Great Christmas Celebration

This Christmas Eve we decided to celebrate with friends and some great tourists visiting Cafayate. Cafayate has very limited options during the holidays for places to eat out. Most families and businesses close up and spend it with family. That leaves us and the tourist left with very few options. This year we changed format a bit and decided to put on a big family style, reservation only feast of some of our U.S. home favorites (these always turn out interesting as finding the ingredients or close substitutes is very challenging) plus a sampling of great local meats and veggies and Chef Charlie’s specialties (always a treat - my favorite was the pumpkin/squash soup with a rich nutmeg flavor). Charlie and I cooked all day and everyone arrived around 9:30. We began our champagne toast and big table family style dinner with wine, drinks, and lots and lots of food, plus some great company. We were sold out with visitors from Belgium, several from the U.S., Germany, and Canada. All in all, everyone had a great time. Our staff decided to help us out for a couple of hours even though we gave them the night off - (lucky for us, we could have never done it with out them). Anyway, by the end of the night, I was exhausted and happy as we had made a few tourist traveling alone on a holiday, feel as if they were part of our extended Cafayate family. So to all of you who shared the evening with us, it truly was a pleasure! It was so successful, we hope to somewhat duplicate it for New Year’s Eve! If you are in town, stop on by to make a reservation and bring in the New Year with us! Felices Fiestas!

Vacation

Charlie and I took a much needed break from Restaurant life as we have now been open for one year. We decided to visit friends in Mendoza, Santiago, Chile, drifted down to our land in Southern Chile (Puyehue), and then headed to Bariloche, Argentina for a few days of visiting with great friends and relaxation before heading back home. As always, we drove. Now, round trip that is almost 6,000 kilometers, all in all a long way for only 10 days. Although, tired when we got home, we enjoyed our trip immensely.

We have passed through Mendoza but have never spent time there. This time, we stayed two nights and went to some great restaurants, swam in the hotel, and tasted some great wine. If anyone heads to Mendoza before or after Cafayate, I highly recommend dining at Azafrán (Av. Sarmiento 765 - Mendoza - a few blocks off of the main plaza). The popular and relatively small restaurant was completely booked the first night so we headed back the next day for lunch. Lunch was much more peaceful. After reading the menu, we thought it had some interesting items but nothing completley out of the ordinary (when we travel we always seek something out of the ordinary). I ordered a stuffed chicken and Charlie ordered ceviche and a cesar salad. To our complete delight, it was one of the best meals and pretty extrodinary! This was the first time in a long time (even with our recent trip back to Aspen) where we truly felt that the chef was an artist. Also, if you would like to experience a great wine tasting, go to Vines of Mendoza (www.vinesofmendoza.com).

Traveling to Chile is always a delight, the photo is one of the passes between Argentina and Chile in the high desert with the most pristine looking lake. Chile has one highway from top to bottom so if you really want to get somewhere, hop on Ruta 5 and put it on cruise control. Gas stations every 100k with restaurants attached. The only downside, toll booths, but a small price to pay for easy travel.

Crossing back in to Argentina is another story. I'm not sure how planning was done when building the roads in Argentina. It seems there is never a direct route and there are no signs, well except after you have turned! After hitting dirt roads, getting lost in towns since the road you were traveling on suddenly ends and picks up in some unknown location on another side of town, and enjoying the various police checks on the way, we were wanting to head back to Chile. Although, when it is all said and done, Argentina is a large country with so many landscapes! How else would we see what really is going on then by diving in and driving cross country through the smallest towns and obscure roads. If you have time to enjoy, nothing can be better than meandering through Argentina.

Made my Day

We were lucky enough to have a great group of people (almost 100) last week in for almost the entire week celebrating the grand opening of the Golf Course - Estancia de Cafayate. Our restaurant was hopping with reservation only room - after almost a year of being open, it showed us why we were here and doing what we are doing. From most comments I was told and overheard, it was a very successfully weekend for all around and people really had a great time visiting our little paradise. One of the biggest questions we were asked from everyone to the property owners to the prospective property owners.. is why? Why Cafayate?

Well, after working for 16 hours a day, braving employee issues that comes with any business, food shortages, the ever increasing need for expansion, the million ideas of other businesses swirling in my head, oh and being tired and 3 months pregnant - I had almost forgotten myself. Although, telling our story really reminds me of why we are doing what we do and then today... as Charlie is laid up with an thrown out back (his only way to take an afternoon off) and I'm on the shopping rounds buying supplies for the restaurant - usually Charlie's job, I stop in the, what I call, "everything store" for some garbanzo beans (I finally found taihini in Salta and can't wait to make hummus!!) I call it the everything store because you never know what you are going to find! It looks like it's the oldest store in town, right off the plaza across from Banco Macro. It has items that are recognizable like beans - white, black, colorful - seeds, beer, artistic items made out of wool or cactus - and then there are the unrecognizable items like the very top shelf mystery wine bottles that seem to have recently exploded. There's a layer of dust that could have reached back for 10 years, although given the amount of collectible dust in this town, maybe just 1 year, the ceiling is high with products stretching to the top and a bar that looks like it belongs in a western movie- spices that you aren't sure of where they come from or what they are... Anyway, I hope you get the idea. This place is also a great local hang out - today, I walked in and there were 6 men - that could have been a bit, under the weather, mind you it is 11:00 a.m. on a Monday and they all have old Salta beer cans in their hands and were all enjoying each others company. And as I asked for my kilo of Garbanzo beans, one of the older gentleman had an accordion and started to play a wonderful tune that I've heard so often in Cafayate and then one of the gentleman started dancing as they all gathered and clapped, apparently for my entertainment as they were trying to get me to join. Now, I've seen the dance before, a local folk dance that even the 3 year old boys know and the 17 year old boys proudly dance and I wish I knew the counterpart because it put the biggest smile on my face to see how these men enjoyed their culture so much and had such a peace of mind to truly sing and dance on a Monday. Especially when everyone back in the States is in the middle of their Monday morning meetings, catch up emails, and project plannings, and me with a never ending running mind and tendency to forget why I truthfully live here and revert back to my U.S. self... this is why I'm here - the good life and daily occurrences like this remind me of this. Life is good here and that is why I choose to live here. Now, off to siesta!

