Sunday Nov. 4
We woke up around 6 am – just as the sun was rising over the mountains.
We had a tour booked for the day, a full day, from 7-6. With all of the things we were able to see and do, it was a day worthwhile.
We got on the bus and drove out into the desert for around an hour. We stopped for breakfast as well as a view of the ALMA observatory. What appeared to be a little rectangle far in the distance, was actually the base for a radio telescope – one of the most exceptional in the world.
Back on the bus, we drove out to the Salar de Atacama. As we approached, it looked as if there was a dusting of snow, but it was all salt. The salt flat was beautiful, filled with colors – the blue of the lake, the green of the plants, the red of the minerals, the purple of the mountains in the background and, the pink of the flamingoes. Yep, we were able to see wild flamingoes, again. This time, some of them were closer, flying right over our heads.
Next, we stopped at pueblito of Socaire on the way to the lagoons. It was in this old village in the desert that I watched a teenage girl bug her parents, asking for internet. In the middle of the desert. I hope that I wasn’t that bad when I was her age, but I know I’ve been there before. It was a moment of reflection.
We got back on the bus and drove for a while. As we ascended, the purple of the mountains contrasted the yellow of the shrubbery against the intense blue of the sky. The Altiplanic Lagoons were beautiful. Especially with the snow that was still on the tops of the mountains. Walking along the shore of the lagoon, was a peaceful, humbling experience.
After being up in the lagoons, I became interested in the contrast of yellow street signage against the natural colors of the environment. I glued my eyes to the road, in search of highway signs.
We continued to drive East, over toward the border of Argentina, until we came to the Piedras Rojas (aka Salar de Tara) My breath was taken away. It looked as if someone has painted this landscape by hand. It was my favorite thing we saw on this trip, no contest.
It was also incredible windy, so I bundled up in my scarf and enjoyed the view, especially as we drove further up to see the salt flat from a different point.
On the way back, we stopped back in Socaire and had lunch. There, I got to talk to some of the other people in our tour group. Some engineering graduates from France, and a family from Chile.
On the rest of the drive home (it was at least 2 hours, if not more) we stopped at the Tropic of Capricorn and a small town called Tocanao, where I had some quinoa flavored icecream and saw a llama.
We got back to the hostel after our long day and made dinner. We got to converse with Ben, as well as girls from Australia, Spain and France. It was cool to listen to them, and hear what they thought of Chile. We all agreed that it was surprisingly close to the States, which was interesting.
