As part of a somewhat round-about but still thoroughly logical route, I’ve arrived in Salta, in the far northwest of Argentina, via a lovely and too-short three-day visit to our friend’s finca outside Mendoza.

Salta ‘la linda’ has got me excited and we’ll head out in an hour to go visit the amazing MAAM museum, which I wrote about on globorati a while back:

Salta: Meeting the Mummy

Who knew the cold, dry air of the Andes was an anti-aging agent? Just look at La Doncella, a 500-year-old mummy finally unveiled last month at Salta’s Museum of High Altitude Archaeology in northwest Argentina. Among the best preserved mummies ever found, the 15-year-old Incan maiden still had blood in her veins when she was unearthed in 1999 atop the world’s second highest active volcano. Likely left as a sacrifice for the corn harvest, she now sits inside a display chamber (which maintains the subfreezing temps that naturally preserved her) on Salta’s central plaza.

November’s your best bet to hit the colonial city before the rainy season. A half-hour drive from town, in the foothills of the Cordillera, is where Robert Duvall and his Argentine wife seek respite — and you can too. Since turning their 300-acre ranch into a seven-room inn and spa called the House of Jasmines (pictured), T&L has hailed it among the world’s most romantic places. Or try Hotel Papyrus, a boutique retreat with 11 uniquely-designed suites and clifftop views of the city. If you really want to get your vistas on, however, head two hours north to Estancia Colomé, a luxe inn nestled within the world’s highest altitude winery.