Colorado Amber Ale Has ARRIVED

After several months of anticipation and waiting, our very first micro-brewed beer is ready to enjoy. I hate to be one to brag - but it is excellent! A good mix of fresh, full taste and a wonderful lightness. A beer you will enjoy from beginning to end- again and again!!! Also, a huge success with our customers the first night as we sold out of everything in the fridge - not to mention our own tastings helped the beer disappear. The goal will now be not to drink all the profits! If anyone is in the area, stop by for a taste, now is the perfect time in the desert heat to enjoy a cold one! Restaurante Colorado: Belgrano 28, only a half a block from the Plaza right next door to the bus station - El Indio. Cheers!

El Milagro (The Miracle)

Tuesday, the 15th of September, culminates as one of the largest and most important religious holidays in the Salta area. Over 50,000 people with devout faith journey from all over to gather in Salta Capital and celebrate this blessed day. As the story goes, in 1692 there was an earthquake that shook the city. In an effort to stop the terrible earthquakes, they carried el Señor del Milagro and an image of the Virgin Mary (later called lady of miracle) out in to the streets, prayed, and the earthquakes eventually stopped. El Señor del Milagro is a sculpture of a crucified christ. There are many facets to this story, that I haven’t quit gathered or understand. However, the most amazing piece is how it effects the entire valley, especially Cafayate, today. On September 9, the people of San Carlos, Animana, and Cafayate gather for a pilgrimage of 5 days to Salta (198 kilometers). People from ever hill side from the farthest reaches of north, south, east, and west walk to join the masses in Salta and celebrate El Milagro. One hundred and fifty people from our area, walk during the cool of the evening and rest in the heat of the days, it takes 5 days to arrive in Salta. Next the caballeros (horseback riders) leave two days before the 15th and journey to Salta and the third are the bicyclists leaving the day before. In all, 50,000 faithfuls join in the procession on the 15th of September, a site to see, and a devotion I have never experienced, quite amazing.

Look What's a Cookin!

Colorado Amber Ale is on it’s way in just over a month! That’s right, today we began making our concoction. With the best Argentine malt, imported hops, fresh Calchaqui Valley water, some cooking time, a little bit a yeast and a long wait, we will have our first batch of brewed beer by October 31st. A dream come true only a year and a half after it was hatched. Colorado Cerveza here we come! Take a look at the photos of the off site brew. Stay tuned or check out www.restaurantecolorado.com as I update the status of our first batch! Only 50 days and counting!

Condor in Flight

Written by Guest Writers, Susan and Tom, in Cafayate for a visit of 9 days and are now enjoying life back on the Limerick! Thank you for your contribution!



During our nine-day stay in Cafayate in July 2009, we hiked several of the canyons and rivers in the area, always with binoculars in hand. We were delighted to see condors on three different occasions. As we hiked up the mostly dry bed of the Rio Colorado, we spotted the first group. Three adult male condors soared overhead, unmistakable, with their enormous 9-10 foot wingspan, dark black bodies with white wing patches, and bright white collar. They drifted on the thermals created by the rocky canyon above us, never flapping their wings during the thirty minutes we watched. The next day we went to the ruins at Quilmes and hiked the high trail that loops around the site. As we climbed to the overlook on the right, just above the ancient village (our original destination), we realized that the trail continued up and up and up, and decided to see where it went. Always scanning the skies, we spotted a group of condors soaring, three adults and two juveniles. The juveniles were almost as big as the adults, but a gray-brown color, with no white collar. Another day we hiked up the riverbed of the Rio Chuscha, where once again we saw condors soaring above the rocky canyon walls. These birds fly up to 100 miles each day in search of carrion, usually large animals like cattle, llamas, or, sheep. Later in the week we also hiked the Rio Yacochuya, where once again we saw a half dozen condors soaring. We had first seen condors in the Colca Canyon of Peru, where we saw twenty at a time, so close to us that we could feel the wind beneath their wings. It was a magical experience. Since then we have seen them in Patagonia, in both Chile and Argentina, as far south as Tierra del Fuego. Condors range from top to bottom of the South American continent, usually high in the Andes, roosting at 10,000-16,000 feet, but ranging down into the high desert of northwest Argentina where we saw them near Cafayate. If you aren't into hiking up these canyons, you can also see them as you drive through Quebrada de Cafayate, but you'll have to get out of the car and watch for them soaring high overhead. Without binoculars you won't see the defining characteristics of the birds, the white collar and wing patches, but even with the naked eye you should be able to appreciate their magnificent size and graceful flight pattern.

Art - Ceramics

This is the second part of my quest for the best art in the area. My absolute favorite ceramic artist that I have found to date is out of San Carlos (only about 25k north of Cafayate). Mendoza’s ceramics is a true testament to talent, experience, and imagination. Ceramics in this area are very much a part of the culture. I even took a ceramics college until we started the Restaurant and I no longer had enough time. Since then I have a passion for the different types and would love to some day return to ceramics.

