Salta...

De donde eres? Eres de Francia? Where are you from? Are you from France? I am rarely guessed as American... usually it is European, often French. What a relief! Given the current political situation I am thankful to not have to spend much time apoligizing for my country of origin. When traveling the world it is striking the view of our govenment. As an aside, I met a woman at the ExPats gathering who bought a place in SanTelmo (a barrio of Buenos Aires) immediately after the election of 2000. She has lived in Argentina since that time. But back to Salta.

This is a beautiful city, located in a valley at the foothills of the Andes. People do look different. One can see the indegenous influence. I have spoken to several people from Bolivia already. The trip is shaping up. What also struck me is that I am not speaking the porteno castellano. In Buenos Aires the words would be...De donde sos? The minute I heard "eres" I knew I was north. My pension is gorgeous...a small museum. The teleferico to the cerro in the park provided a breathtaking view. And after walking the streets of Salta, visiting the artesan market, and the contemporary museum of art, it was time for a rest. Sipping vino tinto from the Cafayate area I ordered a salad with soya... a form of tofu. It looked strange when it arrived. I querried the waiter about the tofu. Oh, they were out of tofu so they substituted a chuncky looking ham. Smiling my most engaging smile I requested a change, like maybe a nicoise salad with tuna. I am very happy to be here.