Tucumán, Argentina

 On the drive to Tucumán, the scenery changed from dry, arid & brown hues to bright green rolling hills. We were told not to miss Tafi de Valle, and we were not disappointed. Many Germans settled here, so it was fun to see a little bit of Germany right in Argentina. We certainly have missed the socks with sandals combo since moving away from there. This area was also recently used for filming a scene in the latest X-Men movie (the bar fight scene when he tracks down the Nazis). 

 As we pulled into the outskirts of Tucumán, we noticed a 2 mile stretch with groups of people flagging down cars every few feet, much like fundraiser car washes in the states. After many miles on unpaved dirt roads, our car was the perfect candidate, so we pulled over and hoped for the best. Sean got talking with the guys, who told him that many people have lost their jobs in the area, and these washing stations help the unemployed support their families. When they found out that we were American, they had all kinds of interesting questions for us, including one about car washes. They had seen on tv shows that in the US, girls wash cars. In bikinis. They couldn't believe it. 

Like in other northern cities, most people ride mopeds around these parts.  It was surprising to see just how many people could fit on one, and how many people wore their helmets on their arm.

Tucumán is famous for it's eggy empanadas, so that was first on the agenda. After seeing much of the city, we spent the next few days exploring the areas outside of town. We drove through two mountain ranges, which meant not one, but two sets of really curvy roads. Old Mandy would have needed Dramamine and a bucket, but Amazing Race Mandy rolled down every window and enjoyed the ride, arriving at our next stop with crazy hair. Note to self, the wind-blown look is so 2011. 

Argentina...we're #2.

This trip seems to have gone on forever, but all good things must come to an end. I have one more post about two amazing National Parks and then I'll close out our Griswold Memorial Argentina Road trip. I have loved reading each one of your comments, thanks for 'riding' along with us!