I learned that the “asilla” or mud for ceramics, is found nearby in the Quebrada de Las Conchas. Mostly, the ceramics are fired in huge outdoor ovens with wood. This takes a lot of experience and talent because the type of material used can show three colors, brown, black, and silver. This all depends on the temperature of the oven. If you want it silver, the fire and wood have to be hotter than if you wanted your ceramic brown. My favorite of Mendoza’s pieces are the silver and black. Although he does all three. His pieces are done to perfection, smooth, textured, and rich in colors. His designs vary with snakes, birds, owls, faces, and even dragons. I’ve visited him many times and have always taken guests there. Finally, I broke down and bought something of his. For me, it isn’t cheap but well worth it. Ever time I go in, he always remembers who I am and he shows me his pieces he is working on (right now an sink that the water would come out of an eagle’s mouth). He’s even sold to a gallery dealer from California. Anyway, in small town San Carlos you will find an amazing, down to earth artist with a passion for uniqueness and a family of talent (his son is a painter as well). I highly recommend stopping by his shop even if it’s just to look at amazing art and to chat with a very nice man. You might be surprised what you walk out of there with!

Restaurante Colorado Menu

One of our favorite things to hear from our customers is how much they love our food. When we first moved to Cafayate, we went to every restaurant (well almost), and enjoyed the local cuisine of milanesa, empanadas, locro, and asado. We really enjoy these items but then we realized that that was it, there was no other variety. We began to listen to the tourists as they passed and would say, “where are we going to eat tonight, I just don’t want meat and potatoes, I want veggies.” Now, granted, we are spoiled being from the U.S., especially in Aspen as the cuisine there (if you can afford it), is without a doubt, divine, with a large variety of the freshest sushi, mexican, american, italian, cuisine that I can’t name the nationality and the last time we were back, they just opened a Buenos Aires fare! Unbelievable!

When we were deciding what we wanted to pursue in Cafayate to make a living, a restaurant was really the last on the list as Charlie knew how much work it really is (I, however, escaped restaurant work my entire life and had no idea.) As things work out though, we kept hearing tourist express their desire for different food, our local expat friends were politely pushing for a new restaurant, and I guess we were too. We were at this point staying very close to home making wonderful meals with fresh fruits and vegetables, some of the best meats, and other ingredients we were able to round up. Once we passed by the building and found out it was available, we just dove in and within 4 months, we opened for business. Now, given the fact we had major construction, we had to buy all of our equipment, have someone local build all of our furniture, and get all of our licenses, I am amazed to look back and realize what we did in such short of a time. Even outside of Argentina that would have been hard, but in Argentina, I think it must be a record. Of course, the business plan I made had us opening in 2 months... oh the things I have learned since then.

As of December 2008, we were open for business and serving large fresh salads, every Plato Principal comes with veggies (usually you have to order everything a la cart - you just get a hunk of meat), mexican food, and we threw in a spicy thai curry chicken just to shake things up. We are also, the only restaurant that provides a tasting of the different local wines (wine flights), as we wanted to highlight one of Cafayate’s best qualities! So, one night you can come in and have a Bife de Chorizo (steak), with sauteed vegetables, and grilled potatoes, and a torrontes wine flight. The next night come in and have tacos, nachos, and of course, almost everyone’s favorite, guacamole and a fresh spinach salad with Cafayate’s only beer on tap. So, if you find yourself in Cafayate craving some fresh vegetables, cold draft beer, or something different, stop on by Restaurante Colorado.

Salta Errand Day

Charlie usually goes to Salta twice a month for supplies for the restaurant. I had business to do in Salta so I decided to join him. We even closed the restaurant so we could stay the night in Salta. The road between Cafayate and Salta is absolutely beautiful as you go through the Quebrada de las Conchas filled with gorgeous red rock formations, a gentle running river, and various other colors of greens, yellows, and purples thrown about. Even though it is beautiful, going to Salta is not my favorite way to spend a day. If we want to go and come back in the same day (when we don’t close for dinner), we leave very early in the morning in order to make it to Salta when the stores open. Almost all of the stores then close for lunch at 1:00 p.m. until 5:00p.m, we have to get everything done before lunch., so it takes 5 hours to get to Salta and back and then we only spend a total of 3 hours doing errands... needless to say, it’s not the most relaxing trip.

This time is different, we get to take two days to finish our errands and maybe have a little fun in-between. At first, we tried to go to a see Harry Potter at the shopping mall movie theater, but it was only showing in Spanish dubbed (usually the new movies are done in subtitles). Since we were there to relax, we didn’t feel like struggling to understand what was going on. Then we continued to downtown to do a little shopping. Downtown Salta is insanely busy during the evening with lots of crowds and people standing in lines. Everything takes about 2 hours longer than you think it should, but we powered through it, almost unscathed with a new clothes washer and, yes a TV - our first! After, returning from shopping, we decided to try a new restaurant that some of our customers recommended. We found the house converted to a restaurant on Balcarce. We were led upstairs to the dining areas and were directed to a very small room (like a kids bedroom), with another table of 2 gentleman and 3 more empty tables. We were happy that every time someone walked in to sit down, they asked to go some where else because it felt like we were all dining together! Other than the cramped atmosphere, everything else was great. The food was excellent with different menu usually not offered in Salta. We had wild rice, baby sprouts, and a few other shocking (usually not seen in NW Argentina) items. The evening finished with dessert of baileys on the rocks and the volcan (chocolate cake that oozes chocolate syrup when you cut in to it- yummy!).

The next day we went to one of my favorite stops on the Restaurante Colorado “errand day”, the fruit and veggie market (CoFrutos). This is the mother of all farmers markets! A huge warehouse filled with vendors of everything from oranges, lettuce, peppers, to spices and beans. We always by our bulk veggies here, straight from the farmers where we get to pick the quality and haggle down the price. We head out of town with our usual stop for some empanadas and a gas re-fill at the YPF (they have the best empanadas..) and start our return trip home to unload and get ready for dinner at the Restaurant. All in all, a great trip, but as always, we are very happy to be home and certainly exhausted.

