A visit to the Cerro San Bernardo.

At the end of my stay in Salta I had booked a dinner at El Baqueano, considered one of the top restaurants in Latin America. It had originally occupied a space in the capital, but had moved to Salta to be closer to the producers and reinvent the food it prepares. The restaurant is housed in a beautiful space on the hill that overlooks the city, and it was also an opportunity to take a cable car up San Bernardo for the views.

I took an Uber to the base of the Teleférico San Bernardo and bought a ticket to the top. I shared the car with an Argentine couple who were visiting for a week. We compared notes on where to go and what to see, and I confirmed that I should rent a car the next time I visit to be able to see more of the region at a more leisurely pace.

I had forgotten about the Fuentes de agua that flowed around and over the walkways of the park at the top, and was pleasantly surprised to rediscover them. I whiled away the time before my reserveration walking the paths and admiring the views. A teacher tried to corral a group of schoolchildren for a class photo before a set of six-foot-tall letter spelling out the city’s name.

While reading on the steps of the plaza I heard clapping before me and looked up just in time to see the tail end of a propsal as the woman wrapped her arms around her newly betrothed.

Looking out over the city I tried to spot where Maria Becerra might be playing. I brought up a map on my phone and traced the streets from the hill, counting them south and west until I found the field in which a stage had been set up. She was the imeptus for this trip and I was looking forward to attending her concert the next night off in a corner of the city.

Dinner was lovely multi-course tasting menu featuring cheese in many forms as connecting tissue. Outside, the sun set and the city lights rose.

After dinner, I was asked if I’d like a taxi home. I said yes and was lead back through the plaza to the access road where taxis were waiting. I thanked my escort and settled into the car for the descent back to the city, sated and ready for slumber. 🇦🇷