Salta – Nov. 20th – 21st

Salta was founded in 1582 and is the most touristed spot in northwest Arentina.  We flew in from Buenos Aires on a morning flight so we spent the afternoon sightseeing in the city.  The next day I did a day trip to Quebrada de Cafayate which is an area filled with brightly colored sandstone.

In Salta we went to the Museum of High Altitude where on display is one of three sacrificed children.  The Inca used to sacrifice their children to appease their gods.  They felt that the children, who were very carefully selected, didn´t die, but were reunited with their forefathers.  After a lenghty ceremony the children would be given chicha (an alcoholic drink made from fermented maize).  When they passed out, they were taken up to the peak of the mountain and entombed in their drunken sleep, presumably never to wake again.  Three of these children were found in 1999 near Llullaillaco, a 6739m (22,109 ft) volcano.  It´s the highest archaeological site in the world.  The cold, low pressure, and lack of oxygen and bacteria helped to preserve the bodies almost perfectly.  There is only one child on display at a time and they rotate them every six months.  I don´t have any pictures of the child becuase photography wasn´t allowed and some people have issues with seeing dead people while drinking thier morning coffee.  If you´re interested, you can google Llullaillaco Mummies and see all the images you want including some of the excavation and restoration.