Art - Ferias (Art Markets)

Cafayate has two outdoor markets where you can find a variety of ceramics, weavings, metal work, basketry, and wood work. They are definetly worth checking out if you like to buy locally made art, plus you can really find some unique gems. They are located on both sides of the plaza (North and South).

Queso de Cabra/ Goat Cheese

Queso de Cabras (Goat Cheese), is a specialty here in the North West of Argentina. We live in a relatively dry desert, cows are few and far in-between, but goats and sheep thrive! Much to the happiness of our wild husky dogs. Charlie and I have to be very careful wherever we hike to come across goats, as the dogs also tag team on the goats and take chunks out of their legs. Anyway, at 100 pesos a goat, it starts to get a bit expensive to take the dogs for hikes, for as much as we avoid them, inevitably, they appear in areas we think are “goat free”. What does this mean though? Amazing goat cheese!

Our quest originally began at Cabras (goats) de Cafayate, just outside of town about 3k. They have a first class place with goats all lined up at the feed troughs, automatic milkers, a great cheese making building, and now they've expanded to cow cheese as well. Quality is excellent, they've even won awards in Buenos Aires and sell their quesos in most of Argentina. They have the closest cheese to cheddar that I've found in my South America stay - between Chile and Argentina an often searched for item. They even have day tours and show their facilities to tourists and if you have always wanted to milk a cow and never had the opportunity... they will let you! We use their various quesos for several of our specialty dishes and personally eat plenty! But our search continued to find a good quality queso de cabra at a price that we could offer in our restaurant in more quantity with our many salads, meat and cheese plates and other offerings.

Living in the desert and having goats is very common here, there are lots of homemade goat cheeses. We bought several different ones from the mercados that always varied in quality and consistency until finally, a local customer told us about a goat cheese maker that has good, consistent, safe, cheese for a great price. We went to the only market they sell to and bought some and tried it out. She was certainly right.

Now with many things we experience here, once we find a resource we like, it suddenly disappears and you have to find an alternative or track down the original. I believe because we were buying so much at the market, they just sold out for over a week. After a few days of buying higher priced goat cheese, we decided it was time to track down the original provider. Things are never easy here, there's no address, there are no signs, there are no business cards, just a person saying, "Oh, I think it's somewhere in the quebrada - haven't you seen a roadside there that says they have cheese?" So, off I go in to the canyon between Cafayate and Salta on a mission to find goat cheese. Near an area where we hike (on the other side of the road), I saw a sign that said goat cheese, so I followed it. It lead me to this outdoor area that had about 5 out buildings, tons of goats, and the owners working. I spoke to a woman and asked if she had cheese and if she was the one that sold in town. She answered no on both accounts and sent me down the road near a hotel (that's out in the middle of no where), pass that through a fork in the road and there, I’ll find a house that also makes cheese. The only way to find what you are looking for is to stop and ask the locals and once you get lost, you do it again and eventually, you run in to the end of the road and your destination. 

I found 8 adobe style buildings surrounded by corrals for goats made out of the desert thicket (completely impenetrable). I roll up the windows to keep the dogs in and slide out of the car, a little hesitant as there are 10 dogs in the yard. I clap my hands (this is what you need to do when you approach a house, or a business - there’s no yelling HOLA (hello)!, you just simply clap your hands and wait). The owner’s sister comes out and I ask if she has goat cheese for sale and if I can buy some. She shows me in to the cheese making room - spotless and clean and extremely cool (which by the standers of all houses and buildings here is no shock), and stacks of cheese waiting to be weighed and sold. So in an end to my trip, after stopping a few stops to find it, I found the best goat cheese to buy for our restaurant! All in all a great excuse to do restaurant business, without being in the restaurant. Plus the dogs got a good run in after (no where near the goats!)

It's a dogs life in Cafayate, Argentina

Charlie calls it the S's sister tag team, but life in Cafayate, Argentina for most dogs is pretty good. Our two huskies seem to like to gang up on little unsuspecting street dogs and play. This is just another fun, walk in the park, everyday life for us!  Notice how one gets the head while the other gets the feet!!  

Architecture - Baldosas (Terra Cotta Tiles)

Authored by a guest writer - thank you for sharing with us!

If you are a fan of Spanish colonial architecture you will love what you see in Cafayate. The town is full of beautiful red tile roofs and floors that would be the envy of anyone who appreciates the building styles of Andalucia, Spain, Southern California, and Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Here in Cafayate, we are fortunate to have ready access to some of the most beautiful terracotta tiles made anywhere on the planet. Called “baldosas”  these hand made earth tiles are part of the very soul of our small town. Baldosas don the floors, roofs, and shade galleries of churches, restaurants, offices, hotels and private homes, indeed, they are everywhere ! 

Terra cotta tiles - baldosas - are made in the nearby town of San Carlos, a 15 minute drive to the north They are a labor of love and artistry, an homage to the history of the Calchaqui Valley.

 

These beautiful tiles are made from rich red clay deposits that are dug out of the ground, mixed with the assistance of horses, molded by hand by local artisans, baked on the ground in the high desert sun, and then fired in huge wood fueled outdoor brick kilns at high temperature. Once fired, baldosas are transported by truck to Cafayate where they are carefully installed by craftsmen.  It is the tradition to then heavily wax and polish the baldosas to protect the tiles and achieve a highly burnished finish.

 

Next time you are in Cafayate, be sure and visit the baldosa-makers in San Carlos!

