By Betina Soto, intern at COINED E-Marketing department

From Cordoba city, if you head north towards the limit with Santiago del Estero province, geography portrays an incredible white landscape; they are the biggest salt mines in Argentina, the “Salinas Grandes” as they are called. Settled in Mansilla, a bordering village in Cordoba, the Salinas are vast kilometers of white gold that shine as the sun twinkles on their surface. As they are opened to visitors, you can follow the path miners undertake during “harvest time”, the name given to the exploitation period. This period occurs during rainy seasons when the natural process of salt formation takes place. First, after raining, water floods the ground forming pools of 15 cm deep over the earth. Salt particles get mixed with water and dissolve. When the sun comes out, heat evaporates the water and salt decants, forming a thick and hard layer over the land. Cordoba counts with the largest salt mines in the country. North Cordoba is one of the few places on earth where salt is found in its purest conditions, ready to be consumed. The huge land looks like a white ocean that gets lost far away, touching the blue horizon line. There is no more than whiteness and silence, and peace and stillness. You may encounter rounded lakes that reflect the sky, where dozens of pink flamingos dance and splash about. The colorful picture is more than poetry to the eyes.

If you visit the Salinas in Cordoba during harvest time, you will find miners working in the most ancient and traditional way, with pick and shovel. The image is a postcard stolen from past times. This unique place in Cordoba is an incredible combination of the most striking natural beauty and an everlasting working ritual.

Cordoba photo tour

Today is her last day here in Guatemala, she can’t help feeling a little blue because of her departure, but after 8 months it is high time she went back to England.
Her name is Lucy, she’s studied Pedagogy and came to learn Spanish in Antigua, Guatemala just for 4 weeks, but then she decided to stay longer. She considers herself a world’s citizen, wherever she finds a group of human beings that makes her feel comfortable, that is her home! Lucy only goes to England to visit her family and friends, but after a while there, she feels little tickles; a world of adventures is out there waiting for her!
She chose her Spanish course via Internet; the beautiful pictures of Guatemala convinced her, in part, of coming to learn Spanish in Antigua. After the fourth week, Lucy decided to stay longer. What made her decide to stay in Antigua were the quality of the Spanish lessons and the warmth of the people working at the Spanish school in Antigua.
After 8 months, the Guatemalan family that put Lucy up became part of her own family. Finally, she promised to herself and the Spanish school in Guatemala that she would come back and stay in touch with them. Lucy knows that she can’t help herself feeling sad and even homesick whenever she remembers her stay in Antigua, Guatemala; a truly unforgettable experience!