The Northwest of Argentina has too long been regarded as a dusty, indigenous outpost to what is a rich and modern country. Indeed, as you tour the North's red deserts and dusty adobe villages; stand among old, wizened Indian women; or dare to dance chacareras at the colorful street carnivals, you might indeed think you were in Bolivia or Peru and not the brash, forward-looking nation of high fashion and rock nacional that you have experienced elsewhere. Yet the Northwest is my favorite part of Argentina, a place steeped in history and unafraid to show it. Here you'll find the ruins of ancient civilizations -- be it the terraced settlements of the Quéchuan Indians or the mysterious standing stones of the Tafi tribe. You can gaze upon the wonderful baroque art created by the indigenous people when they were converted to Christianity by Spanish explorers such as Francisco Pizarro and Diego de Almagro. You can follow the narrative of the glorious Gaucho Wars that beat off the Spanish and then gave rise to their own strongmen, such as Martín Guemes and Julio A. Roca. And here begins the Route 40, that epic Andean roadway that forms the backbone of Argentina. In the Northwest alone it passes by vineyards, cactus hills, rain forests, tobacco fields, sugar-cane country, dinosaur parks, and vast empty salt plains. All this and more makes the Northwest of Argentina the very heart of South America.
