Geysers, lagoons & San Pedro de Atacama!

So, it has been a while since I have both written and posted a blog. This is because we have had a hectic few days and I just haven't had the time or energy to write them, nor the WiFi to post them. I am however now laid in a hammock at a wonderfully warm and oxygenated 2400m, so I will be writing and posting them shortly.

Today was the final day of our three day tour from Uyuni to San Pedro. Although I am writing this blog before writing those for days one and two, I am going to write as though I have already told you about them to save repeating myself.

So today we all awoke at 4am to the sound of Robs alarm. It was bloody freezing!! More cold than I have ever been and we had no heating to wake up to either. It was such an effort to get up, despite being fully clothed already, but we had no choice if we wanted breakfast. Us girls also had to put our bikinis on in prep for the thermal springs later.

After being reminded, once again, that at 4300m, being cold, shivering and trying to rush about getting dressed makes you pant like you've ran a half mile, we were finally ready for breakfast.

We weren't too thrilled this morning with the choice. There were cold thick pancakes and some sort of yoghurt drink. Not the most wonderful breakfast and after last night's weird meal, I think everyone had hoped for a little more. But never mind...we didn't have time to moan as we had to be in the jeep by 5am. Rob and Rich managed to brave the cold a little more for some photos of the starry sky (good photos but it was so cold Rob did not think it was worth it). Heading outside to the car was like stepping into a freezer. It was somewhere between minus 5 and minus 15 and inside the car it wasn't much better.
We set off to the geothermal geysers and our breath actually formed ice inside the windows...brrrrr! It also made it impossible to see out of them and my plan to sit in the front, to avoid travel sickness, didn't really work as the passenger side window was the same. Fortunately the driver had just enough room to see out of to get us through the sandy roads (or tyre marked areas of desert). We overtook a couple of other jeeps and it was a pretty fun ride. We also saw the result of a small crash between a couple of jeeps, likely a result of the blinding sun ahead that made it near enough impossible to see, even when the ice had melted.

The skies on the way in were absolutely glorious. We set off in the dark with the stars and Milky Way above us. You could just make out where the sun would come up because of the paler, silvery blue layer of colour to the left, that the mountains stood silhouetted against. As we carried on, this silvery blue layer of colour stretched higher into the sky and the mountains were instead offset by a greeny yellow and peachy orange layer that looked stunning. The stars eventually faded and we were left with the peachy orange sky that crept into a pinky haze higher up in the sky.

We reached the geysers before any other group and as soon as you opened the car door you could hear the jet of sulphur billowing out of the ground. It was like listening to the jet engine of a plane. What also hit us again, was the cold. SOOOOOOO COOOOOLD!!!! We all looked pretty stupid with our hats and scarves covering our entire faces but it was the only thing to do. It is also the reason the geysers look so impressive though, which makes it worth it. They were spectacular. We walked through the park and the colour of the sky looked amazing against the plumes of steaming gas and the golden sand, tinged with reds, greens and whites from the minerals. The gas was escaping from both tiny holes, barely even visible in the ground, to huge craters where there was so much steam you couldn't see inside them. There were also boiling clay pits that made an awesome gloopy bubbling sound as you walked past and spit boiling clay up into the air. Once again, another spectacular site that takes your breath away. It was like being on Mars or the Moon, looking into the distance that carried for miles with not a soul in sight, no towns, no noise, except that of the raw Earth breathing. I cannot believe just how many different types of landscape we have been witness to in South America and particularly so close together here in Bolivia. My advice...build up the altitude slowly (we have had no headaches or sickness and no coca tea) and then enjoy the beauty of this absolutely stunning continent! My words and pictures just will not do it justice.

After enjoying the geysers and walking through the lovely, eggy smelling sulphur gases, we headed back to the jeep. We left as more people started to arrive and were glad to have got there when we did. Not only for the quiet but also for the light...it was much brighter now and the colours a little less atmospheric.
We headed off on another fun journey in the jeep, bouncing along the sand and kicking up dust. Once again we were all freezing and we sat listening to a mix of our drivers Bolivian music and 80's disco. A bit much for such an early morning.

