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Altiplano Boliviano / Lagoons |
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Today is August 01,
2005, and we have just visited the volcano Ollague.
Now, we are going into the lagoons region and we
will visit the the Eduardo Avaroa National
Park.
Now we arrived at a
place that is indescribable. We are in the
"laguna Cañapa", altitude 4115 meters. It is
incredible, but the landscape gets to be more
beautiful.
Although the sun was
very hot, in this altitude, the atmosphere is
rarefied and the temperature is low, enough to
maintain ice on the margins of the lagoon, even at
the half day. 
Very close to the
"laguna Cañapa", we find the "laguna
Hedionda". Besides the ice, this lagoon has a
lot of borax. Here, we had the privilege of seeing
an animal in extinction, the "zorro andino",
that is a wild wolf very rare. 
As everything here,
this lagoon is beautiful and it has an impressive
green color. If the temperature was not so low, I
would dive. 
After Hedionda
lagoon we saw more three lagoons, Charkkota,
Honda and Ramadita. Afterward we
entered in the Siloli desert. Here, we found a
mountain that was targeted by a big meteorite. 
Soon after we find
the "arbor the piedra", stone tree, showed at
the side. This is the extraordinary result of the
wind erosion. Me and Leandro in the picture. 
At 5:00 pm, we
arrived at the red lagoon "laguna Colorada".
Although several sites indicate a larger altitude,
the red lagoon is located at 4280 meters above the
sea level. It has approximately 60 km2 and a medium
depth of 35 cm. Here is really very cold, the
temperature can reach at -25 C at the night. 
Some parts of the
lagoon presents islands of borax. In the evening
begins a cold wind that impeded us of to stay here
for long time (latitude 22º12'43, longitude
67º47'58). Although the intense cold, the lagoon
doesn't freeze completely, because it is surrounded
by volcanos, and the water is originated into
springs. 
The color of the
"Laguna Colorada" is due to the sediments and
mainly due to the pigments of some kinds of algae,
that are food source for thousands flamingos also
colorados, red flamingos. 
In the morning of
August 2, 2005, the temperature reached -17 C. Even
so, we left in direction to the one surrealist
place, called sun of the morning, "Sol de la
mañana". This place is located at 4870 meters
above sea level (latitude 22º26'00, longitude
67º45'24) 
This place has
intense volcanic activity. Here you can observe
boiling lava, the fume holes that expel mixed hot
water vapors and sulfuric acid up to 15 meters of
height. These phenomena permit us to appreciate the
landscape that goes back to the formation of the
earth. Me in the picture. 
Near to the "sol
de la mañana", there is the Chalviri
salar and a lagoon known as thermal waters "aguas
termales". 
The heating is
maintained by the volcanos. This lagoon is located
in the base of the volcanic area of the "sol de
la mañana" (latitude 22º32'06, longitude
67º38'53). In this place, it is possible to observe
the contrast of the hot water that pass through the
ice on the margin of the lagoon. 
Here, we spend some
time to take a hot bath. In the picture, Leliz and
Sandra.
To the south we
found the Salvador Dali desert that is the most
exotic place that we saw. This place really seems a
Dali Picture. 
This desert is
surrounded by active volcanos. 
The last lagoon is
green "laguna Verde". The color of the water
is due to the high concentration of metal salts,
mainly copper carbonate. There is no fauna here,
not even the flamingos. 
Possibly the
temperature was very low, because the lagoon surface
was freeze. Anyway I don't remember to feel cold.
Continuing in the south direction we can go to San
Pedro de Atacama on Chile. However, we are going
back to Uyuni. In the picture, Leandro, Sandra,
Leliz e Daniela (latitude 22º47'20, longitude
67º49'08). 
During the return we
pass near the red lagoon that is at right. 
At 4:00 pm we arrive
in the "vale de las rocas" valley of the
rocks. The valley is composed by thousands of rocks
sculpted by the wind, a true work of art. 
In the evening we
find a good lodge "hospedage Los Andes" in a
pleasant little city called Alota. Here, there is
hot shower and also a fireplace. It was wonderful.
The picture was tooke in the morning of August 03,
2005. 
Returning to Uyuni
we pass into some little cities. In the picture
Culpinak. 
After Culpinak, we
pass in San Cristobal crossing through the "pampa
Colorada". Here we pass near the south border of
the salar arriving in the train cemetery, near Uyuni
In the picture,
Margarita, me and Greco. 
In the return, we
went by train until Oruro. The schedules: on
Wednesday and Saturday, at 12:00 pm and 7:00 am; and
on Monday and Thursday at 1:45 am and 9:10 am. About
315 km in 7 hours. First class, costs 10 dollars. In
the picture the Oruro station, in the morning of
August 04, 2005. From Oruro to La Paz you should to
go by bus, ca. 4 hours. It is the only available
transport. There is bus every hours.
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