Archaeology Day Trip

Okay, let me clarify and explain beforehand that I went to school for anthropology/archaeology, although I decided after graduating college to not work in this industry, it is a passion of mine. My Mom seems to tell everyone in the States that her daughter lives in Argentina and she went to school for archaeology and it somehow explains the strangeness of how I have chosen to live.   My curiosity of other cultures is no doubt what fascinates me about this area and some of my favorite activities here reflect that.  It is a virtual playground for an archaeologist when you walk in the cerros (hills) and see so much evidence of pre-existing communities that has been untouched other than by raiders and passerby's.  What I could study here!  Charlie tells me that is his goal for me for us to get to a point where we can spend the days exploring the everlasting chain of mountains searching for clues to previous civilizations and continue the work of the museums here.  I think that’s a pretty amazing goal. My goal for him is to get him a dirt bike to explore the endless desert - I think we can work together on this! 

 My favorite day trip to take visitors is to head out in the morning straight to Amaicha de Valle and visit Museo Pachamama, after visiting the museum, on the way back to Cafayate we stop at the  Ruinas de Quilmes, and finish up with lunch at Alta La Luna hotel in Tolombon.   

Museo Pachamama is the most amazing museum I have seen - anywhere!  More so in how it was constructed as opposed to the content on the inside.  This museum is an architectural dream!  Every wall is made of stones and rocks so placed that formations of frogs, suris, serpents, and other various designs are detailed.  It is something to be seen that I can’t otherwise explain.  They have a geological room, an archaeology room, and the various art forms that the museum creator, Hector Cruz, creates such as: tapestries, paintings, and ceramics.  If it isn’t genius enough to build this museum, Hector is also an artist of many forms.   After thoroughly enjoying the tour of Museo Pachamama (note, if you take this on your own, they only do Spanish speaking tours.  If you want it in English, you must take an English speaking guide.  It is worth the tour because it’s amazing how much you learn about the designs and their significance, if you don’t, it’s great to see but has that much more meaning when you understand what it’s all about), we head back towards Cafayate and stop about 10K from Museo Pachamama at Ruinas de Quilmes.  

Ruinas de Quilmes is also an amazing area to explore.  With or without guided tours, you can crawl up to the mountain top and see the vastness of the valley and imagine what life must have been like so many years ago for this seemingly large community.  This partially re-built ruins also has spanish speaking tours and an opportunity to hike.  Once we spend time roaming around the ruins looking at all the rooms, thinking about previous runnings of life up and down the mountain and lookouts where they can see enemies coming from miles and miles away, we head to Tolombon.

Tolombon is only about 15k south of Cafayate.  There is a new hotel that opened less than a year ago called Alta La Luna.  Tolombon is a very small community with only this new hotel and an old Bodega (that doesn’t have tours right now), and of course a small community of people.  I love going to Alta La Luna (http://www.altalaluna.com/) for lunch because you can sit out back on the patio looking at the mountains in this beautiful hotel and feel like nothing else is around you.  A perfect end to a perfect morning!!  

If you are interested in more information on this circuit - send me an email (cafayate@staycafayate.com).

Beer in the Middle of Wine Country

We LOVE the wine in Cafayate, so much so that I will dedicate a lot of time to explain my favorite wines, my favorite wineries to visit and so on, but in the middle of wine country, sometimes you just want a good beer! 

We took an afternoon off, the first in weeks, and traveled South of Cafayate to Santa Maria to a new Micro-Brewery (Ruta 40 Cerveceria). Of course the dogs joined us, thinking we were going for another long hike, but unfortunately, we only had a 30 minute walk up a dry river bed on the way, just to get some energy out of them and give me some energy.  We arrived at the sign that Charlie had passed on one of his trips back from Chile and followed it until we pulled up in front of someone’s house (the brewery) in the middle of a neighborhood.  The brewery has a little beer garden with a small brew room in the back and hopes to expand and serve food.  We are always excited to see and try new beer, as we have traveled up to Salta, Tafi del Valle, San Carlos,  and now to Santa Maria in a quest to find the best micro-brewed (cerveza artesenal) beer and offer them in our restaurant. As we were siting in the beer garden sharing the first trigo (wheat) beer we have had in Argentina, we realized how much time we spend in our restaurant!  The sun was shining bright as we were in t-shirts, flowers were still in bloom and it is the middle of winter, life is good!  Although, the beer didn’t really fit in our top five, we certainly enjoyed the drive, the beer garden, and the few hours away from the restaurant.  

Now, our absolute favorite trip and most fruitful in the last months in search of good beer was in our back yard, a town about 15k North from Cafayate, San Carlos.  The brewery, Me Echo La Burra, (I herd the burrow), is nestled in a cool little spot with a hostal, farm, and micro-brewery all in one - called Vaca Tranquilla (on a side note, a great place to stay the night - loved the rooms and the peacefulness of the place - and don’t forget a brewery is on the premises http://www.lavacatranquila.com.ar/ !!).   The picture below is all of us siting on the porch enjoying a nice cold one.  Me Echo La Burra has three types, a blond (rubia), red (roja), and dark (negra) beer.  The couple brewing are from Belgium and it is a true to form, strong Belgian beer of 8-9% alcohol with strong, rich flavors.  We have been carrying Me Echa La Burra for some months now and we have yet to have a disappointed customer, including ourselves.  The only warning we give, don’t let it sneak up on you!!  More than a few and you’ll be stumbling out of the restaurant!  Here’s to a cold one! 

The Local Wild Life

The local wild life!  In Cafayate, we get to enjoy a variety of animals most are somewhat domesticated others seem to roam town on their own mission.  Some of my favorite are the  “wild” burros.  Rarely do you see one at a time, like the photo below, usually there are 4 or 5 running around together, usually with a little one in tow.  I can’t help but smile when I see them grazing on the side streets, in the plaza, or being chased by street dogs (don’t worry, Burros usually don’t care about the dogs and simply ignore them).  No matter that Charlie and I have been here for over a year now, I can’t get used to the idea of seeing these little guys roaming the streets of Cafayate and I love it. 

