Salta: Salinas Grandes

One of the places that Seba drove us to was the Salinas Grandes de Salta.  Before you ask, the province name Salta has nothing to do with salt; salta is spanish for leap :)

Heading west out of the Quebrada de Humauaca we drove up up up to the Cuesta de Lipan (14,680 ft), gateway to the Argentine altiplano.  The altiplano is basically a wide flat plain at a bit over 11,000 ft elevation and stretching between eastern and western peaks of the Andes.  The Salinas Grandes are salt flats in what was once a lake.  The above picture captures the Salinas in the distance.

There is a small salt operation in the salinas, and the preparations for a somewhat bigger tourist operation.  On the side of the road it appears that someone is building a restaurant out of salt:

Next the the restaurant there was a turbo solar-cooker that I know that Mom will want to build as soon as she sees this picture.

I think a slight flaw in their business model is that the only thing on the menu out by the tables seems to be cat.

Opposite the "restaurant" we walked around the salt production areas.  Rectangular pools are cut into the salt-pan, salt is purified by the water and then shovelled into heaps to be carted away.

Seba and Pedro were arrested for trespassing and sentenced to 2 minutes hard labor.

My favorite part of the day, though, was the llama ride.
A few more pictures here