From Foz do Iguacu, Brazil, we crossed back into Argentina. We traversed the dusty, crusty Gran Chaco region and after four days of flat nothingness, we were thrilled to ride up high and see the ice-capped Andean peaks again.
In contrast to the lush green of Brazil, the landscape of north western Argentina is arid yet surprisingly colourful: the rocky mountains display the full spectrum of ochre to olive to purple, their tilted layers clearly showing the immense movement of this land over time. Ancient rivers carved beautiful canyons and a highlight of this region was riding through the Quebrada (canyon) de Cafayate. It was so good, we did it twice!
In this region, European influences give way to the indigenous cultures of the Quechua and Amayra. Big cities are replaced by small, adobe villages where the dress, textiles, music, food and pace of life are distinctly different. Stark white-washed churches stand out amongst this dusty landscape, but it is easy to see why the celebration of Pachamama (or Mother Earth, who nurtures, protects and sustains humans) is equally as important and dates back to Inca times.
We had our first encounter with old Inca practices at the Museum of High Altitude Archaeology in Salta. The museum was built especially to display the findings from the world’s highest archaeological site on Llullaillaco volcano. Here in 1999, three Inca child mummies were found sacrificed as part of an Incan religious ritual and left at 6,700m. Their bodies, clothing and articles have been perfectly preserved by the freezing temperatures of their final resting place. To maintain their preservation, only one mummy is displayed at a time in a specially designed case that replicates the conditions of their mountain grave. It was a sobering but fascinating experience to come face to face with a six year old girl from 500 years ago.
In preparation for riding in Bolivia, we took the opportunity to test ourselves and our motorbikes at higher altitudes. We picked a side trip from the gorgeous town of Pumamarca and headed west towards the Chilean border. The road climbed to 4,200 metres through dramatic but desolate country. At these heights, the motorbikes can be starved of oxygen and not perform well but, in actual fact, they triumphed whilst we suffered headaches, nausea and breathlessness for 24 hours. Even turning over in bed was an effort! Plus, the temperature dropped: overnight temperatures sunk to minus 20 degrees celsius. The sun brought some warmth during the day, but we had to rug up with every layer we had to go riding. It was bulky, uncomfortable and still cold, but we felt better acclimatised for the road ahead.
Some photos are shown below. More of the story is told through the photos and captions shown in our gallery here.
Our Odyssey Overland 
Hello you two intrepid moto pedallers, Rosie and I are still in the Canadian Rockies (the second most beautiful mts we have been to, the Andes is not first, the Dolomites is). We love your latest trip report as it covers a region that we were in five years ago. We also stayed in Cafayate and travelled through the canyons north of there, how about the big side canyons like craters. We had come down from Bolivia along the Humahuaca Valley, fantastic, and stayed and hiked in the hills behind Pumamarca (the mountain of seven colors). Prior to that we had also come over the same pass from Chile, (San Pedro de Atacama, a bit touristy). I remember some excellent meals of llama, and so cheap but that would not be on your menu. We are impressed how you get such good references on the culture and history, I thought Quilmes was a beer. Yes, a marvelous part of the world to travel in as there are few other tourists and it is remote and exotic and exciting. We will be home in a week but your travels continue into eternity. Very best of luck in your endeavors. Have a humita for us. Bets wishes from Rosie and Rex
Sent from my iPad
Hi Rex and Rosie. The scenery in this area was spectacular and I remember you talking a bit about it in an earlier email. We’ve enjoyed your updates on your Canadian adventure too. By the way – Quilmes, the pre-Columbian settlement and the beer are not entirely unrelated. When the people of Quilmes were defeated by the Spanish they were marched all the way to Buenos Aires province. They were re-settled south of the capital and the place was named Quilmes, of course. A couple of hundred years later the beer company also took up residence. Cheers, Matt & Fi.