Salta: Dust, Skateboards, and Sticky Heat
i rolled into *salta with shredded grip tape and a sunburn from yesterday’s bus ride. the air feels like someone wrapped a warm blanket around your face and refuses to let go. i just checked the weather app and it’s currently holding at 26.54 degrees - so yeah, bring deodorant or get used to being perpetually damp. humidity’s at 62%, which is just enough to make your board feel like it’s swimming through syrup. not ideal for kickflips, but great for long soul grinds if you’re into that.
the city’s got this wild colonial-meets-skate-punk vibe where centuries-old churches sit next to DIY ramps in alleyways. i heard through the grapevine that 7 calles (the main tourist strip) is basically a tourist trap with prices that’ll make your wallet cry. someone warned me about the train to the clouds - said the views are killer but the local vendors’ll charge you triple for water. true? who knows. but i did overhear two drunk guys at a bar last night arguing whether the empanadas there have too much onion or not. so take that as you will.
if your fingers get tired of pushing, jujuy and cafayate are just a short drive away. cafayate’s got insane vineyards and cafayate’s got insane slopes - word is the DIY halfpipe out there’s made from recycled wine barrels. sketchy but legendary. also, i swear the quebrada de humahuaca looks like someone photoshopped a rainbow into the desert - totally worth the bumpy ride even if it smells like goat and dust.
for gear, hit up skate salta downtown - the owner’s got wax and maybe a random deck if you’re lucky. but don’t expect fancy brands. also, apparently the market square* gets sketchy after dark, so stick to the food trucks near the artisan market. they’ve got these fried cheese things that’ll change your life. i tried asking directions and got a lecture about how the pressure’s dropping to 908 hPa - as if that helps me find a ledge. whatever, man.
before you go, peep yelp salta for hole-in-the-wall eats and tripadvisor salta if you wanna avoid the train trap. also, this forum had some decent tips about hidden plazas - though half the posts are from 2012. whatever. salta’s sticky, dusty, and weird. bring board shorts and sunscreen. maybe a hat. definitely don’t trust empanada vendors who smile too much.