Cordoba- Capilla del Monte (Ongamira)

The Sierras of Cordoba remind me of a more arid spring of the Roaring Fork Valley. The hills roll on with yellow grasses, and more specifically in Capilla del Monte (north of the city) there are untamed horses, cattle, and sheep that roam all through the hills. The first day we went to the estancia and took a hike to see where the land had been divided by the Comechingones. The next day we went out to Las Salinas or the salt flats. The ground was crusted with snow like crystals of salt, and nothing grew here. You could run with your eyes closed for hours and never trip over a plant. The sunset was outrageous, and the stars were extremely bright due to the lack of light pollution. The next day we went to Las Grutas, which are indigenous caves, and we rode horses to the top on the mountain Colchequín. Here it is believed that the condors that glide along the summit, are the soles of the Ayampitín who killed themselves instead of surrendering to the Spanish. The food was fabulous, and I didn't feel like I needed to add Chalula to everything (we didn't even have one meal with jamo'n y queso hooooooray), and I was one of the lucky few who didn't get sick from drinking the water!