Posts Tagged desert

Three days, two nights in a red 1992 Toyota Land Cruiser, held together with prayer and duct tape. The first time we broke down was about 10 miles into the trip, and our kind, quiet driver (and sometimes guide) Adrian fixed it with a piece of bike inner tube (at least that’s what he took out of the cardboard box under his seat). We stalled again another hour or so later, but after that it was smooth sailing. Until Cami’s window exploded.

Buenissimo:

Adrian drove us through sand and rock past extravagently colored lakes, past bizarro rock formations, past flamencoes and salt flats to our refugio in the middle of absolutely nowhere, at which we would spend our first night. We (Cami, Elsa, Rich, and Yours Truly in our truck, and five others from the other) ate a delicious meal, played some pretty enthusiastic cards (Egyptian War), and tried to go to sleep early, but most of us couldn’t sleep at all, thanks to the stupid high altitude.

And the next morning we woke up to see the sun rise over the mountains, which was pretty, and early, and tired. We drove a long, long way to see some more pretty lagunas and flamencoes, and tried to comfort Elsa, who was terribly sick from the altitude. And we joked around, and tried to fall asleep in the Land Cruiser and got out every hour or so to take photos and stretch our legs. Until about 6:00, when we arrived at the Salt Hotel, which is a hotel made of salt. I tasted it, and yes, it was salty. We played cards and drank warm beer and attempted to discuss Chilean and world politics and fell asleep very early, as is my custom now.

Again, the next day, we woke up at 4:30 to see the sun rise over the salt flats which were covered with a very thin layer of water (as it’s the rainy season), and it was magnificent, and gorgeous, and quiet, and fun, and oh, so pretty.

Most of our party (two trucks) was French, and they were all very kind and worldly people. And I’ve learned a lot of French.

Also,

In San Pedro de Atacama, I went with Rich (Australian) to see the geysers (which he calls geezers, hilarious!) at, again, 4:30 in the morning. And they were also very cool. Lots of hot spurty water and stinky thermal baths (into which I took the plunge) and bubbly bits. And Brazilians, maybe a thousand of them.

Finally,

I’m in Potosi right now, which is a pretty sizable (especially compared to Uyuni) city in Bolivia that was made prosperous by silver mines in previous centuries. I got a bit sick recently, I think from a combination of the altitude and dehydration, but am feeling almost top-notch today, and will thus be venturing into the dark and smoky (and some say scary) mines tomorrow, where I may buy some dynamite.