Pucara de Tilcara

Breakfast was fairly plain with bread rolls, little butter puffs and dulce de leche (caramel - Anna's fave thing) however top marks for an orange squeezer and tons of oranges :)

We sat clasping our hot mugs and then sat in the sun trying to warm up. It's freezing at night; ok once snuggled in bed but you don't want to get up! We left the heater on all night but it didn't seem to do much.

Once we had defrosted we set off for some sightseeing (after Anna washed her stinky trainers which have been threatening to kill us).

A 15 min walk from our hostel is the entrance to Pucara (50P). First off a quick tour of the nearby cactus garden, full of erm, cacti, plus medicinal plants and quinoa. There was also the piedra campana, a large volcanic rock which sounds a bit like a bell when you hit it.

Then onto the main attraction, a pre-hispanic settlement built into a big hill / mountain. Stone houses, llama sheds, circular graves, a ceremonial place and a monument that looked out of place, all linked by stony paths and covered in cacti.

Backed by the multicoloured Andes and with the Rio Grande alongside (not very grand, more of a trickle), it was a truly spectacular place to visit. Far bigger and far better than either of us expected. There were virtually no other people around which made it all the more magical.

On our way back we picked up some coca leaves and sweets (30P) for when we get up higher - supposed to help altitude sickness.

We had a late lunch of burger & fries (Anna) and ice cream (me) then retired to read in the hammocks. As soon as the sun went in we climbed under the llama blankets to stay warm.

Anna decided we couldn't go to bed at half 8 so made me get out of my nice warm bed to go traipsing in the cold for food. Neither of us were overly hungry so we eventually ended up with rice crackers and hurried back to our beds. Brrrr!!!Read more