Our first stop outside of Salta’s capital was Cachi, in the Calchaqui Valley. The Valley, which runs through various provinces, is known for its incredible landscape, which I can attest to. Coming down the mountains from Piedra de Molina – an overlook that’s 13,000 feet above sea level – we passed through a landscape that we were convinced must be a mirror image of the surface of the moon, or I guess Mars, because it’s sunburn red.
Part of the area we were driving through was the Los Cardones National Park, named after the Cardones cacti that you see everywhere. So it makes sense that there were no houses or animals, but there was also nothing else … only the sound of the wind and the blazing sun.
When we lived in San Miguel de Allende in the middle of the desert, I never understood how those Bedouins could travel through the desert covered head to toe. The desert of northern Mexico is flat, still and scorching. But this desert was different, blowing a cool wind that made you forget all those UV rays that were slamming into your skin and frying you like a sausage. The clothing suddenly made more sense.
Maybe the weird landscape makes the aliens feel at home, draws them to Cachi … that and the wine, I’m sure.
Apparently Cachi and the surrounding area are a prime location for UFO sightings in Argentina. There’s a guy (there’s always a guy), Antonio Zuleta, who has over 700 video and photo recordings of these extra-terrestrial visits. Zuleta’s day job is writing for El Tribuno, Salta’s newspaper, but his passion is UFOs and he’s all over the internet. I found this priceless video of him. By far the best moment is when he’s momentarily distracted by a passing car and when they walk past the stray dog. I also like that he says that 8:30 to 9:00 is the most likely time for a sighting (who knew it was such a precise timetable).
According to Zuleta and friends an alien city exists underneath the adobe foundations of Cachi’s houses and more than one of “the researchers” think the aliens come for the Uranium.
Even if you’re not a believer or an alien, Cachi is worth it. Don’t plan on clubbing or even eating from 3 to 5 o-clock in the afternoon (siesta time) but check out the valley, overflowing with vineyards, olive groves and pepper fields set against a dramatic mountain background. If you go my suggestion for lodging is Miraluna, a group of 10 beautiful cabins surrounding by an even-tinier-than-boutique vineyard that only produces about 5,000 bottles of delicious Malbec a year.
There’s even a telescope in case you want to search the skies for otherworldly guests.
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