Art - Stained Glass

I have wanted to tackle the topic of art in the area for some time but it seems to continue to grow and I just can’t fit it all in, so I’ve decided to take piece by piece and just begin!   An artist came in to our restaurant the other day and brought a wonderful piece for us to display and it has since re-inspired me to continue my search!  Cafayate and North West Argentina is very blessed with great artists in ceramics, weavings, basketry, silversmithing, and many others. For instance, I have seen amazing imagination and craftsmanship from a ceramic artist in San Carlos, named Mendoza.  The great thing is, you would never know if you weren’t “in the know” of how to find him, and that is my quest - to find as many of these hidden artists in Northwest Argentina!  Now, it’s much easier when an artist of great caliber walks in to your restaurant and finds you! So, for today I’ll showcase  Nadia, a stained glass artist that lives near Salta in Vaqueros.  Nadia, brought us a piece that follows traditional design with her own interpretation.  You can read all about her and her pieces on her web site: www.nadiakhangallery.com as she says it better than I!  Enjoy - I certainly do.  She’s even making us a custom piece for our restaurant shadowbox!  Can’t wait!   

Another Awesome Hike

Okay, it's been a while, but I have an excuse! We went back to the States and got married and I feel like we have finally recovered!!! Anyway - wonderful trip but we are happy to be in Cafayate. The days are glorious with sun with cool nights, perfect winter weather.
We found another wonderful hike through El Paso in the Quebrada de las Conchas (Canyon of Shells, between Cafayate and Salta), As usual, we headed up a dry river bed with the dogs and followed it until it ended in deep canyons except this time it didn't end, it opened up in to another valle that we have yet to explore!! Can't wait. This trail was well used though, as part of the rock was carved away with lots of travel. The change of scenery was so dramatic from very tight canyon, red sand dunes, to open beautiful valley. Enjoy the photos.

Finally A Hike up Rio Colorado to the Falls

We have been here for almost a year and have yet to hike one of the most popular hikes in the area, up the Rio Colorado to the falls. Last weekend, we decided to leave the girls (dogs) home and take the day and go for a hike. What a lovely surprise! It was a typical gorgeous, sunny day in Cafayate as we drove up to the Divisidero. We had attempted this hike twice before, once we stayed to the left, which was the wrong way, and the second time with the dogs who encountered goats within the first minutes which ended our trip pretty quickly! This time, we learned we had to stay to the right so we found this little trail hidden behind the bushes (no signs!), and started to climb. We hit it this time. We really had no idea what to expect and what we found was excellent. We followed a pretty fast running stream the entire way having to cross several times, at time up to our thighs in fast running water! Now, it's not for everyone but Charlie and I love a little danger and excitement in our hikes. On the way up, we encountered two girls about 12 year's old giving another couple a guided tour - or basically showing them the way. There are many little side trails and to know the best places to cross and the best hills to go up is a valid skill! Now these girls had no hesitaions what so ever, they jumped rocks through rapid water, they climbed and ran up the hills. Although, we didn't know who was leading, the little dog or the girls! As we made it to the top where the falls were, we enjoyed a nice refreshing water spray and a beautiful waterfall. Charlie and I headed down a different direction on the other side of the river which, we thought would be very similar to our way up, but again a nice surprise of 4 more gorgeous falls with some nice rock climbing mixed in. All in all, one of our best hikes, we were tired and ready for a big siesta by the time we made it back. Again, the hike was a bit more difficult and dangerous than we thought but then again, but I'm sure a guide can steer away from the major climbing areas! Check out http://www.cafayate.com/EnglishSceneryRioColorado.html for more fotos!

Colors of Cafayate

Are these colors real? One would think I did some pretty amazing photoshop tricks to get the reds to be so red and the green to be so vibrant, and don't forget about the pristine blue sky, but no. This is just another gorgeous day in the Quebrada by Cafayate. I have never been so inspired to take photos and share this with the world as much as when we venture out on days like this. It's hard to find something that isn't photo ready! The rocks not only have amazing formations but the variety of colors are inexplicable, the river that runs through the quebrada usually runs red, not muddy brown, a beautiful red! The desert has gone through amazing blooms with the cactus in flower, one tree with a bright green trunk has a flower of bright yellow that when you have a lot together, the desert turns a bright yellow, green, and red. Something that just has to be seen and experienced.

One of My Favorite Areas

The medanos or sand dunes are one of my favorite places to go early in the morning, or even a cool evening during a full moon. Coming from Aspen, I miss the pristine beauty of the 5 feet of snow drifts. The sand dunes is my replacement. The Medanos are only located 3-5k from town towards Salta. There's a pull off where a statue (shrine) is that leads you to the road to get to the heart of it. The second I hit the dunes, I take off my shoes and let my feet sink a bit in the soft sand, I then walk in a maze for hours, up and down huge sand drifts. At times putting my shoes back on, as it is in the middle of the desert with lots of stickers, but if you stick to the most pristine dunes, you don't have to! Now with such beauty, you have to wonder what created them. We found out our first winter here, the wind roars down the valley of the Quebrada and makes these amazing formations. Believe you me, I wouldn't want to be in the middle of the dunes when one of these wind storms hits, which what we experienced was about once every few weeks. Anyway, all the other days, it's worth going and extremely photogenic. They are ever changing, you can almost never get the same picture twice as they change character daily with the weather and wind!

