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| From high above Tuyactu Lagoon |
Sometimes when we travel we plan out a pretty detailed itinerary. Sometimes we have a general idea of what we want to see and do. Other times we just know where we're going to be laying our head at night and plan the rest once we arrive. In the case of this Chilean adventure the only thing planned ahead was where we would be laying our head. As fate would have it, this has worked out perfectly for our time in San Pedro de Atacama. When we checked into the hotel, Kate, our friendly host here at the Planeta Atacama, handed us a well thought out five day itinerary. She shared with us that Juan, the owner of the lodge had a background as a tour guide and had put together a very useful guide for procrastinating planners like us to follow.
The plan started with a few activities close to town. These allow for guests who aren't used to the altitude to get acclimated before heading off in various directions further from town and often in higher altitudes. Having now had close to 48 hours to get acclimated, with only minor headaches the first morning, we were ready to tackle a bit more adventure. Todays itinerary was listed as "Going South to the Altiplanic Lagoons". These lagoons are located about 60 miles south of San Pedro de Acatama. It was an incredibly scenic drive along Ruta (Route) 23, which is the international road leading to Argentina. The Andes Mountains are on one side and the Atacama Salt Flat is on the other side.
Our first stop was actually in the middle of the Atacama Salt Flat at the Chaxa Lagoon. The water in the lagoon has a very high salt content with crusts of salt along the waters edge. It is also the home to numerous birds species, including three types of flamingos. I'm not sure if we saw all three types but we did enjoy watching them with their unusual feeding methods (head underwater, turning in circles, stirring up whatever small creatures were living on the bottom) enjoying an early morning meal. Occasionally they would move from one feeding spot to the other, flying directly over us. We also enjoyed taking in the 360 degree vastness and peacefulness of the mirror like surface of the water and salt flats with the Andes Mountains in the background.
It was tough to leave the Chaxa Lagoon but there was much more to see and do. As we drove further south we passed the Tropic of Capricorn. This is the southern most latitude where the sun is directly overhead. This occurs here during the December Solstice, which in the Southern Hemisphere is the day with the longest amount of time between sunrise and sunset.
We were also treated to a great wildlife show along the way. We saw Llamas, Burros, Vicunas and the best sighting of the day, an Andean Fox. The vicunas and the fox blended in perfectly with the colors of the landscape. Often times we would think there were just a couple of vicunas, but as we'd slow down and they started moving, there would be a dozen or more. I have no idea how Beth spotted the fox, but we enjoyed a quick glimpse before he scurried away. He was too fast for us to get a picture but I did find a nice photo online that is included below.
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| There was a small group of four llamas that we had to stop for so they could cross the road. |
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| The well camouflaged vicunas |
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| I guess this guy was wanting to play a game of "King of the Hill" |
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| Burros |
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| We didn't get a picture of the Andean Fox we spotted. I found this photo on line. |
After we passed the small village of Socaire we really started to climb into the mountains. Our turnaround point was at the Tuyactu Lagoon. This high altitude lagoon is fed by snow melting from the surrounding mountains. We were now at an altitude of close to 15,000 feet above sea level. The temperature had dropped dramatically. It was windy and very overcast. The park ranger came to us and told us the trails were closed. We believe they were closed due to the possibility of snow. We weren't tempted to spend too much time outside the car taking pictures. What we did enjoy was a picnic(yes, peanut butter sandwiches) while taking in the scenery from the cozy confines of our Chevrolet Onix!
On the way back we made one final stop at the Miscanti and Meniques Lagoons. Reaching these lagoons meant about a 20 minute ride down a very bumpy, unpaved side road. As with everything we had seen along the way, the views were spectacular.
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| The salt flat and Andes Mountains |
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| Laguna Miscanti |
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| For a desert there sure are a lot of lagoons |
We made our way back to town around 4:30. I'm happy to report that there were no issues with the high altitudes. We continue to follow Kate's advice to drink more water than you think is possible. Good advice for minimizing the risk of altitude sickness and a great way to flush out your kidneys!