We arrived at the hotsprings after about half an hour, ice still on the windows. We had passed a huge lake on the way, which the springs sat on the edge of, and saw a huddle of flamingos that had seemingly become frozen in the ice that had formed on the surface. Our guide Pablo told us this happens sometimes and they have to wait for it to melt. They must have been looking longingly at the smaller waders and gulls that were sitting in the steaming edges of the lake, that just caught the golden glow of the Sun. It was a surreal sight, steaming clouds coming off the lakes surface, the rays of orange and golden sun just about making their way through as a glowing haze. The lake itself was interspersed with patches of green land, sandy rock and white ice, with birds enjoying the water or flying through the steam.
We paid for the entry to the springs (60p) in a gross makeshift office, with toilets that just smelt like wee. I didn't use them but Rob informed me they were the hole in the ground kind. We then headed to get undressed. Nothing had seemed more unnatural or crazy given the temperature, but when else do you get to do this somewhere so beautiful. The very short walk/run to the water was breathtakingly cold, but my goodness it was worth it. The water was at a glorious 38 degress and after almost slipping on the algae rocks in my rush to get in, I was in heaven. We sat and enjoyed the warmth and savoured the opportunity to be soaking in something, as showering had not been option so far. It was beautiful, and only one other group were here before us, which made it even better. We looked out from the steaming pool across the lake and watched the birds and the steam rolling over the surface. It was gorgeous. So relaxing and so needed.
We were in the water for about an hour, it got a bit busier half way through and again we were glad to have been up so early. Getting changed was a little less unpleasant than getting undressed, I think the warmth of the water gave us some time before the cold hit. It did once again leave you panting a little for air though!

By 8:00 we were off again and on the way to the Laguna Verde. The journey took us up high and through more Mars like scenery, with mountains that had a whole mix of colours seemingly running down their sides. Whites, reds and greens. It is called the Salvador Dhali Desert for this reason. The green lagoon sits up high (as everything is up here) alongside volcanoes. It is arsenic that turns the water green and it is most spectacular when windy, which unfortunately it was not for us. The view however was still incredible and the still water allowed for a few reflections of the towering volcanoes to be seen. Rob was a little annoyed by the salty edges (they ruined the reflection for photos) but wow...once again just amazing. We stood and took in the last great view we would see in Bolivia (well...the boys threw stones down to the lake to try and hit a black rock) and then we set off for the border. The sun was also higher now and the air warmer, which meant I could see out of the windows. We passed through yet more red sandy desert and mountains, with large rocks dotted about as evidemce of past volcanic eruptions, and eventually arrived at the border.

Here we had our passport stamped (and paid a shady 15 Bolivianos for the honour) before saying goodbye to Marion, our guide and driver. We waited to board the bus to San Pedro (a little apprehensively as they didn't seem keen to let us on at first) and then we were on our way.

We crossed the border and within minutes, the first signs of Chilean wealth were visible...tarmac roads in the desert. We joined one such road and headed downhill into the Atacama Desert (apparently once Bolivian soil). It was a steep and fast descent and Rob was enjoying the ever more gravy like air as we descended further and further. We went from 4300+ at times this morning, to just 2300 in about half an hour. It also went from freezing, to gloriously warm.

We went through customs (I was a little worried about my teabags) and then got directed to our hostel. The directions weren't perfect but Google maps put us right and we got to our hostel, which is where we are now.

Since my hammock time this morning, we have been down the main street for lunch (massive burgers but not too great), saw a swirling sand tornado in the distance, in front of one of the massive volcanoes that circles the town and had much needed showers, or at least the boys have. I unfortunately had belly ache and after some much needed shots of coffee, have since been overcome with tiredness. Off to chill in the hammock again now.

Not much else planned for today, pasta and bed most likely!Read more