La Mendieta (Jujuy, Argentina)
Trip Start
Apr 09, 2007
1
6
Trip End
Apr 14, 2007
La Mendieta, Argentina
Friday, April 13, 2007
It is important to bear in mind that La Mendieta is not part of the tourist circuits so you won´t find guided tours to the "montes", fishing outings, places to rent a car or a bike or restaurants with bilingual menus. You are on your own in this respect. Of course, people are really warm and friendly and if you ask a local to guide you somewhere, I am sure he'll be pleased to help.
La Mendieta is part of the "yungas" ( a warm valley by the Andean region in South America) and it has its typical vegetation (check this site to read about "yungas" and its habitat: http://www.jaguares.com.ar/yungas/e/index.html )
You have different spots to visit: the town itself that was built around the Sugar Cane industry with its typical houses from the English period and the Sugar Cane Co. that it is the primary source of income (most people work there), the sugar cane plantation, the wild mountains mostly unexplored where you will have to venture on your own, the river for fishing and also kayaking if you go during the rain season (November to March) when the river reaches its level (though you will not find "kayaks" there, just some kids using tires to float on the river), the magnificent landscape of the road to San Salvador de Jujuy that goes by the river and through the forest, which by the way is perfect to cover riding a bike and the taste of a real town with real people to see how "real" is different from "tourist attractions".
Probably, you will have to spend the night in San Pedro because I am not sure if La Mendieta has a hotel (to know more about San Pedro, check this link : http://www.jujuy.com/?p=105 ) . People from La Mendieta go to San Pedro when they want to go out for dinner, or dancing or just hanging out in a pub with friends. There are local buses till midnight and after that time you have to resort to "shared taxis".
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