We set of early for a busy day. The roads were definitely 4 wheel drive & we crossed several river beds with frozen water. At this altitude the salty water freezes at -3 deg C.
Our first stop was at some amazing rock formations. An unusual moss, Yaleta, similar to our Tasmanian cushion plant was growing amongst the rocks. By this time the sun was shining & there wasn't any wind so cameras were in action.
Our next stop was at the Capina Lagoon which is a borax mining area. What looked like ice on the water was actually borax. Although the area is in a national reserve the mining company has a lease until 2020 to continue mining the mine does not simply many people & it seems that the main benefit to the Bolivian people is the improved roads.
The main vegetation in this area is a grass called 'brave grass' which grows in areas up to 5000 m above sea level,
The next stop was at Laguna Colorada or Red Lagoon named due to the red colour caused by algae. Here we were able to get close to flamingos & llamas as well as have fantastic vistas of volcanos reflected in the water. Again the cameras worked overtime.
After such a hard morning of mind blowing scenery, we arrived at a little village Huayliajara, in the middle of nowhere. This was to be our accommodation for the night. After lunch we headed down the road again where our first stop was at a volcano crater (caldera). Here we had to follow our guide carefully & not stay too long to avoid the toxic fumes (sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide) being emitted from the geysers & bubbling lava. Australian authorities would never have allowed it but we felt reasonably safe as long as we followed our guide's instructions.
After that we drove through the Apacheta Desert which is the highest desert in the world at 4900m above sea level. At one point on our route we reached 5000m.
We spotted some Eicuna (small camels) on the roadside & managed to get a couple of photos before they scurried off.
We then passed through the Dali desert where there are large weird rocks scattered across the red gravelly desert, giving it its name after Salvatore Dali.
We also passed through the area where part of the last James Bond movie (A Quantum of Solace) was filmed.
Our next stop was at the chilly 5000 m Laguna Verde (Green Lagoon) where the aquamarine colour comes from the copper compounds in the water. The volcano (Licancabur) provided the backdrop to the lake. The border between Chile & Bolivia passes through the top of this volcano. Its crater holds one of the highest altitude lagoons in the world and NASA carried out experiments here to see how organisms can survive here in such a hostile environment. At one stage we were only 5 mins away from the Chilean border. There is quit a lot of acrimony between Bolivia & Chile as this small strip of Chile prevents Bolivia from having access to a port. Bolivians say that Chile took this land from them & needless to say they are not happy.
Our last stop for the day was at some hot springs. The water in the spring was 38 deg C so despite being at 4600m above sea level & being surrounded by snow capped volcanos we all went for a swim in the 50cm deep swimming pool. This was also an opportunity to wash off the layers of dust. Getting out of the water & changing back into our clothes was akin to changing after a winter dive in Tasmania.
We ended the day with a meal of home made soup, spag Bol & tinned peaches. Our cooks are amazing given their facilities. We would love a photograph of our cook as she is delightful, however she believes that a photograph will take away her spirit so we respect her beliefs.
As the generator only runs from 6:30 to 10:00pm & it is freezing cold we are having an early night.
It has been an amazing day with so many sights that it is difficult to comprehend everything we have done. We feel privileged to have experienced this part of Bolivia.
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