Taste of Home
Here I am, at 35’000 feet, catching up on a post 2 weeks old, but let me just get into it and take you through my last stop before I would be back in Buenos Aires for Christmas.
The last stop on my Argentina circuit (not my Argentina trip) was Salta. A city at the foothill of the Andes, with a different culture, I did not really know much about it, and would say it might be the place I knew the least about on my trip.
I woke up in the morning with all my things already packed, so I checked out and left my stuff at the hostel while I enjoyed my breakfast. I bid some goodbyes here and there, and then had a few hours to kill so I went for one last walk around the city before it was time to go to the airport.
The weather was really nice this morning, something I had gotten used to in Mendoza, and have to say that I was sad to be leaving this beautiful city. I wish I had factored in more time here, and oh well, no place for regrets in my life!
I walked around the streets and the parks, and ran across a store named Ottawa, which was an interesting reminder of a place I did not want to be at this point. I had heard about how snowy and cold it was over there, so it only made me more appreciative of my current location and the weather that went with it.
I stopped by the Rama Negra Cafe, which was recommended to me by Nahir as well as the staff at my hostel here. I did have a goal this morning despite my limited hours, which was to try a Chocotorta, a typical Argentinian dessert which I had not yet tasted during my trip.
Chocotorta is a chocolate cake, with layers of chocolate sponge and dulce de leche - typical Argentinian stuff. I wasted no time ordering it from the cafe, where I sat in there backyard was was a very beautiful setting. I ordered an ice coffee to go along with it and enjoyed my treat for the morning.
The portion was huge, and the cake was very sweet. While I did enjoy it, I was unable to finish it, due to size and sweetness. I think I must have consumed 3 days worth of sugar in that cake, but was happy to check it off my list, and would recommend as something to try when in Argentina. They really do love dulce de leche here, as they use it in practically everything possible.
After my cake, I walked back quickly to the hostel to collect my stuff and bid my final farewells, before getting on a taxi to the airport for my flight to Salta. My first surprise came as we were approaching and landing in Salta, as it was very different to what I was expecting. In my mind, I was under the assumption that it would be a more desert city, since it was in the north near the desert, high in altitude, and near the mountains. Instead, I was greeted by greenery everywhere, including fields, green hills, and forests. I was still in the plane and already excited to be here, and couldn’t believe that I almost cut this portion of my trip to watch the game in Buenos Aires.
Speaking about the game, I was actually glad to not be in Buenos Aires, as today was another messy day there with the football team arriving back in the city from Qatar, and I would later understand that I would have likely been stuck in Buenos Aires had I decided to be there. Funny how things always work out for the best in the end.
I arrived in Salta and took a taxi straight to my hostel. I was excited since I had booked a private room here, and was looking forward to have some space to myself for the next few days. I had a lot of socializing in Mendoza, and my social energy had been completely depleted as I hadn’t had the chance to properly recharge my batteries since I had arrived in Argentina.
I rested up for a bit in my room, embracing the privacy, and then changed and headed out to experience the city.
The energy in Salta was just remarkable. The architecture was beautiful, the city was full of life, and the streets were full. I grabbed some mangoes and apricots from a street vendor who reminded me of Lebanon, with his chanting about fruits and the ability to taste the mango before buying it. What a beautiful surprise! I stopped by a supermarket to grab some Müsli and yoghurt to use for breakfast while in Salta, and then continued my walk around town. It was nice to take in all the energy, and I realized that the immense crowds were also due to Christmas being at the end of the week. Everyone was starting to go on holidays at this point, and it was important to finish the Christmas shopping.
I stopped by a tour agency and booked a trip for the next day to the salt flats, something I had heard about not too long before arriving in Salta, then went back to the hostel. I grabbed my rain sweater, as a thunderstorm had begun. I needed to get dinner, and found a Syrian join a few blocks away. While I am in Argentina, I wanted a little taste of home, and had no guilt at all enjoying a chicken sandwich since I was travelling for a long period anyway. I ordered a chicken sandwich, which was very well done except for the garlic sauce which tasted a bit different than what I was used to. I chatted to the shop keeper, a young man who had come to Argentina 6 years ago from Syria to escape the war. He told me about his story and it was nice to have a face-to-face conversation in Arabic for the first time in a while. I ended up trying a baklava, which was also nicely done although not the best I had eaten. I think that lots of ingredients may be hard to get around here, so I appreciated the effort that went into it. Furthermore, the flavours had to be adapted to the local preferences, so I did not even have the expectation to get what I would get back in the Middle East.
I finished up my meal, thanked the attendant for the food and conversation, then went back to the hostel and got into bed, preparing for my 7 am tour in the morning.
I was really excited to be in Salta after just a few hours there, and was glad that I did end up here. Have you been in a situation before, arriving in a place and being grateful that you did not decide to skip it? Do you ever try to get a taste of home when abroad? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, but till then, stay positive!
