The second trip from Salta (the first will tell you later why I come back again tomorrow perhaps) brought me back into the Calchaquies Valley, but this time in the north.
This time I chose a different agency, Tourism Posada, and I was much better.
I must say that these excursions with small groups are definitely not my ideal, because they are too inflexible and there is always too little time. But they are a great way to get an idea of \u200b\u200bthe places (bypassing the difficulty of driving through these streets and these heights) and then choose which ones to go back quietly and by other means. In fact, I came back here twice, first with the excursion and then by rented car with the children in the Netherlands.
The road from Salta is extraordinary, once again: you enter a narrow valley, Quebrada de Escoipe , the usual (for this area) multicolored rocks, where the Indians can build terraces planted in absurd places, to exploit the fertility of the soil near a river. 
Then at some point you start to climb up the Cuesta del Obispo , who sincerely explained to me why they call it but I did not understand it. The road soon becomes dirt, streams that descend from the mountains instead of going under bridges comfortable passing on the road, forcing cars to strenuous fords (and thankfully now we are not in the rainy season ...). 
The switchbacks lead to the early Piedra del Molino , up to 3300 meters, so called because in fact there is just a stone of a mill: the legend was bound to a ranch in the valley, but the weight of the huge stone split in two that pulled the chariot , and then no one has bothered to try to get it back. 
I must say that the two times I've been there the landscape was completely different, because the first time with the sun Paletted could appreciate the colors of the mountains, the condor sightings up there, top, and then, once up, see it all unravel the zigzag of the road just traveled. But the second time there were many clouds over the mountains and the appearance of everything was more threatening, with the looming mountains and streams to cross more threatening. Then, rising, at one point it seemed like to get inside the clouds, has wrapped a thick haze that has left us, miraculously, only after the passage of Piedra del Molino. The Parque Nacional los
Cardones begins a few miles before the pass, but in fact we wonder where they are, 'sti Cardona, since there is something even the shadow. This is because Cardones living between 1500 and 3000 meters, and then wait to come down a bit 'by 3300 m of the passage.
addition Piedra del Molino, the scenery changes radically: you enter on a barren plateau where the green is much more frequently (do not appear until the expanses of Cardones, anyway) but where it feels mysteriously real high, then you can see condors 
(the first time there were quite a few 'that turned round, obviously there was some juicy carcass), real estate wild donkeys, goats and the rare guanaco, an animal similar to the blade but the very finest wool, only that of the vicuna, almost in danger of extinction, is more expensive. (When I have a camera with a zoom will also see them there ...) 
Entering Plateau, however, you are amazed by the mountains that surround you from all sides at the bottom to the east even some snow-capped peak of over 6000 meters. The road, just step down from the plateau, curve and you are in front of a long straight: it is 11 km (some say 13, others 18, but this is not the important one) that follow perfectly straight, passing, one of the ancient Inca streets.
what is called the recta of Tin-Tin was in fact part of the complex and dense road system of the Incas, nearly 40,000 kilometers of roads that were used to rule their vast empire. This ancient road led to Matchu Pitchu. And the temptation was strong, I assure you ... The extraordinary thing is that the road is perfectly straight, has a margin of only 5 cm, and this using only small fires, instead of our modern GPS.
The other extraordinary thing is Cardones covering the expanse of the valley. Cardones rather old, growing from 1 to 5 cm per year, and then to get to 3 feet high put us 200-300 years ... The Cardones are protected here because their wood was traditionally used for anything, even and especially for the houses. It 's a light but strong wood. I among other things in my ignorance I did not know that inside the Cardones were made of wood, can you imagine how enormous the most succulent plants ...
the background, left, a multi-colored mountain that never hurts.
You exit the magic of Parque los Cardones to go down a bit 'towards the Calchaquies Valley and then to Cachi, always surrounded by mountains sprinkled with a thousand colors. 
The valley in this area is very fertile and are cultivated mainly spices of various kinds, but especially peppers and chilies. These are left to dry in the sun, so it is easy to see small lakes bright red or orange. 
Cachi is a small and pleasant country where a few days He liked to take walks all around. There are streams, a river, a pleasant main square and narrow streets, according to the inscription at the entrance of the village, "Donde està el tiempo Dormido. 
Meanwhile, we stop to rest after the pass, and overcome by too much stunning beauty with the famous local wine or some other local specialties, like the Cabrito al horno, really good. La ruta 40 meanwhile is there in front of you that faces north towards the highest pass (5000 meters), south to Cafayate, and then continuing toward the Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego.
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