La Vida Errabunda

Back in Argentina meant recovery time from the wild, untamed Bolivia. SLEEP. SHOWER. WARM BED. That may seem basic, but those were not existent during our trip.  The first day, after SSWb, we headed to the infamous museum with momias . Inca mummies. The Museum of High Altitude Archaeology has an entire exhibit dedicated to three frozen Incas, perfectly preserved due to the extreme cold and high altitude at Mt. Llullaillaco (22,000 feet). They were discovered in the late 1990s. It surprised us that the "Inca Trail" extends through northern Chile and Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru. Only one of the three frozen children is displayed at a time due to the religious context, respect, and controversy. It was amazingly intact- hair, teeth, and skin. Saturday was outdoor day. Salta is surrounded by beautiful mountains, so we headed for the nearby Quebrada de San Lorenzo. We decided to fill up on some delicious regional goat cheese, bread, and salami before he went. Full an...

I have always wanted to walk on clouds. They are fluffy, beautiful, and possess something instinctively poetic. At the Salar de Uyuni, where the sky and the ground meet, not only did I feel like I was floating on a cloud, but it looked like I was. We woke up early and scuttled out of Uyuni, heading straight for the promised land. I had a splitting migraine, so I curled up in my seat and ignored the world until our driver said " Chicos, estamos aqui You guys, we are here." My eyes fluttered open to see the low light over the land. On one side the sun was rising; the other, the moon was setting.   From dark to light We ventured out and because the Salar was mostly covered with water due to the rainy season, my feet instantly froze in the cold morning. I withstood the pain to take in the absolute wonder of it all. The rising sun was breathtaking with the Salar's blue hues. Puddles on the Salar We kept going until we reached a dry place and a Sa...

After fitful night of sleep and ice freezing temperatures, we rose early for the least exciting, yet rather short day. Fortunately the incredible view lifted our spirits, along with the excitement of leaving behind the shack. It was a day of rocks and lakes. We first saw the Arbol de Piedra , a rock that looks like a tree. We could climb the other rocks and the early morning sun and air was refreshing. Arbol de Piedra The lakes started with first Laguna Hedionda Sur , then Laguna Hedionda Norte , and finally Laguna Negra . Laguna Hedionda Sur Laguna Hedionda Norte Laguna Negra The trend continued with La Valle de Rocas , a vast plain full of red boulders. The boulders were massive and each one had a lot of character. Favorite rock of the day Random fact: I used to collect rock. Maybe this helps explain why I loved this valley so much. We continued to a field for lunch, were there happened to be many llamas, my new animal of choice. We go...

The morning was cold and clear, the tea and coffee were piping hot. A perfect combination in the mountains of Bolivia. We left the pueblo around 8 am, bursting with coffee, wearing several layers, and swimsuits out for the Aguas Termales . We first drove by Volcán Uturuncu , a giant beautiful mountain spitting distance away. The edge of the swampy lands Volcán en the distance We stopped by Laguna Hedionda briefly, but dubbed it an ugly lake and kept going for Kollpa Laguna , which included our first spotting of wild flamenos flamingos. At this point, we had climbed to a desert, where there was little water of air. There were few animals and not much vegetation, just miles and miles of rocky, sandy earth. We zoomed past an old mine, which was the business for many years until the area was protected. It just employs a few people now, which is why there are many abandoned houses. Desierto de Dali truly did look like a Salvador Dali painting . The fir...