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...

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...

Bolivia is the poorest country in South America. It has Inca roots, a native language, and tons of llamas. It's poverty has allowed it to stay undeveloped, which we noticed as we left for our four day trip to the Salar de Uyuni. Tupiza is at 10,000 feet. We left at 8:15 and immediately started our climb. Four of us, a driver and a cook in a Jeep, about to conquer wild Bolivia. After a short, steep climb, we stopped at the Sillar, named for the points and looking like a horse's back (which I honestly don't see). We turned around and around the curving ledges, climbing and dipping. We did a rather significant decline to a valley and saw the Awanapampa . We enjoyed the llamas, and had our first "baño natural" experience. We were in the middle of nowhere and keeping hydrated to ward off the elevation effects, so it was, and continued to be, the only option (as it turns out, it was generally the best option when compared to Bolivia bathroom horrors). W...