Flamingos, Salt and the Altiplano lakes

Salar de Atacama

Flamingos on Salar de Atacama

At the salt flat we saw flamingos and some little lizards. The salt flat wasn´t like any that we had seen before, we´re used to seeing an actual flat lake type thing, but this wasn´t flat at all, it had huge lumpy salt crystals - very weird.

The altiplano lakes were definately a highlight, and at 4300m you could say they were breathtaking!

Lake Miscanti, Altiplano region

Street in Socaire, Altiplano region

We got up this morning to catch a 4am bus out to see the El Tatio Geysers which are best viewed at dawn. Again we were back up to 4300m and at 6am in the shaddow of the Andes it was positively freezing! Thankfully our guide cooked us some boiled eggs in a plastic bag dunked into a boiling waterhole which helped to warm up our hands a little. We started to think that we should have bought some of the local handcraft beanies, scarves, gloves and ponchos.

El Tatio Geysers

Our spanish is certainly getting a workout as we have not had an english conversation except with our guide yesterday since we left Santiago. Nobody speaks any english here and we are quite proud that we can order a meal and have some idea of what we are likely to get. Cath is starting to master the cuisine in Spanish while the rest is up to Andy to figure out (anyone surprised?)

Andy tackles a Llama kebab

Flamingos in the Altiplano

Cath has really liked this town with its adobe buildings and dirt streets but Andy has felt it is a little too touristy with restaurants, hotels and artisans taking up every door in the street. However, we both think that what is on offer around San Pedro is simply stunning. There is so much variation in the rocks, mountains and hills that Andy wished he was more of a rock-nerd, but they´re a strange bunch.
There is so much more on offer here like sand boarding, volcano hikes and mountain biking but if we stayed any longer we´d be broke in a week as it is quite pricy here.

Church in Tocanao

Tonight we jump on a bus to Arica so we´ll wake up on the coast - another contrast overnight. We plan to spend a day veging out there before crossing into Peru.

Chao chao! (local saying)
Andy & Cath

written by  Cath & Andy on April 9, 2007 from San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
from the travel blog: A journey to the alter and South America
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