| Very Memorable Bike Trip in the Calchaqui Valley |
|
We did the four day "Round to the Calchaqui Valleys" trip with MTB. The owner, Francisco Castellanos, is a very nice young man, as is his buddy and guide "Nacho". They both speak very respectable English too. We had a blast. Francisco probably spend countless hours by e-mail prior to the trip answering every question that I had. He even helped me with arranges for lodging unrelated to my tour with him. And, I asked him to call a subsequent tour to help with an arrangement since he could talk with them in Spanish. He well above and beyond what one would expect. The tour itself was a lot of fun. The Calchaqui Valley is way off-the-beaten path which makes it that much more appealing. The scenery is beautiful. It changes each day from cactus to painted canyons to locals making colorful ponchos to cute little traditional villages to wineries. The whole thing was a kaleidoscope of colors. The trip is very flexible. You can ride as little or much as you feel like. If you want to stop to see something, you stop. You eat when you are ready. Francisco drove the van behind us and Nacho road with us. The hotels for the trip were pretty decent too. The four of us would usually get have beer at one of the sidewalk cafes in the villages each day after the ride, then we'd also meet for dinner. Besides being excellent tour guides, Francisco and Nacho were very pleasant gentlemen to hang out with. As an example of their service, I mentioned that I really like microbrew beer (I live in Seattle). There was a private small microbrew along the route that isn't normally open to the public. Nacho's uncle happens to know the owner. Knowing that I like microbrew beer, Nacho called his uncle to arrange a visit and beer tasting for us. Likewise, we were able to visit a few wineries in the morning in Cafayate before beginning that last day's ride. Francisco told me that he only does the four-day Calchaqui Valley tour once or twice a year due to its length. Most people just fit in time for him many day or half-day tours. That's unfortunate, because people are missing out on an incredible experience in a fascinating place. I have to search really hard to think of anything negative to say. Sometimes I'd have preferred not to have seen Francisco's van so close behind me while riding, but of course that's just his intention to take excellent care of his guests. Trust me on this one. Make time in your Argentina itinerary for the four-day "Round to the Calchaqui Valley" bike tour with Francisco and MTB Salta. You'll be glad that you did. |
