After staying a few days in Purmamarca, we went in the direction of Humahuaca. We left the backpacks in the baggage compartment of the Bus Terminal and went to lunch. We had the information of a place where we could stay for free in exchange for a non-perishable food, "the castle of Raúl Special" (nobody knew his surname) a person of European origin who had tired of everything and had a house in the upper part of the town. When we finally found the house (I never understood where the "castle" came from) and we met the famous Raúl (who really was far from my imagination), he invited us to his house and made us read aloud kind of "general rules of coexistence", which specified that "he was not responsible for any act or aggression that could arise there and that we were free to take and consume any drug, while we throw smoke through the window". anarchy (which in theory seemed interesting, but not so in the reality of that place) one in which we had to watch over ourselves. We quickly realized that we were already being observed by other opportunistic guests of the house, and that before our children's faces, we were easy prey. So we decided that, despite the good predisposition of such a man, we did not want to have problems with anyone and we went to find a campsite. Later we learned that in that place they had taken out corpses product of street fights.
Luckily, after a long search, we found a man who told us to go to the Ramos family. At one kilometer from the town and between dirt roads, we are finally, with Doña Rosa. Doña Rosa and her husband Asunción belong to indigenous peoples, more precisely, they are Omaguacas. The epicenter of this culture was the Quebrada de Humahuaca, and because it was a strategic point they resisted Inca and Spanish invasions. These lands are currently very much desired by entrepreneurs to make cabins and housing complexes, the same Doña Rosa faced some men who wanted to throw her from their own land, fighting directly body to body with them.
The campsite was next to his house, very careful, full of trees and with a beautiful view of the creek. During the days we stayed there we enjoyed and learned a lot. Asunción was a lawyer and when we arrived he was doing his thesis in relation to the kidnapping and murder of Moctezuma, Doña Rosa, on the other hand, was in charge of teaching in a school and keeping alive the legacy of the fabric (in danger of disappearing by the reasons we explained in the previous post). They filled us with experience and made us aware of their current situation and how hard it is for them to be recognized as a living culture, even though for their work, Doña Rosa was awarded by the Presidency of the Nation. They told us how they made dulce de leche with the fruit of a tree (the churqui, sacred in their worldview) to shampoo with grapes. With them we spent Christmas (although all of us who were there were not interested in such a date) eating sandwiches. And they were the ones who suggested us to go to a nearby town to glimpse cave paintings thousands of years old.
This is how, and on their advice, we went early one morning to Coctaca, a village 10 km from Humahuaca, where you can find the largest expanse of ruins and foundations of the Omaguaca culture. The town seems like a ghost and we appeared on the scene of the local inhabitants as completely strange strangers. Rock art is not easily accessible, there are no signs or maps. So we decided to speak with one of the local people to reach their destination, we were guided by a child who was not more than 10 years old. After a walk of more than two hours up the mountain we finally find, at 3800 masl, the wall covered with cave paintings. At first sight imperceptible by the natural deterioration of erosion agents and partly, also, by the sacking of rocky segments with rock motifs. It really is an experience that I recommend you not to miss! I also suggest that you visit another shelter in the same town with rock engravings, which for a matter of time, we could not go.
Humahuaca was the most enriching, fun and varied experience of all the North of Argentina, and when they go, do not miss the Mercadito of the city (next to the bridge) where you will find the most tasty and economical empanadas and where you can sit and enjoy a pleasant talk with local workers as equals. That's right, as after a week we left for La Quiaca not before receiving the blessing of Doña Rosa: May the Pachamama accompany them.
The largest cactus I had seen
