Maimara is a tranquil oasis village with green fields of onion and garlic set in contrast with this backdrop of richly coloured marbled rock known as 'La Paleta del Pintor'. The colours in the strata are formed by many different minerals 
Tilcara is the site of an important pre-Hispanic settlement and this is the restored hilltop fortress with magnificent panoramic views of the gorge. These pictures don't capture the spirit of the place which was truly palpable - we knew we were on a site of extraordinary beauty and ancient wisdom. In their humble adobe dwellings, they made food, jewellery, pots and ate the local hallucinogenic plants - can you imagine what a bad day it must've been when they saw the Spanish army approaching, brandishing crosses and swords?!
A very important archeological site where the indigenous people lived before the Incas came in the 1400's. (It reminded us a bit of Scara Brae in the Orkneys.) Scholars from Buenos Aires university visit frequently to research this early culture.
Might look and sound a bit "mud-hut" but the food was scrumptious and nutritious. We fancied the Goat Stew but weren't too sure about the "morron" that came with it.
This is the view from the top of the steps where this Monumento a la Independencia Argentina commemorates the war of independence and the liberation of Argentina from the Spanish. The Argies are very patriotic and these statues are everywhere.
3000m high set in an Andean gorge, this town is a labyrinth of narrow streets, low adobe houses, a central plaza, a pretty church and a lively market full of splashy colours. The parrot is perched on a dried cactus and Anita had an animated conversation with it (after a few lunchtime cervezas). Note the very traditional fire-engine red poncho that is the typical garment of this area.
Starting in the city of Jujuy, this is the main route heading north to Bolivia and one of the most dramatic landscapes we've ever seen. It justly deserves the title conferred on it by UNESCO in 2003 - a World Heritage Site. This long gorge has intensely coloured rock of terracotta, yellow, orange, pink, cream and malachite-green strata dotted with humungus cacti.