Amazing Hikes

Written by April,

This area has amazing hiking. Before opening the restaurant, when we had more time on our hands, we would hike at least once, if not twice a day. There are several known trails, one going up to some falls on the Rio Colorado. I hear this hike is beautiful (you probably need a guide for this hike or good directions) but due to it being by water and therefore goats roaming free, we have to avoid it. If not, we get to pay for goats as our hunting dogs (aka - not so innocent siberian huskies), decide they like to chase and kill any small and scared animal they can. Because of this, Charlie and I venture out to the Quebrada (a canyon about 10k out of Cafayate towards Salta), to hike in to the washes. They always lead us to the most interesting places with amazing views, or caves you have to crawl in to. While my sister was visiting, we made our way to one of our favorites, a wash that has a road about 17k from Cafayate. The land reminds us so much of the Arizona and Utah area, some of our most favorite places in the States. We continually explore more in the Quebrada and the surrounding areas which don't really have marked trails but have endless opportunities to explore!

Siesta

Even if you don't speak any spanish what so ever, you know what the word siesta means, nap time! I've lived in two countries in South America, Chile and Argentina, and I can say, they have it down to an art! Cafayate certainly is an "over achiever" when it comes to siesta time. In Cafayate, lunch begins at 1:00 which you then proceed to nap time, for some this lasts until 7:00pm. What that means, if you forgot to get some bread for your sandwich at lunch, too bad, you have to come up with something else. If you wanted to work on a few projects at the house but need to run to the hardware store, not until 5:00 p.m., if you run a restaurant (like we do) and you don't get all of your shopping in by 1:00 p.m., veggies, meat markets, paper goods, etc, you wait until all the markets open again at 7:00 p.m. If you forgot to go to the bank, you have until 2:00 p.m, thank goodness - but if it's after 2, it's not open until the next day!! Now, as you can see, owning and running a business accustomed to having everything available to you at any time you would like, it can get a bit frustrating. It's not until you start embracing it, because you can't fight it, that life really becomes good! Life no longer goes at the speed of lightning. I used to not even take a lunch, just work straight through, now sometimes I take two hours for lunch, then maybe a nice walk afterwards, or maybe I've shared a nice bottle of Torrontes white wine and head directly to nap time. I take my time in waking up and then start the evening refreshed, usually with a cup of coffee. Long nap times make late nights in Cafayate. It's usually a ghost town at around 3:30 p.m., but if you walk the streets at 10:00p.m., it's a bustling town, that doesn't really start going until mid-night!

Wine Harvest Time (Cosecha)

Written by: April

The house we rent is located a bit out of town, surrounded by vineyards and fields. As I sit in this little piece of heaven with the wind blowing through the large trees, I watch tractor load after tractor load of grapes passing by. It’s harvest time. This means that the little juicy succulent fruit will now be picked either by machine or simply by hand, tractored off to their respective bodegas and turned in to the most enjoyable wine. I had the pleasure of visiting a few bodegas (wineries) last week while my sister was visiting from Colorado. Sad really that we’ve been here 10 months and I had only taken one tour of the Domingo Hermanos Bodega.

Last week we attempted to go to 7 wineries, but because of the hours of the tours and our limited time, we only made it to two. Although, they were certainly interesting. Our first bodega was Finca de las Nubes, or Bodega Jose L. Mounier. I had heard they had some food service where you could get a tabla of meat and cheeses, sit out on the lawn, enjoy a bottle of wine and an appetizer. They have a fantastic location, near the Divisidero where you can continue up and go for a nice hike along the Rio Colorado up to some falls. I wasn’t disappointed by the view, it was gorgeous. They are tucked along side a mountain with an excellent view of the valley and Cafayate. A truly wonderful place to enjoy a bottle of wine! We were greeted by a woman that took us through the entire operation. She was an excellent guide, educating us, not only on the winery itself but wine production in the valley and wine in general. The operation is a small one with only about 25 hectares. The tour took about an hour and we tasted all the wines except for the reserves.

I truly enjoyed it, but since my sister doesn’t speak much spanish, it was a bit of a struggle for her, as we didn’t get any breaks so I could translate it back to her. I know it is difficult to have tours in all languages that come this way but it was a long tour to not understand a word. Even though she didn’t understand, she had a great time tasting the wines and sitting in the tasting room with a gorgeous view of the valley. The most exciting part of Finca de las Nubes, is they include the public in their harvest. On March 14, 2009, we all start at 8:00 a.m. to help pick grapes and enjoy the process in hand. For all of the hard work that people come from all sides of the world to Cafayate, especifically for, they have wine, asada and a day of fun! We have decided to take a break in our hectic lives with some friends and enjoy this rare opportunity! If you find yourself in the area on March 14th, I would recommend doing the same!

Festivals and Celebrations in Cafayate

By April Selman:

Today, we closed the restaurant for lunch and went to our employee's daughter's baptism. We had such a wonderful time. He has 10 brothers and sisters, all grown. You can imagine the festivities were no small occasion with lots of kids running around! Ramon had been talking about his mother's empanadas and wanting to invite us to try them for over a month now and finally we had our chance. He told us how she made everything from the shells (which most use store bought shells), to how they use a huge wood fired outdoor stove. Let me tell you, all that talk wasn't for nothing! They were excellent, we were so impressed, we ate so many empanadas that we ran out of room for the chicken, potatoes, ice cream, pastries, and cake that was to come. We were so blessed and thankful to be able to share this special day with Ramon and his family.

On that thought, Argentineans, at least those I've met in Cafayate are very festive. When Charlie and I arrived here in May of 2008 we were shocked that almost every week there was some sort of holiday or festival. Some friends say, there's always a reason to celebrate and there's always time for a party! I love it, although I wish we had more energy to share in with the festivities but we have opposite hours. Before the restaurant, we ate around 7 or 8pm and made it to bed around 10 p.m. or 11p.m. Argentineans don't even start dinner until 11p.m.!! Most discos don't open until 2 a.m. and parties don't start until after mid-night. That pretty much left us out! Now with the restaurant, as we head home at 2 or 3a.m. completely beat, our employees are heading out to go dancing. Is that youth or Argentine? A little of both I suppose.

