campsite to kit up for this afternoon’s excitement.
The truck was loaded and we drove into Cafayete town, leaving Dave to catch up on a few emails using the precious internet access that always seems to be intermittent, either because it doesn’t exist or is switched on the day that we arrive.
Cameron dropped us in Placa San Martin and to ward of the morning chill we sat with Shay and Alex and had Café con Leche in a café on the corner of the square. Half a dozen stray dogs roam this piece of turf but did nothing more than cruise curiously by as we hugged our cups for warmth.
The sun rose gradually and the heat picked up by the time the truck came back with Dave. Climbing on board, we set off for the adrenalin activities planned for the afternoon and tomorrow morning.
Our destination was Salta Rafting, not to be confused with Salta city, some 200km away but where coincidentally, they did have a shop and where we would be going in a couple of days’ time.
We spent a few hours on the highway with a few U-turns and a stop for food and then peeled off onto a minor road that passed through a few villages in a largely agricultural area. Eventually we descended along a river which soon became a large lake which we skirted for an hour.
Gradually it became more developed and boats started to appear in inlets that were forming along the water’s edge. Attractive houses soon followed and before long we reached a narrow strait through which the lake flowed and we crossed over a substantial concrete bridge, high enough to let sailing boats pass underneath.
The final few kilometres became increasingly bumpy as we got closer to the rafting centre until Cameron was choking on the dust that her tyres were throwing up from the rough track which wound steeply down to the centre.
We were greeted by three excited golden Labradors as we stepped down from the truck and then by a friendly red headed Argentine who took us in hand and sorted out our activities for the next two days. We put up the tent despite the absence of poles and spent the night praying that the calm weather would continue and that the tent would not collapse on us in the night.
The river ran by the camp site and as soon as the tents were up we walked down to the fast flowing water and waded in. It was freezing so we climbed straight back out again apart from Dave who was washed downstream in the current and over the waterfall.
We fished him out of the plunge pool and stitched him back together.
He soon recovered and we returned to the campsite to kit up for this afternoon’s excitement.
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