We broke our golden rule about using a municipal campsite at the weekend and paid the price. It turned out there was a disco next door to the Salta campsite and every Saturday there is a lively and noisy scene there until about 5.30am.
We met some French cyclists there travelling on a tandem! They said they never argued and found the tandem good as they could talk to one another as they were going along. They told us about the disco but only when it was too late. They had taken a fall in strong winds and she had had to rest there for three weeks while her broken shoulder blade healed. They had already done the Bolivian route and provided us with some useful information.
While in Salta besides doing all the usual chores like washing and bike maintenance, we also investigated the possibility of getting a bus from there south once we had done our Bolivian circuit. It seemed we would have to send the bikes separately and it was also going to prove quite expensive. We treated ourselves to a pizza and vitamin-rich salad, while we contemplated matters. That night we both felt ill – the pizzas? – and, combined with the lack of sleep due to the disco, were not exactly raring to go the next day. The early start on a Sunday to avoid the heavy traffic in Salta was a bit delayed. As it turned out the route out was relatively easy and we soon found ourselves cycling through some well-to-do suburbs. Someone had told us about a campsite about 20km out of town and we decided to stay there, while Rob, who was feeling especially ill, recovered. A few people had stopped us en route to tell us about the 90 curves in the road, no doubt going uphill so there was little inclination from either of us to continue. The campsite turned out to be a field next to a river in a quiet country location …However it was Sunday and the Argentinians like to go out to bbq on Sundays and they use campsites to do this. We were soon surrounded by people, cars, music, blaring not too loudly and meat sizzling on the grill. Eventually when the light began to fade and temperatures drop they all slowly left.

The next day we managed another 7km to the next small town La Caldera and its campsite. We had a lovely location next to a stream shaded by large trees. We relaxed, did some shopping and our washing. We also had hot showers courtesy of the contraption in the picture. Yes, I am travelling with Mr. DIY himself, so these things get pointed out to me but this is the second time we had come across one of these and this one was particularly badly installed – even I could see that.

On the photo E is the tank of water, D is the shower head, A is a small valve for the shower water to come out of the head, B is another valve to fill the water tank with cold water, C is the mains plug to heat the cold water (remove from socket before showering), F is the mains light connection so you can see what you are doing.

The following day we set off for San Salvadore de Jujuy. The route started off surrounded by green fields and trees – a very pastoral scene with cows in the fields. We slowly climbed – but not too steeply up to a pass. Yes, there were curves in the road but nothing a European would have found unusual.

After the pass the scenery changed the road started to descend slowly on what was a steep slope. The hillside was covered in large trees, these were covered in parasitic plants such as mosses, creepers and some orchid-like plants. It was almost like being in a jungle.

On the way to Jujuy we passed a large dam and eventually found ourselves in the centre of town, where the tourist information pointed us in the direction of Hostel Jujuy, a particularly nice hostel with functioning non-lethal sanitary installations and a decent wi-fi. Unfortunately we were too tired to appreciate it. The owner, in his mid-60s, is a keen cyclist. I mention the hostel because Rob ran off with the room key. We had considered sending it back, but were out of the country before we had a chance to look up the address and post it back.