The upcoming week is supposed to be the master of all festivals where 10,000 people come to listen to Argentina's famous folk singers and dancers. The town has been preparing for weeks and we are excited to share what it's all about. It sounds like a mix between spring break and an old traditional folk festival. Our restaurant now has draft beer (the only in Cafayate), so we are prepared for the hot days and hopefully the thousands of people very thirsty and hungry for tacos!

Meeting Amazing People

by April:

The beauty of living in a tourist town with a tourist business is the pleasure of meeting amazing people from all over the world. First, I come to Marie-France, a woman traveling by herself for several months in Argentina originally from France now living in California. She won my heart immediately when she came in on a hot day and we shared a beer, then she changed travel plans just to stay and spend more time with us. We went to one of my favorite places, Museo de Pachamama (an amazing museum in Amaicha de Valle only about 60k from Cafayate, which is a story all in itself). From then it just keeps growing, wonderful people from Buenos Aires that invited Charlie and I to actually stay at their house, a couple from London that is trying to convince us to come and visit, a group of Czech (which neither spoke a similar language) but we all had fun the same. A traveling brother and sister from the states that are traveling all over Argentina. A couple originally from the states, living in Bariloche, moving to Cafayate (people with our own hearts!) The list goes on and on from there. I love this part of life!

Now, the real part is, meeting amazing people right here in town. We have been fortunate enough to meet people in this small community that were essential in helping us start our business. They only helped us for the sake of wanting to see us succeed, anytime we ran in to a road block, someone jumped in and helped or supported us in some way. On a daily basis we are blessed with someone from Cafayate coming to our restaurant, telling us they love our food, atmosphere, and they love coming here. People are truly so nice here. I'm so glad we have found a town that you can enjoy peoples company. Of course every town has its downsides but I'll have to say, every good experience we have had - outways any bad experience we have ever run in to.

The COLD has settled

Now, with the word cold, you might think I mean the weather, because I often talk about the weather.  This time, I'm talking about the annoying sniffles, headache, and slight cough type of cold.  Yes, I picked one up somewhere in the last few days.  Of course, starting with just a sore throat and now taking its time moving through my head.  Charlie (the other half of this crazy adventure) has told me, April, it's stress.  He says, we have one important thing come up and you obsess over it and get sick.  Just because that has happened a few times, doesn't make him right.  But, in this case, he's right.  I have learned since leaving the U.S. that my body really dislikes stress.  I guess while living in the U.S. with my fast paced jobs and life, I never took time to realize. Now, however, my body is used to a different lifestyle, one that involves very little stress. It expresses its extreme dislike for stressful periods by making me sick.  

Starting with that, it leads me to talk about healthcare here because that was a major question and concern with Charlie and I living in Argentina.  Our first encounter with the health care system was back in May of 2008.  We had just arrived with a full car, 2 siberian huskies, ready and excited to move to Cafayate.  We were lucky to find a wonderful place to stay for a few days a little outside of town, Cabanas Don Rene (I would highly recommend to anyone wanting an actual little house with kitchen, several bedrooms and room to roam around in the desert) while we secured a more long term rental.  Unfortunately, on day 3, Charlie got sick.  So sick, we had to make a trip to the emergency room at 2 a.m.  We arrived at the new hospital just on the edge of Cafayate and as soon as we entered they took him right in, not even asking for documents, insurance or anything. The doctor saw him immediately and started treatment.  The hospital was very clean and comfortable as we stayed in one of the rooms for the next 7 hours.  They were attentive, the only thing I kept having to ask for was toilet paper and water.  Everything settled down fine and we left with only  $90 peso (or about $30 U.S.)  bill.  Which, in the U.S., with an emergency room visit, overnight stay at the hospital - I hate to even think about the bill!

The moral of the story, our first experience with the hospital and healthcare system was very favorable.  Likewise, we have friends that moved here from Canada that recently had an emergency room experience and they were pleasantly surprised and happy about the service, cleanliness, and attentiveness of the hospital and its staff.  

Beautiful Cafayate - Sunny day with clouds rolling in

It's 1p.m. and I'm sitting outside on the patio at Restaurante Colorado.  I just finished a fresh salad and am now playing on the computer watching as the afternoon clouds crawl in.  How can life be better?   It has been raining quite a bit lately, the Cafayateans say it is very strange. Being my first summer here, I have nothing to compare it to, but just as the day peaks its sunny hottnes, the clouds roll in and cool everything down with an afternoon shower and then the evening breaks the afternoon clouds and the stars shine bright for a perfect "fresca" evening.  Some say it's the best climate in the world.  I have yet to travel the entire world, so I hesitate to confirm this but I'll have to say, I have not been disappointed.  Even the amazing hail storm (again extremely rare) we had the other day was awesome in its severity.  Nature making sure we all understand who is really the boss.  Sadly, hail is a unwanted enemy of vines and vineyards and since we are in the middle of vineyard country, it is sad to see the leaves crushed and the almost harvestable grapes drooping on the vines, destroyed for this years harvest.  A small square of the town was hit hard; vineyards, flowers, and gardens alike.  With the rain though, the surrounding mountains, usually dry and more brown than green, are lush and rivers that are named seca (dry) for a reason are running high, at times almost kayakable.  Well, as time continues to eek closer to 2 p.m., it's time for me to enjoy one of the best (and at times frustrating) times in Argentina, siesta.