But mostly me. Okay, so not really, but seriously, a town with over 20 wineries in and around it, as well as a goat cheese factory must be at least a little bit made for me, no?
I suppose I should back up a little. The 'land' I am referring to is Cafayate, Argentina, a very small town in northwestern Argentina (about 200 kms south of Salta, which likely doesn't mean much to most of you...). Aside from the wineries and all the goat chesse there is an amazing place called Quebrada de Cafayate (Cafayate Canyon) on the way into Cafayate from Salta, which is what made our bus ride into Cafayate both extremely beautiful and slightly terrifying - there were large parts of the road that had been washed away as recently as two weeks prior because of too much rain. It did not help that J and I were sitting in the front seats on the top floor of the bus, where you can't really see how close you are to things (it often looked like we were going to drive directly over the cliffs).
We arrived (safely) in Cafayate and went to our hostel (recommended by the lovely Laryssa, a Canadian we had met in Buenos Aires). It was everything she promised and came complete with a very helpful and friendly owner (it did not hurt that he was also extremely attractive). 'Mr. Hot Stuff' (as he will be known forevermore because we never actually got his name), took us on a tour of the canyon, which was beautiful and awe inspiring. One of the best things about local guides is that you can ask them questions and get real answers (and some insight) that is generally more accurate than the assumptions I make (you know what they say about assumptions...).
According to Mr. Hot Stuff tourism has been on the rise in Cafayate for the past ten years, which has been both good and bad for Cafayate and its people, as is often the case. There has been a large increase in jobs opportunities for people, as previously the only options were to work in the wineries. Jobs are obviously a positive impact, however, things have also become extremely expensive in Cafayate (land in particular), which makes it impossible for regular Cafayateños to purchase land. He said that they now say that Cafayate is not for Cafayateños, rather it is for the rich people.
Cafayate is extremely small and the pace of life is quite slow (the prime example of this was 'Norma', who ran the best and busiest (and yummiest!) empanada joint in Cafayate. She was not bothered in the least by how busy they were and she moved at the same pace and maintained the same surly facial expression). It was in Cafayate that I was really able to remind myself that yes, sometimes bad things happen in South America (to tourists and to South Americans), but this can be the case everywhere. I was reminded that there are many more similarities between people than there are differences, and was able to see the people there as they are - people working hard to make a living and provide for their families. It was nice to remember this and to see people as they are, people. Not just a potential assailant (which is sadly sometimes what happens after you have been victimized -whether it was four years ago or four weeks ago, I am not sure that residual fear ever completely goes away), and that is a very welcome change.
Thanks Cafayate (and Mr. Hot Stuff, of course).
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